UVERworld - Shaka Beach ~ Laka Laka La

The summertime single from pop/rock/rap group, UVERworld, Shaka Beach~laka laka la hits all the right summer song cliches - something 'summery' in the title: check; Spanish sounds: check; reggae sounds: check. Unfortunately neither song nor single quite escape the bounds of this cliche and results in a fairly unimpressive offering from the otherwise outstanding band.

Shaka Beach begins promisingly with a strong melody of powerfully strummed Spanish guitars and an obviously reggae influenced rap forming the structure of the verses. However as the full strength of the guitars come in during the chorus the sound becomes a little disjointed with guitars and bass becoming too dominating in a fight for space and TAKUYA∞'s voice fights with a little too much straining to reach the high parts. The melody and pace make it catchy and fun superficially but listening closely it sounds a bit messy. There is also a very odd and off note as the guitars hit the chorus; this possibly sounds like a slightly pedantic criticism but it was a little too painfully obvious. It is a shame because the verses are addictive examples of Japanese rap/reggae/rock that, in cliched style, offer that 'summer feel'.

In sudden contrast to Shaka Beach is Rainy. Perhaps the title made UVERworld come over a bit funny as it sounds initially like it could be a Rain(Bi) song. It is a smooth R'n'B number with gently plucked acoustic guitars and a chilled jazz bass line lending the song a lounge feel. It is a shame then considering the enjoyment of this melody that TAKUYA∞'s vocals are the weak aspect. He and the backing vocals are both out of tune and out of time from each other during a few choruses, and noticeably so. His singing of the verses is much improved though and later combines with a rap that plays on his falsetto voice well sometimes in the song they blend well. It really shows the diversity in UVERworld's music and it would be a highly enjoyable laid back song if it weren't for the uneasy chorus.

Sorrow is strange. It opens with a frantic showcasing the beatboxing and rapping talents prevalent in UVERworld. The song then completely changes direction, the frenetic opening is dropped creating a total absence of sound for a short period. Is that it, you wonder and then a barely audible muted vocal and guitar performance can be heard. The muted sound creates a 'distant' feel which then accelerates during a sole chorus part with thumping guitars taking their lead from Spanish styles and TAKUYA∞ making sounds over the top. The song then becomes barely audible again. It is an interesting idea for an endnote and contains a rather awesome ambient sound but it also feels like a wasted song. The volume levels are incredibly irritating though, yes the effect is nice with changes of pace but it is not one to listen to on an iPod.

Overall, Shaka Beach was a disappointing release from the otherwise strong UVERworld.