sora tob sakana — World Fragment Tour: finding the right ways to expand a group’s sound
Ever since their full-length debut, sora tob sakana have continued to cement themselves both as a really solid and unique presence in the current idol scene and as a really interesting music project. After the breathtaking New Stranger (which served as the opening theme to the anime series High Score Girl, and is honestly one of the best idol releases of 2018), I couldn’t help but get really excited about the prospect of this new album, and I’m glad to say I was greatly surprised by it.
Up to this release, the group’s music could be easily described as a combination of math-rock instrumentation and arrangements, and more traditional idol pop song structures. Which results in sora tob sakana having a general sound that feels equally dreamy and dynamic. Both of these characteristics are present — and are still defining — in the tracks that make up this new album, but there’s something else added to the mix: a willingness from producers to experiment with different sounds and influences, which translates into a newfound strength for the group.
The first thing that struck my attention about World Fragment Tour is the fact that no previously released singles made it to the record. This means no Lighthouse, no Alphard, and -most shockingly- no New Stranger. In place of these tracks, the album offers eleven brand-new songs, which is both a daring move in the context of Japanese idol releases and a decision that actually works in the album’s favor, since it makes it a far more cohesive listen.
After the short and sweet whale song, which serves as the album’s prelude while simultaneously showcasing a dreamy main melody similar to that of tracks like ribbon, World Fragment Tour presents the listener with its lead single, knock!knock! The track not only features a more upbeat and straightforward electro sound (backed by the kind of vocal harmonies usually delivered by the group) but it also incorporates really unique Indian-inspired instrumental breaks during its choruses, which really make the track an absolute standout. This lead single is followed by FASHION and Time Travel Shite, both of which showcase different ends of the sound spectrum longtime fans should probably be familiar with. FASHION, the more dynamic of the two, uses a structure that alternates between energetic, guitar-backed verses and softer choruses, all in order to create a song that fits right into the groups trademark sound; Time Travel, on the other hand, relies on harmonies and a more subdued vocal performance to build itself a charming, almost lullaby-like number.
From this point onwards, World Fragment Tour will seamlessly play back and forth between new and familiar. With each of the following tracks adding something fresh to the mix, be it the contrast between horns and flutes in Moenai Juumon, or the jazz-rock influences to Usotsukitachi ni Himawanai, every single one of these songs brings something completely unique to the table. The first half of the album closes off with Hima, a short interlude that alternates between simple math-rock melodies, spoken word (or rather, dynamic iterations of the word hima), short harmonized bits, and samples of some of the group’s previous lead singles.
This playful alternation between familiar and new elements will follow through the record’s final stretch, from which Arifureta Gunjou (a second venture into a more jazzy sound) and Shooting Star Rendezvous (a really fun, even if a bit straightforward, disco-influenced number) stood out the most to me. Once again, both of these tracks strengths seem to come from the effortless way in which both of them combine new elements with the group’s trademark sound and performance. As a way to close things off, WALK is built by combining elements usually featured in the group’s songs, and it wraps everything up by taking the listener back to the sound they might have been expecting from a sora tob sakana album.
In short, World Fragment Tour finds the idol group at their most musically refined. Offering its listeners with a sora tob sakana not only knows their musical strengths but also how to add new elements to them. Whether this is achieved by experimenting with sounds never before tackled by the group, or by layering familiar melodies with the use instruments outside of those usually used by the group, everything incorporated into this album just works, which is a testament of both how solid the group’s sound is and of how much effort went into the production of this record. A great listen through and through, this album is a testament of the evolution this group has gone through the years, and it makes me look forward to their future releases even more.
