〈君の名は?〉と問いたくなるジャケットのニュー・アルバム。今作において、RADWIMPSはバンド名の由来さえ笑い飛ばしてしまうほどの覚悟を持って、〈人の性〉を改めて見つめ、間接的な言葉やアレンジを極力排し、マインドを開け放して、花のような無垢さで存在している。つんのめった8ビートで夢中に駆ける“光”、エレクトロニック&ヘヴィーな音像にフック十分のフロウを掛け合わせた“AADAAKOODAA”など、曲ごとに度肝を抜くスリルがありながら、全編が清々しい。“O&O”では口笛まで軽快に聴こえてくるし、“トアルハルノヒ”では〈ロックバンドなんてもんを やっていてよかった〉と歌い切ってみせるのだから。“週刊少年ジャンプ”“棒人間”で夢を見続ける〈僕〉の姿には、真に迫る楽曲を生み出す源泉が覗けたりもする。もちろん、他愛ない晴れやかさじゃなく、どれもこの島国が抱える憂鬱を踏まえた歌だ。それゆえに開いたと言える“前前前世”の歓喜と興奮が、ベストな形で着地した一枚。
[English Translation]
RADWIMPS come back with a new album whose cover art makes you ask "your name?" On "Human Bloom," the Japanese rock band are determined to shake off connotations their name suggests, reflecting on human nature and eschewing indirect lyrics and arrangements in favour of open-minded, unadulterated presence like wildflowers. Take "Hikari (meaning Light)," which avidly runs over its stuttering eight beat, or "AADAAKOODAA (meaning Quibbling)," a blend of a gripping flow and a heavy electronic sound design. Every track brings an astonishing thrill, and the feel-good factor permeates the album throughout. "O&O" even features a light whistle while "One Spring Day" hears vocalist Yojiro Noda opening himself up to sing "I'm glad that I have been daring to do a rock band." On "Weekly Shonen Jump" and "Stick Figure," the presence of the dreaming "I" offers a peek at the band's muse for their touching songs. That said, those numbers are not so much naivety as melancholia that weighs down on the Japanese isle. It all adds up to an album that makes the delight and excitement of "Zenzenzense (meaning Past Past Past Life)" flourish in perfect contrast.
