OverView: Stereopony Music, Vol. 6

Tonight we believe in tomorrow, so we’ll continue to run

Having gone through their first major release with A Hydrangea Blooms, Stereopony did not stop. In fact, they got better. Two months later – on August 19, 2009, to be exact – stores all over Japan would be selling their fourth single, Smilife. “Nagareboshi” lyrics are credited to SHIHO, all the others’ are credited to AIMI.

Tracklist

1. Smilife
2. Cupido
3. Nagareboshi
4. Smilife ~Instrumental~

“Smilife” is the leading track of the single; the only song Stereopony named through a process of compression of the English sentence “It’s my life” into a short, new term. Like most of Stepo’s songs so far, it is a cheerful, energetic song; with SHIHO’s rhythmic drums carrying most of the tune, along AIMI’s guitar riffs. Musically speaking, while they did not bring anything new to the table, they did keep their best assets, so that is enough to make it a fun song to play at concerts. The mixing job was an improvement from their early days though, as we can actually hear their instruments better now than we did before. AIMI’s vocals are enthusiastic and lively, only adding to the experience of listening to it, as she sings about friendship and loyalty, and how grateful we feel for our friends being there for us whenever we are going through setbacks in life. “Smilife” is my choice of song to go to when I need a little bit of encouragement.

The B-side track of the single makes also for a great listening experience. “Cupido”’s warmth can be felt through the first chords of the song. By being a song that mostly talks about summer love – and how those involved wished not only the summer, but also that feeling would last forever – it is a jovial, pleasant song to listen to wherever you may find yourself in. Without a doubt, I love watching AIMI’s performance on their first DVD. It is seriously cute how into the song everyone gets.

Finally, “Nagareboshi” is the single’s ballad and the last song on the tracklist. I used to fast forward through it until someone said that it was one of their favorite songs, so I felt the obligation to check it out. I was not disappointed. It is a great addition to the single, counting in SHIHO’s powerful drums and NOHANA’s bass providing a strong support. AIMI’s vocals make everything better, though. You can really feel the emotion she puts into singing those words that are, surprisingly, not written by her. I think this is the first time SHIHO is credited for a song, so I must compliment her on her writing skills. The lyrics really stand out in quality. It is a mostly anguish song, expressing someone’s inner thoughts and insecurities over a difficult moment; but mostly, this is a song about growing up and the pain it sometimes brings.

In summary, Smilife is an excellent single; well produced and nicely balanced. Leaving nothing to be desired, it deserves the title of a “fresh summer rock tune” as one can find in their official description.

About the author

wannasalad is a Very Good Days member from Brazil. Her “OverView: Stereopony Music” feature is published every Monday, starting at the beginning of September 2013 and going until the end of December 2013.