Arashi - Kokoro no Sora (Heart of the Sky)

Japan's biggest boy band (man band?) Arashi is back with a new album, Japonism. At twenty-one tracks, it's a bit of a behemoth. I gave it a listen last night and, other than the singles, I can't say much stood out to me. Based on the title, I was hoping that more songs would sound like this one, using traditional instrumentation and melodies and fusing it with something new. I did hear a bit of that in some tracks, but overall it kind of blended together into one boring slog. I think I need to explore some more, particularly since I loved their last album. This new single, however, is fantastic. Yes, it's pretty cheesy and gimmicky, but what a fun gimmick it is. The first time through, I thought the hook was a bit much, but I loved the drums and guitars. Now that I understand what the song's meant to be, I absolutely love every bit of it. Fun fact: the prominent guitar is played by Hotei Tomoyasu, the same legend who collaborated with Infinite for their excellent Dilemma at the end of the last year!