Girl groups come and go with amazing frequency in the often-fickle-minded world of Japanese pop music. After the disbanding of SPEED, it seemed that there was no shortage of groups waiting to take over the now-empty "queens of girl pop" throne.
SweetS, at first glance, may seem just like any of these other groups - five extremely young girls (all around eleven or twelve at the time of their formation) who sing and dance and perform catchy pop music that sometimes sounds like a lot of the other catchy pop music out there.
That is, until the music starts and it's apparent that these girls aren't just a carbon-copy of all the other girl groups in existence: as a unit, these girls work well together; they sing, dance, and harmonize in ways many of the other groups can only dream of. This, their first mini-album, showcases some of their most-popular and well-loved songs.
Never ending story (ALBUM MIX) is a slightly-updated version of a song first featured on a collaboration single called "1st X'mas". The version featured here is largely the same as that version, but with more of a backbeat. The song's a rather "light" piece, not in the same dramatic fashion as some of the other songs here. Instrumentation consists of lots of percussion, the occasional plucked-guitar and a whole lot of synthesizer-produced instruments; the girls' vocals are a bit rough around the edges at times, but they perform well here and sound like they're having fun, which is always a good thing.
The dramatic-pop-fest begins with Love Raspberry Juice, a piece which is mostly led by the girls' vocal performance: the instrumentation takes the backseat in this onem consisting of mainly a perky drum beat, slightly urgent-sounding guitar runs, and a couple short keyboard sections. Unfortunately, this lack of instrumentation leaves it up to the girls to fill in the gaps, which at times is a problem - while they sing well, the pitches at a couple points border on yelling, which can be a bit painful on the ears. There's a male rap section in the middle of the song which proves interesting, however.
niji-iro no eien is the only ballad here, a midtempo R&B-esque piece backed by a "wah-wah"-y sounding guitar. After the madness that is the majority of the disc, this song almost sounds out-of-place; regardless, it's still a good display of the girls' versatility. The reduced tempo allows for more of the harmonizing to show through, letting the girls' vocals truly shine. While there are a few pitch problems, they're not numerous enough to be distracting - after all, these girls are young and their voices are still developing.
LolitA Strawberry in summer was SweetS' debut single and the first display of the girls' dramatic-pop style. A danceable number backed by a sparse, fast-paced beat, drums, and plenty of synthesizer, the song may sound like a typical pop song, but SweetS' unique spin on it makes the song very enjoyable. The girls' performance here isn't perfect, as there are a couple moments where they seem to falter, but overall the song works.
Tear "Lemon" Drop opens the disc in uber-dramatic style, placing the girls against a melancholic keyboard and drum beat. Giving perhaps the best vocal performance of the disc, the girls run smoothly through the verses, displaying a vocal control far beyond their years - quiet, dramatic-sounding verses give rise to a louder, more urgently-paced chorus. The harmonization is exceptionally well-executed here, and the combination of that, the superb vocals and wonderful instrumentation make this track the disc's best and well-worthy of the opening spot.
Lonesome Cherry is another track led by dramatic keyboard and frantic drums. Adding in a crunchy-sounding guitar, the song carries the unique SweetS sound of all the others on the disc and may sound too familiar after several tracks of similar instrumentation. However, this is another well-executed track, with the girls running smoothly through the vocals and once-again sounding like they truly enjoyed this song. A bit repetitive, but still well-done.
Love like candy floss opens with a chorus of harmonizing male vocalists which then drops out to give the girls their opening lines, sung over a light keyboard section. The dramatic drums and such kick in after this, setting the baseline for the song, an uptempo, danceable number with excellent vocals from the girls. The keyboard sections return in-between verses, providing a slight relief from the otherwise hectic nature of the rest of the song. Quite good.
Although it may sound typical on paper, when listened to, SweetS' debut mini-album gives a thorough introduction into a girl group with staying power, fun music, and great vocals. Check it out!
Bonus Track: LolitA Strawberry in summer (5SweetS 04' mix)
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