Janne da Arc - Joker

By Lieutenant Panda

Release Date: 06/15/2005
Type: Album
Price: 2,913 yen

My Rating

Sound Quality - 10/10
Length - 10/10
Transitions - 10/10
Songs - 9/10
Overall Score - 9/10

Review

Enter ‘JOKER’, Janne Da Arc’s latest album. Once again, I was not dissapointed. Releasing their single, "Love is here," only five months after their last single release, ‘Romance,’ from their Album ‘Arcadia’(which was brilliant, by the way), just proves that Janne Da Arc has the staying power to go with their brilliance in deliverance. In short, Janne Da Arc is going to be around for a while. It’s just obvious! single after single, album after album, they only deliver stronger ballads in niftier packages. There’s no time to question and complain, really. Their musical venting is much appreciated. The impressive part about it all is that they’ve been going at it ever since their album ‘GAIA,’ released in 2002(which was very impressive), or even, debatably, from their first album ‘D.N.A.’ released in 2000. ‘JOKER’ is a wonderful addition to the Janne Da Arc collection, the album cover is a sweet bonus, too.

Track Listing

1. In Silence - 6.5/10
The only full english song on the album, and what is this?! It’s the first song. To be honest, I’m not much of a fan of this one. The english lyrics are hardly comprehensive, unless you have the lyrics with you. Nevertheless, it’s a typical opener for a Janne Da Arc album, taking into consideration that none of their albums, minus their single collections, begin with their actual single releases. The sound sequences are somewhat impressive, and it has a really dark rock feel to it, but it’s not very catchy.

2. Tsumetai Kagerou - 7/10
The transition from the first song to this lovely fellow is huge. It’s upbeat and faster. It really has the old school Janne Da Arc sound, as if it came out from an earlier album, which isn’t a bad thing. All the elements of sound are nice and balanced.

3. Gekkouka - 10/10
Two words: beautiful song. Yasu’s vocals shine, he’s just simply amazing. This song will basically ensare you, as it did me. You can feel the emotion just oozing out of this song, pardon my cheesy-ness. You also can’t go wrong with strings, which bring a nice, pleasent flow. All instrumental elements are wonderfully balanced, everything just fits together. I fully recommend you listen to this song, which translates from Kanji to ‘Moonlight Flower,’ with headphones. That’s all I have to say. If you’re not a fan of Janne Da Arc, that will probably change after you listen to this wonderful piece of music.

4. D Drop - 10/10
Or ‘Pump Up,’ as I like to put it. This song is, basically, a no brainer. The emotions you developed from the previous song completely fade when you listen to the captivating, "Please! Please get me shaking! Remember dream!" and don’t forget the "Wake up my soul!" This song has impressive guitar, not only at the solo, but throughout, which is always wonderful. Vocals are brilliant as well. To sum it up, it’s just one of those songs that gets stuck in your head, but you don’t get annoyed with it at all, you just wish you were listening to it instead.

5. Hell or Heaven - 7.5/10
There’s nothing much to say about this song, in my opinion, but don’t get me wrong, it is alright, just not that great. There is a large emphasis on keyboards at the beginning, where you can sense a certain dilemma. The transition from ‘D Drop’ to this little number is clearly evident, from care free to almost careful. It, personally, makes me want to listen to ‘D Drop’ again.

6. Kamen - 9.5/10
Wonderful number, this song. It’s short, but sweet. The bass is hypnotyzing. The whole layout of the song is simply spectacular, Janne Da Arc at their best, really. The music picks up speed at unexpected places, and then all of a sudden, music becomes calm once again, almost euphoric. The chorus vocals are spectacular. The key to this song is the transition. The mood tranfers from tense to relaxed, almost reassuring. It flows effortlessly. The musical elements are simply perfection. Sadly, I cannot give this song full marks, not because it isn’t a great song, but because when the song is done, you kinda think, "What!? that short?!" Even though the song is only about three minutes long, you kind of expect it be one of longer pieces on the album, ranging from five to seven minutes in length, good thing we have the replay button.

7. I’m So Happy - 7.5/10
It’s almost too happy to be honest. It’s almost liking eating a chocolate cake that’s just loaded with chocolate icing, so much that one piece is certainly enough. Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice song, but the chorus can get very annoying very quickly. Though, it sounds very similar to ‘Heaven’s Place,’ which is always a bonus.

8. Wild Fang - 7/10
This song has a very desperate feel to it, you can just feel the urgency. To be honest, the song doesn’t do anything for me, despite it’s attention grabbing title, but it seems to try very hard. I’m going to give this song a seven, only because the guitar solo is a life saver.

9. Easy Funky Crazy - 7/10
This song has a very playful vibe, if you didn’t already catch that from it’s title. The keyboards are simply sweet. This song also gets bonus points by replacing the signature guitar solo with *gasp!* a keyboard solo!?

10. Mr. Trouble Maker - 8.5/10
This song is much harder and heavier than the previous, and it also has a heavy bass solo, which is always sweet. The song is mayhem! I can see a red light flashing! If you’re a heavier rock person, the song is the best you can get from this album. Also, the bass and guitar duet/solo is very sweet. Very nice touch.

11. Love is Here - 10/10
Alright, personally I don’t care what anyone says about this song, it’s my guilty pleasure from this album. Why, you ask? Well, it’s catchy, and the vocals simply gold. It’s a song that you could use to visualize when the hero shows up in the nick of time and is ready to kick some major butt! There is a guitar and keyboard solo/duet combo, and seriously, no one can do it like Janne Da Arc. There is also some random clapping noise, which acts like a major pump up. It’s a song that just flows like a fast paced cloud! You can’t go wrong with that!

12. Kaze ni Notte - 10/10
And the emotion swtich is on. I was kinda hoping that this song would be a single, because it has some serious potential. The song is ensaring with the piano, sound effects, vocals, intrumentation, and yes, even the tamborine. The chorus is lovely, it’s a very relaxed/relaxing song. It kinda reminds me of a song that plays after the battle. There’s lots of emotion, and the mood is addictive. The instrumets are utilized very nicely, flawless. The bass ties everything together into a neat little package. The transition is also something to be recognized.

13. Diamond Virgin - 10/10
What a way to end an album. This song basically sums up what Janne Da Arc is all about. Everything is utilized to perfection: vocals, pace, flow, and instrumentation. The thing about this song is that it’s like the pouring of honey, really. The guitar solo is , once again, brilliant. Beautiful song, enough said.

Where Can You Buy the CD?

YesAsia

CD Japan

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