GLAY - VERB

It's been twenty years since GLAY's formation, but they've kept up a consistent (if not stellar) production pace, having put out a full album and two singles last year. VERB went on sale July 11 and is the group's first release of 2008. Expectations were high, as usual, for this band which turns out hit after hit, and the new single is a proud announcement that they haven't lost their knack for doing just that.

VERB opens with the title track, a fast tempo rock number with zany and endearingly screeching guitar riffs. Jiro's busy bass sprints just below Teru's vocals in the verses, and in contrast to the drum's severe pounding beat, the piano adds an emotional element to the song as it echoes in the refrain. When the beat drops out during the bridge, the song is suddenly quiet, the space filled only by staccato piano notes and Teru with back-up vocals. The soft segment serves to accentuate the loud wildness of the rest of the song, though the track is as catchy and melodious as it is loud. And despite the volume, the narrative in the lyrics - describing a struggle with loneliness and lack of raison d'être - is clearly discernible above the music. All in all, this headbang-inducing rock number is simultaneously heart-wrenching and live-centric.

STARLESS NIGHT is a comparatively easygoing song with a simple vocal line. The track's complexity is found in the guitars of Takuro and Hisashi, whose varying melody lines depart and converge, intertwining only to untangle themselves. Despite their independence, the lines work together to produce a seamless harmony. Buoyant and relaxed, STARLESS NIGHT is an enjoyable song in its own right, but doesn't hold a candle to the first track.

Track three is WITH OR WITHOUT YOU, GLAY's impressive cover of Irish band U2's legendary song. Teru seems to have no trouble with the English lyrics, and during the bridge the band really lets loose: Teru wails beautifully at full force and the guitars - until then ornamental - suddenly blast in heavily. Very similar to the original, the track still propagates a strong GLAY sensibility. This may have been reinforced more if at least the lyrics in the verses had been translated to Japanese, but because the song is so well known, any band other than U2 could probably never completely own it. Still, it's a touching tribute and a welcome addition to the GLAY discography.

This single covers every mood swing and occasion with the exhilarating rock number, laid back, sunny song and mellow but heartfelt final tack. While its zenith is undoubtedly the title track, the entirety of the album reflects the range of GLAY's body of music, to the extent that two decades of songs could be squeezed into a microcosmic single. For longtime fans and the uninitiated alike, VERB will certainly be a worthwhile investment.