With WDCV’s new music blog finally up and running, I figured I’d also throw in my two cents with a review of “PLAYER,” the new album by capsule, one of my favorite groups in any genre.
For those of you who don’t know (and shame on you!) capsule is a Shibuya-kei duo from Tokyo who create some of the slickest electropop out there. They write predominantly in Japanese (although a lot of English samples make their way into their work), but that shouldn’t stop you. I absolutely love this group and I don’t even know any Japanese.
As for PLAYER, it marks the group’s tenth release via Yamaha subsidiary (and capsule-owned) label Contemode, and while perhaps not their best effort, it is indeed solid from start to finish. The album alternates between catchy vocal-laden tracks to hard-hitting instrumental jams with a few hip-hop samples thrown in for good measure. I personally tend to enjoy the vocal tracks a bit more – I recommend “I Wish You,” “Can I have a Word,” and “Love or Lies” – but the instrumental tracks like “The Music” also satisfy, even if some might find them a tad redundant. Even if electro isn’t your thing, I would still advise giving them a try…you won’t be disappointed.
Look out for it in Heavy Rotation this week, but for a quick preview, check out the following music blog: http://toomanysebastians.blogspot.com/2010/03/capsule-player.html. Enjoy!
Tracklist:
1.) Stay With You
2.) Player
3.) I Wish You
4.) The Music
5.) Factory
6.) I Was Wrong
7.) Can I Have a Word
8.) What do you want to do
9.) Hello
10.) Love or Lies
-James W-K
