My thoughts on “BURST GIRL”, the self-titled debut single from BURST GIRL.

 
Release Date: May 3rd 2018

Tracklist

1. BURST GIRL
2. GREAT FXXKING MY WORLD

If ever there was a release that I’ve been looking forward to reviewing then this is it folks. BURST GIRL’s self-titled debut single has made its way into my possession (thanks Ethan!) and I finally get to review it for all of you who keep coming back to read these things for some reason. I would have had this one out much sooner but this is a venue only release (I also have quite the backlog), something that’s the bane of every Idol fan not living in Japan or having friends there who can pick it up for them. Well, my connections came through for me so here we are!

First though, a little bit of back story. If you were unaware, BURST GIRL is essentially the spiritual successor to the much loved Idol group Guso Drop. It consists of four of the former group’s final line-up in Rei, Yurapiko, Rin and Miyako and it does somewhat seems like there’s a sense of unfinished business about the whole thing. Maybe I’m just reading too much into it though but in any case I’m pretty happy they’re still around in some form or other. If only more people felt the same way, but that’s a story for another day.

So anyway, I’m not going to sit here and pretend to you all that I’ve never heard either of the songs featured on this single before. I’ve watched a ton of live videos since BURST GIRL made their debut so I’m pretty familiar with what’s on offer. That being said, I’ve never heard a studio recording for either song so it’s going to be interesting to see what differences there are if any. Maybe I’ll also get a few new sets of eyes and ears on them too. Wouldn’t that be just great?

The single’s a-side and title track “BURST GIRL” wastes absolutely no time letting you know what this group is going to be all about. You want some harsh vocals? You got them right here folks, and very raw and unfiltered to boot. The song then launches into what I have to admit isn’t the most original synthesizer melody in the world, backed up by some crunching guitar and more double kick drum action than you can shake a drumstick at. At times it’s verging on almost being too much like a wall of noise, but the song is supposed to be loud, angry and in your face so it works exactly as intended. Getting back to the vocals for a second and yeah, they’re pretty rough around the edges but that’s nothing new when it comes to these girls and if anything I think they might even sound better live than in the studio…with the exception of Miyako maybe. The chorus is catchy, which doesn’t hurt either. This song is very much BURST GIRL’s signature track right now and I think it represents them well.

We dial back the brutality a bit for b-side “GREAT FXXKING MY WORLD”, which once again features a rather questionable use of the word “fuck” from the Guso Drop alumni. If the first song on this single wasn’t really your thing then perhaps this one might be. It’s a good deal more melodic, that’s for sure. Going with a fairly Punk Rock inspired instrumental featuring once again a rather frantic drumbeat but some much more subdued guitar. Vocally things are a lot less shouty and there’s little screaming to speak of outside of a few select moments. Anyone who might have been hoping for a more polished vocal recording on this song is likely to be disappointed once again, although things are a little bit cleaner just by the simple fact that there’s more actual singing involved with this song. Still, it really is a rough around the edges Punk Rock song with a ton of personality and heart at the end of the day. If any of those things appeal to you then chances are you’re going to like this song quite a bit.

So there we have it folks, the first single from the Idol group now known as BURST GIRL. Is it a technical masterpiece with a super high budget and the production values to go along with it? No, it isn’t but are the songs still really fun, catchy and in keeping with the spirit of the genres they’re taking inspiration from? Absolutely!

As for what’s next? BURST GIRL are already performing a new song at their live shows so that’s exciting. They’ve also just launched a crowd funding campaign to hold a nationwide tour later in the year. You can check that out here and if you’d like to support them, Terry has a guide showing you how to do just that over on his brand new website. Please do contribute if you can!