ADAMS - Akisame

Just seven weeks after finishing their second European tour, neosexual rock duo ADAMS went back to the studio to record their next release. Titled Akisame, their fifth single contains two songs: the title track plus b-side NUDE. Scheduled for release on September 24th 2014, I’ve had the opportunity to listen to the upcoming work and what can I say? This single is very much in keeping with ADAMS' concept of being "revolutionary, original, timeless".

The first thing to catch my attention with this was the beautiful artwork. Even though this is a digital-only release, photographer Ryota Sakai has once again done a great job in providing a wonderful photo for the cover. Almost completely in blue tones, it shows both ADAMS members on a rainy evening in the city, protected only by a big red umbrella. This image is very suitable for the single, as Akisame translates as "autumn rain".

Adam begins Akisame accompanied for the first two lines by just Shota’s acoustic guitar. As soon as the keyboards and electric guitar join in, the song takes on a very catchy pop vibe, with the potential to get stuck in the listener’s head right away. Adam's voice is the driving force throughout the song, especially in the verses and bridges, set against a gentle and unobtrusive backdrop. This contrasts with rocking atmosphere of the choruses, where Shota's electric guitar and pounding drums take centre stage.

In a musical first for an ADAMS song, Akisame even includes a keyboard solo. This soon fades away, Shota’s guitar taking over before itself makes way for Adam, whose voice gets the chance to shine almost alone for a few seconds. The music then builds up to another rendition of the catchy chorus, after which the song ends.

Overall, Akisame has an upbeat feeling to it—I have to admit, due to the title, I didn’t expect this. ADAMS manage to connect the slightly melancholic image of autumn rain with a rather positive sound. The lyrics, on the other hand, are about the memories of a first love which might have been all lies, and being left standing alone in the rain. The song itself sounds hopeful, however, as if the singer is trying to break out of their sadness.

As with many ADAMS songs, this subject is taken up again in the b-side NUDE. With rain as the single’s overarching theme, NUDE is a somewhat darker rock song, with many different influences and elements. Starting with a bell and an intro that reminded me of French chansons like those in the “Amélie” soundtrack, I was once again surprised by ADAMS. The song has a rather restless feeling, with the keyboards, guitar and drums playing a driving melody at the beginning, which develops into the theme of this song, along with repeating bell motif in the bridges and choruses.

Fans of ADAMS will surely like the rocking guitar solo halfway through the song, which should also make NUDE a nice choice for future lives, connecting ADAMS' old style with their new electronic direction. Adam utilizes his entire vocal range, from rather deep parts in the verses to very high notes during the chorus – here, Shota’s voice accompanies him for the only time on the single. In fact, Shota seems to have cut back on his vocal contributions to concentrate on creating fresh musical elements for ADAMS’ songs. Masters of reinvention, with this new release, the band continue to live to their motto of being “revolutionary, original, timeless.”

All in all, despite being a little skeptical at first, I soon found myself listening to this over and over. In the process of writing this review, I also discovered some interesting background details about the tracks. Apparently, the two songs on this single are a continuation of the story previously told in the title track of the single Seseragi and Boku no Sei, the b-side of ADAMS’ 2013 single Kiminosei.

Akisame will be available from September 24, 2014 via the usual downloading platforms like iTunes and Amazon. Be sure to get this new work by ADAMS to help soothe those autumn blues. I’m excited to see what direction the band will take after this single, but until then, let's enjoy these catchy songs and learn the lyrics, as we can expect to be hearing them live soon enough.