Es VOL.39 10th album“Terminus”解说(second half)

●○ From music freak Es Vol.39

GARNET CROW
10th Album *Terminus* Liner Notes

03. Maizy
The lyrical piano melody that begins slowly and Nakamura’s full-bodied alto voice form the A melody, gradually rising through the B melody into a divine chorus melody. This dramatic progression is another of their defining strengths. I find myself at a loss wondering whether the title “Maizy” refers to *maiden* or *maze*… though secretly I have also allowed my imagination to run wild with the idea that it might be an abbreviation for *Majesty* (as in Her Majesty the Queen). In any case, it is unquestionably a noble number that stirs all kinds of imaginings.

04. Shiroi Sora
The A melody unfolds over a gentle sound with an AOR-like flavor, followed by an emotional B melody and a beautiful, nostalgic chorus melody. Okamoto’s long-tone guitar solo in this song is also a highlight. “Parting will follow us no matter what…” The combination of these vocals and the lyricist’s sense of impermanence gives you that reassuring feeling of thinking, “Yes, this really is GARNET CROW.”

05. Life goes on!
This major-key number, unfolding over a light, brisk rhythm, brings to mind the color of their early days after debut. Melodic lines with the purity of songs such as “Kimi no Ie ni Tsuku Made Zutto Hashitte Yuku” and “Futari no Rocket” create a sense of nostalgia and take you on a time trip into the past. When people think of GARNET CROW, their fragile, bittersweet worldview tends to come first, but this song reminds us once again that positive, upbeat numbers like this were also part of their character. The ending is delightful too. Yes, our lives and theirs are still going on!

06. P.S GIRL
GARNET CROW has passionate Latin-flavored numbers such as “Bokura Dake no Mirai” and “Yume・Hanabi,” and this is another blazing Latin number in the same vein. Nakamura’s restrained vocals stand out against the percussive rhythm. The wistful melody of the B section is also full of emotion, and its contrast with the spiciness of the chorus melody catches you by surprise. Okamoto’s Santana-like passionate guitar solo is excellent as well. And the title “P.S GIRL”—a postscript girl? It makes you wonder what she left behind.

07. Umi wo Yuku Shishi
GARNET CROW has a song called “Hyakunen no Kodoku,” inspired by the novel of the same name by Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez, and AZUKI Nana has long continued to provide literary lyrics. What I felt in this album was an homage to Hemingway’s *The Old Man and the Sea* and *The Snows of Kilimanjaro*. The dignified lyrics, which show her gift as a storyteller and create a world that feels just like reading a novel, are uniquely hers. When Nakamura’s almost divine singing voice is laid over them, the result becomes a masterpiece. How many bands in today’s J-pop scene can portray a lyrical, philosophical, and dark worldview this beautifully?

08. Yume wo Mita Kagami
What a wonderful song—another excellent number packed with lyrical GARNET melodies from the intro onward. You cannot help but surrender to the torrent of melodies: the darkish melody, the worldview crowned with desolation, and the overwhelming succession of phrases that inevitably loosen your tear ducts. Embracing tenderness while carrying sorrow, and somehow even suggesting hope, this song seems to have been born with the destiny of redeeming humanity.

09. The Someone's Tale
Nakamura’s floating vocals sound like wind as they ride a warm, melodious piano sound in an ’80s style. The contrast between the first half’s pastoral calm and the latter half of the chorus, which also possesses strength, creates a sense of drama and carries a sparkling brilliance that makes you strangely nod and think, “Yes, this is GARNET CROW too.” Unusually for AZUKI Nana? The lyrics use question marks frequently and add onomatopoeic sounds such as “kirakirari” and “fuwafuwari,” which feels fresh. What story did the members entrust to this song, which holds the lightness and melancholy of a short story?

10. closer
This song too has been arranged as though it had slipped in from the 1980s, resulting in a warm sound. It is a chance for the god-handed Furui to show what he can do. The slow number at the end of the main program presents a somewhat philosophical worldview, while the past-tense expression “it happened, didn’t it?” gives a faint sense of an ending. Why is it that beyond that pale loneliness, I feel a strange kind of peace? The quiet, moving work that brings the album to a close, fitting for the ending of a drama that arrived quietly amid hope that never quite filled the world.

■[First-press limited edition: CD + DVD]
Catalog No.: GZCA-5250
Price: ￥3,675 (tax in)
※The first-press limited edition includes a DVD containing two music clips, including “Nostalgia,” and making-of footage!

■[Regular edition: CD]
Catalog No.: GZCA-5251
Price: ￥3,150 (tax in)
※The regular edition includes a photo book (40 pages)! (First pressing only)