Bump of Chicken - Orbital Period

After thirteen years, Bump of Chicken's popularity hasn’t petered out or dwindled; On the contrary, it’s flourished. Tickets for their live show early in January sold out immediately, a reflection of the fans’ eagerness to hear the songs from the new album live. The album, Orbital Period, is especially personal, and even more than previous releases it highlights the relationship between the band and their fans, according to the Oricon live report on their January 10, 2008 show at Zepp Tokyo. Phrases from the songs like "the person you want to see" and the "person who is waiting" describe the interaction of two people, but more importantly it illustrates the relationship between the band and its fans. Each group follows its respective orbits and one day they meet; hence, the album name Orbital Period and the tour name Homesick Satellite.

By now, listeners have probably heard all the well-received singles off the album: Planetarium, Supernova, Karma, Namida no Furusato, Hana no Na and Mayday, the last of which is probably the greatest song on the album. Mayday captures the best of Bump of Chicken. Vocalist Fujiwara Motou's climbing vocals are particularly showcased in a series of progressively higher notes in the chorus of Mayday. Overall, the song is catchy, energizing, and propagates an uplifting feeling that makes you want to grab a guitar and start jamming. The song ends with the same feel-good, catchy guitar riff with which it opens.

In addition to the singles, there are several gems on the album. This release, like their earlier ones, displays the band members’ skills at their respective instruments. Supernova is interesting for its inclusion of American country style guitar playing. Naoi Yoshifumi’s talent for the bass is spotlighted in Hammer Song to Itami no Tou, particularly in areas when the guitar drops out of the melody.

One of the real treats on the album is Kasabutabutabu. With a light-hearted, almost silly feel to it at times and some bass and guitar parts that are just wacky, this catchy, unique song shows the versatility of the band and its ability to surprise. Some listeners may dislike it for its unconventional sound, but it will probably make you smile, and it displays the band’s willingness to take risks and change up their style.

Arrows may be the best of the slower songs. The soft instrumental throughout places emphasis on Fujiwara’s voice, which exhibits an impressive disparity between the soothing sound of the verses and the emotionally-charged, heavier chorus.

Namida no Furusato is another strong song. The melody in the chorus is great, partly because it is in a higher register, which is where Fujiwara is really interesting. The lyrics speak about waiting and having a place to come back to, again highlighting the band’s connection with the fans.

Flyby is a big surprise. It opens with a light guitar which drops out, then hits a silent spell. When the instruments suddenly come back in, they are shockingly loud, as are the vocals. The sudden contrast is like being splashed in the face with water. At only one minute and fifty five seconds long and with a format progressing from quiet to heavy to quiet again, the only thing wrong with it is that it's too short. The title of the song demonstrates the band’s consistent creativity and attention to themes, in this case the satellite theme of their Homesick Satellite tour and the space theme from their earlier albums. Officially, a flyby is "a maneuver in which a spacecraft or satellite passes sufficiently close to a body to make detailed observations without orbiting or landing." The briefness of the song certainly gives it this feeling.

Concerning the lyrics in the album, Fujiwara writes poetically and crams an impressive amount of words into the few minutes each song lasts, enough to tell a substantial, developing story. While the melodies repeat, the words tend to be less predictable, which makes the songs more interesting to listen to but probably tougher to memorize.

To sum up, Orbital Period is mild, but beautiful and inspiring, and Bump of Chicken’s jewel is the vocals. While Fujiwara’s voice won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it is still indisputably unique. He demonstrates amazing range and control, and his voice quality is just a bit rough, making it especially appropriate for the louder songs. The best songs on the album comprise of that original voice, coupled with equally original chorus melodies. Whether you are looking for something uplifting to balance your hard rock collection or are a longtime fan of mellow light rock, this seventeen track album is certainly worth purchasing.