Girl Band Cry’s Togeari Review
| Album Title: | Togeari |
|---|---|
| Anime Title: | Girls Band Cry |
| Artist: | TOGENASHI TOGEARI: Rina, Yuri, Mirei, Natsu, Shuri |
| Catalog Number: | UMCK-1766 |
| Release Type: | Vocal |
| Release Date: | April 24, 2024 |
| Purchase at: | CDJapan, Apple Music |
Togeari Album Review
If I had to single out one overriding element that got me hooked on Togenashi Togeari’s first compilation album, Togeari, it would be the lyrical flow across its tracks. Passages, like the introduction and verses in “Nameless Name” are intricate, requiring vocalist Rina (who also voices Nina Iseri in the anime) to navigate them deftly. And she does. Rina’s clean delivery effortlessly captures the emotional core of the songs, laying those oftentimes tortured feelings bare with a captivating intensity that won me over.
And it’s not just one banger that does the work for the entire album either. Togeari is replete with hit after hit, with songs that strike an emotional chord as they depict loneliness, despair, and a feeling of being broken. Plaudits go to agehasprings, the group of Japanese composers and musicians behind Togeari, for making this album simultaneously varied enough to hold my attention, while remaining cohesive throughout.
Among the composers who’ve worked on this album, I enjoy Misty mint’s work on “white drizzle in gloom”. Its introduction sets it apart from the preceding tracks by feeling slightly more upbeat, which is followed by a lonely verse where Rina draws out the sense of melancholy with great poignancy. The pre-chorus builds up the intensity before unleashing it brilliantly in the mesmerizing chorus. Misty mint’s “Bleeding Hearts” is similarly intense, propelled by Rina’s relentless delivery as she navigates the verse’s fast tempo, the high notes in the pre-chorus, and the hectic pacing of the chorus.
As much as “white drizzle in gloom” and “Bleeding Hearts” stand out, my favorite song is found in the album’s second half. Erina Kiser, whose work includes tracks for the Aikatsu franchise, pens the heartfelt “Lonely fate to be destined”. From the start, I was drawn in by Rina’s despondency in the introduction and how she builds up the song’s emotional weight from verse to chorus. The chorus continues that emotional outpouring, culminating in the plaintive cry of “lonely lonelyyyy” which hits straight at my soul. In an album filled with raw emotion, for “Lonely fate to be destined” to stand a step above the rest is a testament to its quality.
Readers may remember how much I enjoyed Bocchi the Rock’s Kessoku Band album. I’d characterize Togeari as taking the pop-rock elements of Kessoku Band, and dialing it up to a point where they mesh better with my personal tastes. The rock rocks just a bit harder, the emotional highs are higher, and the compositions just a bit more consistent. I found myself enthralled by the album when I first heard it in the summer of 2024 and still find it just as enjoyable today. Its staying power is undeniable.
Rating: Excellent
