Moran - Mokka no Mekarumi

In just a few months since coming into existence, Moran released their second maxi single entitled Mokka no Mekarumi. The single comes with three tracks and was limited to 2000 copies.

The title track, Mokka no Mekarumi, begins with the sound of a gentle rain as Hitomi starts to softly sing. As his voice comes into focus, the rain fades and the rest of the instruments join the sound as well as the surprise addition of a wood symphony. The song has an upbeat rhythm and builds slowly until Hitomi happily belts out the lyrics through the chorus, providing a moving element to the song, which is accompanied by the basic musical arrangement and the symphony. Towards the end of the song, we're greeted with not only a beautiful violin solo but the return of the gentle rain. With one last robust round of the chorus, the song is closed out with Hitomi pouring every inch of his heart into his singing.

Moran made sure with this single to provide something for everyone, and Sea of Fingers does just that. Although it sticks out between the other two tracks, it is a good old fashioned rock song with a rough headbanging opener and Hitomi's chanted and shouted vocals. The music is rough and raw, allowing for good moshing and headbanging opportunities through the stanzas. Hitomi's noisy vocals and the background shouts of "hey!" urge you to move through the chorus, and his sexy voice seeps through as he rolls his words and slurs through the second half of the song.

Starting with a chime, Konseki to Canvas closes out the single as an elegant cool down track. While the opener is strong, it tapers down to a gentle choir singing softly as Hitomi enters the scene and sings a capella for a few moments before the band rejoins him. The song seems to grow in volume, but during the chorus it evens back out, focusing on the emotion riddled vocals and less on the instruments themselves. During the second stanza, the band stays with Hitomi, emphasizing vocals with drum beats and pushing him forward into another round of the chorus. The song is not only graceful but holds a lot of charm, and it is a wonderful final track to an already great single.

Moran truly continues to amaze with each release, and Mokka no Mekarumi is proof of this. While the song has a much gentler approach than their first release, Element, it is just as exceptional and is a wonderful single.