Sakanaction - Identity

Just five months after the release of the album KikUUiki in Spring 2010, Sapporo-based band Sakanaction's newest single, Identity, hit store shelves. A carefully crafted three-track single, the band once again has dished out tunes with the perfect Sakanaction-eclectic twist that fans know and love.

The single launches with the first track, Identity. Starting out with only a fast drum beat and vocals, within seconds you're thrown into the full musical ensemble, complete with chorus-chants and a koto playing in the background. The bongo-styled drumming remains consistent through each stanza and features keyboard synthesizing and even a harp while Yamaguchi Ichiro belts out the song's lyrics. The song has a bit of everything - Latin dance music, traditional Japanese music and of course, modern rock and roll.

The energy of Identity's chorus is overwhelming and will have listeners struggling not to sing along at the top of their lungs with Yamaguchi's emotional cry of "doushite?!" ("why?!") The rest of the band joins in during the choruses with a series of "la la la" which in some cases is almost over the top; however, in Identity, it truly ties the song together and gives it the Sakanaction seal of approval.

The second song, Holy Dance, starts with a deep electronic keyboard sound that quickly takes us back to the sound of the 1980's . Remaining a solid theme behind the vocals, the guitar joins the sound steadily through each stanza until the build up of the chorus, where the whole band begins to play. The melody of the chorus is heartfelt and almost pained, with Yamaguchi's vocals filtered to echo and each string of words punctuated with emotion.

Halfway through the song it statics heavily, and listeners hear robotic and sci-fi styled noises accompanied by the keyboard and guitar before the vocals kick back in. While the song has an upbeat sound, it has the feel and heaviness of a slow one; it makes for a strong impact upon its closure and is sure to leave a smile on any listener's face.

The final song on the single, YES NO (AOKI Takamasa remix), first made its appearance on the KikUUiki album as a light-hearted and semi-fast paced track. It was remixed by AOKI Takamasa, an Osaka-born musician currently living in Berlin, Germany. AOKI's remix is not exactly done in a style most of us are used to; the song was slowed, filtered and given a gloomier feel than its original counterpart.

While most of the sound remains wholly unaltered, Yamaguchi's voice becomes slightly muffled. The song is also completely absent of the upbeat chorus, remaining rather monotone throughout. However, the dramatic and almost seductive flare of the new rhythm will have even the most slow-song apprehensive listener giving this track a second listen.

For Sakanaction, there seems to be no such thing as an unsuccessful release. With the new year well under way, fans can look forward to the band's newest release while dancing the night away to Identity in the meantime!