The Pillows - Non Fiction

By Haidentity

Non Fiction

Artist: The Pillows
Type: Single
Release Date: 09/14/2005
Price: 1143 yen

My Rating

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

Review

This single from The Pillows, one of two released in 2005, features three all-new songs called Non Fiction, Heart is There and My Girl.

Non Fiction is the opening track and my personal favourite track on the single. It’s The Pillows at their best. Despite the upbeat drums and guitars, the lyrics are actually quite depressing (if you understand them). This isn’t exactly new for our boys; Sawao’s (Sawao Yamanaka: vocals, rhythm guitar) lyrics always convey a feeling of emptiness, loneliness or betrayal thinly veiled by a pop-driven chorus.

"Uso mitai da (It was a lie)
Kimi ga mieta (I saw you)
Please Please, me",

He confesses to the anonymous girl. But one tends to forget Sawao’s angst when the need to sing along to the addictive bridge kicks in.


Heart is There is a fun song with the trademark "sunshine days" guitars and, again, misleadingly upbeat lyrics. Sawo’s drawling is as fresh as ever and the guitars are appropriately sliding and rolicking along, in front of a consistent, percussion-like bass-line. Shinichirou (Shinichiro Sato : drums) attacks his cymbals with a sweet urgency over lyrics where Sawao begs,

"Oh! Please don’t you rock my soul
Cause I don’t
want my body to be rocking
I’m telling you that
Don’t you rock my soul"

A heartfelt plea to be gentle with his fragile heart. Once again, you’ll want to sing out your plea in unison (even before you know the lyrics fully, I’ll bet).


My Girl is much more toned down, almost a ballad. The simple, emotional language used in conjunction with the softly strummed guitars and rolling hum of the reverb conveys a longing that is apparent to even those of us who do not speak Japanese.

"My girl... come back to me..."

I am a fan of the softer songs of this band, but in conjunction with two such strong electric rock-driven songs, it doesn’t stand up as it would perhaps by itself or with another song like itself. But it is most certainly not filler.

Track Listing

1. Non Fiction
2. HEART IS THERE
3. My Girl (Fiction Version)

Where Can You Buy the CD?

YesAsia

CD Japan

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