Galileo Galilei - ALARMS

Hokkaido rockers Galileo Galilei had some adjusting to do in the past couple of years after their guitarist and keyboardist both left in 2012. Iwai Fumito and Noguchi Kazumasa went on to form the rock band Folks in 2013, leaving the remaining members to carry on as a threesome. After the EP Baby, It's Cold Outside, they've gone on to release their first full album as a smaller unit. ALARMS was released October 9th 2013.

The ALARMS sound often harks back to the style heard in debut album Parade, focusing on the more traditional upbeat rock and including much less of the electronic effects that dominated second album Portal. First song LONELY BOY is a nice demonstration of this flip in musical direction. Drummer Ozaki Kazuki's perky cymbal-heavy beat and the light vocal harmonies make it a delightfully happy number despite its rather gloomy subject matter, and its folk rock leanings make for a cheery listen. Shoujo to ougon no tabi also has an uplifting melody but a heavier rock sound. Singer and guitarist Ozaki Yuuki's calm, smooth vocals are complemented perfectly as usual by singer Chima, who has appeared in many of the band's recordings. Like Yuuki's shadow, she normally appears singing his part but at an octave higher, her delicate, barely-there tones enhancing his. The gentle CIRCLE GAME was used as the theme tune for the "Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai" feature film, and as such has a similar sort of nostalgia to Aoi shiori which featured in the TV series. The verse is quickly forgettable but the chorus sufficiently powerful.

The band have branched out a bit more with some tracks. The sharp hand claps and committed shouts of "hey!" tell us that Ai o is definitely more spirited than its companions on the album. It's speedy pop rock, which allows Yuuki to let loose for once to give us an uninhibited, joyful performance. All the members play brilliantly on this track, infusing it with energy and positivity that makes you want to jump up and shout with them. Yuuki unleashes his top drawer falsetto in the chorus of FURANII no numa de. The verses of this track pan out very much like their typical soft rock tunes, but they ramp things up for a heavier chorus. Shinda youni is one of the band's most solemn tracks. Bassist Sako Hitoshi takes the lead with his strong funk bass line in this quite bleak song. COBALT BLUE is also quite subdued for the guys, but is more on the positive side than Shinda youni. It's a sweeping piece of relaxed chillwave, featuring vocals that couldn't be more mellow without pharmaceutical intervention. The chorus is filled with glorious echoing harmonies that are pure aural honey.

Some of their electronic dance music sound has made its way into the album despite their keyboardist's departure, which is to be expected as it was an integral part of their previous couple of releases. The synth-infused pop from Portal is very clear in Shio no tobira, which with its chiptune-type synth loop and prominent, bouncy bass from Sako has a comforting familiarity. The guys transport us back to the '80s in Oh, Oh!, an unashamedly retro bit of catchy dance pop. Its masculine sing-along chorus and Yuuki's light, rhythmic guitar riff help it to stand out as a proper feelgood tune. A light bit of synth strings helps to add some joviality to the bright Jonathan. Its high guitar riff, driving bass and heavily pounded drums make for a fantastic chorus in the most cheerful song on the album. It's only brought down a notch by the useless autotune effect on the pitch perfect vocals. Warming acoustic guitar strums merge with a raw but pleasant bass line and a plethora of electronic effects in final track Birthday. Chima joins in again with an autotuned Yuuki in the latter two thirds, which sees all the instruments build to a crescendo finale in this rousing shoegaze rock track.

There was a fear after the middling Baby, It's Cold Outside that maybe the band couldn't quite continue as well as a threesome as they did as a team of five. ALARMS puts that to rest as the guys have put together a thoughtful and polished album, full of the familiar as well as the unexpected. It has painted a hopeful future for Galileo Galilei, and fans can breathe easier knowing that the band still has plenty left in the tank. One piece of advice they should take going ahead though: lay off the autotune.