Girl Next Door – Orion (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)

March 26, 2010 by Dennis Amith 

Keichii Tomita returns with two tracks with a collaboration with Motohiro Hata and Takashi Matsumoto. For fans of Tomita Lab, you’ll find three really good tracks in the single with wonderful musical arrangements.

ARTIST: Girl Next Door

CD SINGLE: Orion

LABEL: Avex Trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-31716/B

DURATION: 19:45

RELEASE DATE: November 25, 2009

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The trio known as Girl Next Door consisting of vocalist Chisa, guitarist Yuji Inoue and Daisuke Suzuki on keyboards have become Avex Trax’s flagship electro-synth pop group reminsicent of Every Little Thing circa mid-1990′s with the upbeat, eurobeat-style that avex has been known for.

In November 2009, the trio released their seventh CD single titled “Orion”, a song used as a theme for the TV Asahi drama “The Untouchables” and features a song that is tied into the drama and was promoted as a song with lyrics that would have hidden tips.

The first track “Orion” features a mid-tempo pop track featuring a pretty cool guitar solo by Inoue and keyboards (utilizing synth strings) that some may feel is much alike to their previous tracks but the arrangement goes through temporal shifts as it slows and then gradually becomes faster.  Chisa’s vocals work well when balanced with the music.  Overall, a pretty good track from the group.

The second track “時の雫” features a mid-tempo ballad that is more piano driven but with an underlying beat.  While the third track “Drive away” (GoGo Remix) is a Eureobeat remix of their second music single.  The final track features the instrumental version of “Orion”.

As for the music video, “Orion” is a black and white music video that was shot in Yosemite National Park in Central California.  Beautiful cinematography of Yosemite and featuring the group performing in the area (yes, they actually brought a piano to be set in the area).  We see glimpses of children smiling to the camera while Chisa sings and the group just looking at the beautiful scenery.

Overall, “Orion” is a pretty good single but it all comes down to one’s appreciation of avex’s synth-based or Eurobeat music.  In the past, the company has had Every Little Thing, m.o.v.e and Day After Tomorrow as their trio’s maintaining that style of music for the label.  And for some, the music may have gotten to old for them and for some, retaining that music that Avex had been known for over 20 years.

But if you appreciate the synth pop, dance music that Girl Next Door is known for, more than likely you’ll enjoy their latest single “Orion”.  Definitely get the CD+DVD version as the music video is pretty beautiful too look at!

NOTICEABLE CONTENTS:

The CD single insert comes with a slipcase (different cover than the album cover), lyrics and production credits for the two tracks plus a flier promoting the official fan club.

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