fra-foa - Chuu no Fuchi (宙の淵)

Reviewed By: Kersten
Artist: fra-foa
Album: 宙の淵 (Chuu no Fuchi)
Release Date: February 22, 2001
Buy: No idea, I recommend trying Ebay or other auction sites.

This album was fra-foa's debut album, and one of my favorite albums. With Chisako Mikami's amazing vocals, Seiji Takahashi's brilliant guitar, Manabu Hiratsuka's subtle bass, and Koji Sasaki's complicated drumming, this album is one of the best put-together albums I've had the joy to listen to.

1 - Mahiru no Himitsu (真昼の秘密) - This song is very quiet at first, but it slowly builds into a very passionate chorus. It's almost haunting, but it's a little too garage-band to be truly haunting. However, that utter rawness is what gives this song (and this band) its amazing character, so that is in no way a bad thing! This is one of my favorite songs on the album.

2 - PLASTIC ROOM to Ame no Niwa (プラスチックルームと雨の庭) - This song has a nice, fairly light beat to it. Chisako's vocals are pretty soft throughout, though the bridge is a little heavier. The guitar work in this song is brilliant.

3 - Yoru to Asa no Sukima ni (夜とあさのすきまに) - At first the song is a little reminiscent of a heavier Mahiru no Himitsu, but it quickly adopts its own feel. It starts off heavy and then gets very soft until the chorus, where it gets a bit heavier. However, it maintains a certain calm that most of their songs lack. It's really nice, and her vocals are very pretty.

4 - Higurashi (ひぐらし) - Another great, quieter song, with very soft vocals. It is possibly the softest on the album. It's also one of my favorites. It's got a feeling of melancholy, but it is quite sweet with her lovely vocals.

5 - Sumiwataru Sora, Sono Mukou ni Boku ga Mita Mono (澄み渡る空、その向こうに僕がみたもの) - This song is more powerful, with heavier music and much louder, stronger vocals. I really love when she sings like this!

6 - Kimi wa Warau, Soshite Shizuka ni Nemuru (君は笑う、そして静かに眠る) Whew, so many long titles T_T. Anyway, this song is very calm and pretty, especially by fra-foa standards. I love the bass line in this song, especially.

7 - Aojiroi Tsuki (青白い月) - My very favorite fra-foa song. This was written in memory of Chisako's brother, who died when she was younger. It starts off very quietly, with an almost lullaby-esque feel to it. But then, it gradually builds into an amazing chorus. The song gets stronger and stronger until the end of the song, where she absolutely explodes with really passionate vocals. The music is pretty subtle, but very effective.

8 - Tsuki to Sabaku (月と砂漠) - This song starts off pretty loud, with a really neat beat and extremely interesting vocals. Sometimes she sounds a bit like the vocalist of The Cranberries in this song. (Kind of.) The song is really good, with very strong guitars.

9 - Chuu no Fuchi (宙の淵) - This song starts off extremely soft, with very faint guitars. I actually have to turn it up to hear at the beginning, then the drums come in and it gets a bit louder. It maintains the soft quality most of this album has had. Her vocals are very sweet and pretty, though her voice is still as raw as ever. All of the instruments are equally strong in the composition of this song, light enough to give a feeling of floating - much like the quality Chisako was looking for when she named the band 'fra-foa'. Later in the song it gets a bit heavier, but not for long. One of the best fra-foa songs to date.

This is a fantastic album! Any fan of early 2000s garage-band-style rock should definitely try this album out. It is hard to find, but oh so worth it.

Rating: Excellent