Billy - Bright

For Billy, 2008 was a busy year, including consistent touring, two singles, two albums and a live DVD. The young visual rock band clinches the release schedule for 2008 with their late-November release, Bright.

Bright marches in with Sunshine Remake, drums rolling and brass-line howling. The interesting exposition soon gives way to a fast-paced rock tune, incorporating all that is Billy into the track. BAKU varies in vocal styles, while Mine and Takuma use contrasting guitar sounds to balance the track over a solid drum-and-bass fulcrum. The second track continues in a familiar Billy sound with their summer single, Rockin' Princess; a fun and upbeat song, the song has playful drumming and a cheery chorus.

After more energetic, bouncy music with [bit;] Ame ni setsuzokusareta sekai, Funny Bee opens with a quirky little sound effect. The entire song is somewhat hard to interpret but keeps the listener interested, though without an actual chorus and with intermittent instrumental sections. Funny Bee stands out as one of the most unique tracks on the album. Ichigoichie, which follows Funny Bee, is a softer song but lacks character; it is more of a forgivable misstep than a heartwarming ballad. Suffering from bloated length and ill-fitting electronic effects, it is forgettable.

The half-way point is marked by Rebecca, which was Billy's fall single. This track fills the need for a softer song; while it has a more rock and roll presence, it is not aggressive or scratchy and features a mix of electric and acoustic guitars. BAKU shows stronger vocals here, and it accentuates his abilities as a vocalist and dedication to a legitimate skill.

The seventh track, Shiitageshi aoki kemono, returns to rock music. It has thick guitars and bass and feels a lot more like a visual kei song with a syrupy melody and slightly slower rhythm, though it doesn't fall to a mid-tempo range. The vocals are rough and sound edgier than the typical Billy number. Shiitageshi aoki kemono is a nice style to play with sparingly, which the band does successfully. Next is Ayame, and this song presents a slightly darker atmosphere as well. It is slower, with jazzy drums and a deeper guitar. The bass has a more defined presence as well, weaving with the layered vocals smoothly.

Onto the final few tracks of the album, Billy attempts another slow song, this time with background orchestration, creating a power track titled Blame All. In contrast, [Waga tousou] Show (Bilingual edit) is fiery and loud. BAKU mixes screams and shouts with a sultry singing style. The guitars are repetitive and do little to distract from the drum and vocal presentation.

Continuing their "shounen" themed tracks, Shounen [B] Out is an upbeat rock tune and very much a powerful show closer. It is simple and straight-forward and has fun, jittery vocals complemented by echoing background vocals. The body of the album gets closure with this tune, and the band seems to almost answer an encore with Sunflower Tank. Sunflower Tank is a mid-tempo song with nothing too heavy or soft.

Throughout Bright, Billy shows their readiness to continue facing the tough music market. Their talents as a band do not need to be questioned, and this album is hopefully only one of many great Billy albums to come.