Billy - Bouquet

Imagine this clichéd scenario: a boy is picking his girlfriend up for a date and surprises her with a bouquet of flowers. The girl is delighted, touched and perhaps falls a little bit more in love with the boy. This is the same reaction fans of Billy should have with the band’s first album, Bouquet, released on January 16th. Led by Baku’s versatile vocals and powered by the band’s striking, unique sound, the album shows off all the things Billy has been doing right.

Starting off Bouquet is Brilliant Bouquet & Braveheart Boy. The name of the song sounds like the title of a children’s story, and the song itself definitely reinforces the idea. It starts off slow and melancholy, but picks up speed and a tone of playfulness until the strings break in and take the song to a triumphant finish. Then it leads directly into track two, Butterfly United. This song is strangely familiar and feels like something the Gazette might have released, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With a catchy melody, Butterfly United is an uncomplicated rock song, and the repeated chorus only emphasizes the feeling of longing throughout the track.

Just like the previous transition, track two blurs right into number three, Casablanca. Despite the title, the song is harder and heavier with refrains of Gothic style chanting. Mixed into it is a sweetly sung chorus, which acts as a nice counterpoint. Next is Closet Love Story; with its easy beat and light melody, it’s more pop than rock. Of course, that doesn’t make it bad, but it’s one of the less memorable songs on the album.

Right after the love song comes Liar Game, which is as harsh as Closet Love Story is sugary. Liar Game starts off with snarls and growls, which get repeated intermittently, and is driven by hypnotic guitar playing and a head-banging beat. Nikunda Egao carries on in the same fashion, but without the growling. Then Billy changes it up with MIKADUKI, a song with a driving guitar line and a marching beat. In fact, it sounds like a death march: Baku's singing is full of bitterness and the steady beat, emphasized by what sounds like a church bell, is broken only by the Gothic inspired interludes. MIKADUKI definitely stands out as the most unique and interesting song on the album.

Following up is Will Smile, a song released nearly three years ago as a live-distributed single. It’s a nice addition to the album, showing Billy’s roots as a band. It’s an optimistic sounding song with its clear beat, uplifting lyrics and light melody. Lagrange Point and be.LI[Eve] are complete one-eighties: both songs have fast, complicated rhythms and get the listener dancing almost immediately. Rose Helicopter completes the mini dance-beat inspired section and leads into Wakusei Venus, a slow song done mostly in minor key and filled with haunting, disconcerting electronic trilling.

There are two bonus tracks included on the album, Dokushou・ Oogane wo narasu otoko (kanzen ban) and William Henly Bobbin. The first is another song in minor key and features a poignant piano refrain; it actually sounds like a combination of MIKADUKI and Wakusei Venus. The latter is a pop influenced song that seems to be the epilogue of Brilliant Bouquet & Braveheart Boy, which brings the album around full circle and ends it on a positive note.

Bouquet features music with a variety of styles, and while not every person will like every song, there should be something for everyone. Moreover, what’s great about the album is that it’s very well put together – it doesn’t get boring and everything fits. For longtime fans, Bouquet is a gift of appreciation for their devotion, and for first time listeners it should be a gift that begins a beautiful relationship!