Myuji – BONE (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

1. BONE
2. eX dream
3. Program
4. TOGA
5. us ~明日何をしている?~ (us ~asu nani wo shiteiru?~)
6. Flower Children
7. CONFUSION
8. TOWA
9. NORMAL
10. On the EDGE (MARTEL MIX)

In this first album release from Myuji, in just ten songs he managed to cover multiple genres and styles of music. This album includes most of his singles that he has released, including one of his most famous songs, “eX dream” from the anime, “X”.

The first song, “BONE” has a heavy rock intro and the sound effects used in the opening remind me of something that Hide from X Japan would do in his solo work. The song has a slight metal edge which mixes well with his smooth voice, despite the contrast.

“eX dream” begins with a trippy techno style opening and a great rock sound. I love how his voice blends in perfectly with the hard rock sound. The heavy drums in the intro lead into more of a steady drum beat along with a heavy bass sound. This song is a definite favorite among anime and J-Rock fans alike.

“Program”’s opening also reminds me of something Hide would have done on his album. The song opens with one of the most interesting lyrics I’ve ever heard in a song: “Today the sun tried to kill me”. The song has a techno edge blended with rock.

“TOGA” is another track that Myuji wrote for the X TV series. The song starts with a slow, psychedelic sound and then a heavy rock sound takes over, starting with a hard drum intro followed by a thrashy guitar and bass sound. As soon as Myuji’s vocals set in, the music calms down and then picks back up in the chorus.

“us ~asu nani wo shiteiru?~”: this song like many other songs on this album, starts with a very hard rock opening and then keeps the upbeat tempo but turns into a cheery sounding song.

“Flower Children” starts with a trippy opening that leads the song into a creative mix of light rock, weird haunted house noises in the background, and somehow a bit of unique 70’s folk rock feel.

“CONFUSION”: This song actually has Myuji rapping, with the same kind of mix of techno and hard rock in the background. The rapping gives the album yet another creative feel.

“TOWA”: This song sort of reminds me of old Luna Sea, both with the vocals and the music. Intentional or not, I can see an influence of 90’s visual kei which I really enjoy.

“NORMAL” is probably my favorite song on the album along with “eX dream”. The song features the piano and is a much slower piece than the other songs, but still features his uniqueness. I love the lyrics, how his voice sounds in this song, and just the whole feel of the song. It’s a nice song to just relax to.

“On the EDGE”: Myuji closes the album with possibly the hardest song on the album. On the EDGE (MARTEL MIX) definitely has a heavy metal feel to it.

Myuji’s album shows that he can pull of songs in multiple genres. It’s a creative album that’s fun to listen to and also makes it possible for fans of different styles of music to enjoy the album. It definitely sounds like he likes to experiment with various things in this album. My personal favorites from the album would have to be “eX dream” and “NORMAL”. “eX dream” has been one of my favorite songs ever since it came out and before I even knew who Myuji was. “NORMAL” is an awesome combination of great lyrics, chill music, and creativity. Myuji’s voice is very smooth and has a slight softness to it which makes it very pleasant to listen to.

The only downfall of this album is that it may be hard for fans in the US to get their hands on his album. But for those lucky enough to get it, I highly recommend it. I think listeners will definitely be looking forward to what he may have in store in his future projects after listening to this album.