One World

It's Team Blue vs Team White in this year's World Cup Final!

PASSPO☆ are back, and this time they're they've ditched Green and are channelling some heavy 80's rock to bring you their third album, One World. Or according to iTunes, One World Economyclassban. Fuck you, Tim Apple!

Our opening instrumental today is Departure. It's a little step up from Boarding, but still pretty unmemorable.

What is memorable is our proper opening song, Next Flight. Holy shit, this song is both the heaviest and baddest song PASSPO☆ ever did - I can not listen to this song quietly. It sounds like a big stadium rock monster of a song and when I look at the personnel on this album, it becomes clear; we've got former members of Cinderella, Guns'n'Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters all over this album. I'm not complaining. It's also clear someone in the back realised that Yellow, White and Yellow-Green (seriously, that was her colour?) are the strongest singers and gave them the lead as much as possible. Again, I'm not complaining.

Don't get me wrong, I love all members of PASSPO☆ equally (kinda). But there's no denying the vocal strength of Yellow.

Final Vision is kinda something. Nothing would ever sound awesome coming after a huge heavy opener like that. Then we get Love Diary, which is still really rockin' and fun. This reminds me I need to learn more PASSPO☆ on guitar. Particularly this song. Then we're back to dark heavy rock with WING. The harmonies in this are spectacular. And it's crazy to have such sweet harmonies in such a heavy song with double-kick and tonelessly distorted guitars. I saw a clip of some Japanese rock band covering this - complete with a big fat singer dude doing some of the PASSPO☆ dance moves. I'd make fun, but fuck yeah go dudes! Because WING is badass and I wish I was in that band.

WANTED!! has grown on me over the past year; I didn't think much of it at first - likely because my first exposure was Band PASSPO☆ performing it. Again, I love everyone involved in PASSPO☆ very much, but they aren't exactly the most amazing musicians.

Ugh I want to punch myself for insulting them! Who do I think I am?!?
FUCK YOU, LOGMAN!

My favourite part of WANTED!! is the 2nd half of the 2nd verse, where Blue gets a solo part and gives it some attitude. I even think every member had a solo moment in this song! Then we get 夏空HANABI, which has some good moments. That's kind of what I find is consistent with this album; even the songs that I think are kinda average have those little moments that I think are really badass and make me want to score it higher. But I won't, because that's just one awesome moment in otherwise just "good" song. Same goes for 君は僕を好きになる - though this is a lot more catchy.

Sick of my insults, PASSPO☆ just go FUCK YOU, TIM APPLE AND LOGMAN and hit us with the best song on the album, 2DAYS. It's probably the most PASSPO☆ sounding song on the album. Like, the rest of the album isn't bad - some of it is totally awesome (dude) - but it's a lot heavier than the usual PASSPO☆ stuff I'm used to. This is back to a simpler pop-rock sound with a super catchy hook. Tap My Toe is kind of a nice slice of in-between. Then we're back to hitting some fast-paced rock with Pock☆Star - another song that is kinda 'Yeah this is good' and then has an awesome moment that makes you think 'Oh wow this song is awesome' before returning to the simply good stuff.

I'm totally saying stuff.

ピンクのパラシュート is a perfect example of funny happy pop-punk blended with Idol cheese. 君色のサンバ is something I don't really understand; you've got a samba rhythm, soft Japanese idol vocals and shredding metal guitar solos. Then we get a kind of ballad in With XXXX and I find it hard to score because I've probably been dishing out way too many 5 stars. But it's a gorgeous song. Then we close things off with Dear My Friends so you don't forget that PASSPO☆ means pop-punk good times!

This is a surprisingly consistent album; so far, it scores the lowest number of 5 star songs, but everything else sits around the 3 or 4 mark. And some are certainly high-standing 4's. And the girls are slowly starting to let some personality shine through. Like CHECK-IN, it's not the same pop-punk awesomeness I originally loved PASSPO☆ for, but this album has an attitude and 80's rock groove that appeals to me. Things are starting to come together nicely.

Highlights:
Next Flight, WING, 2DAYS

Lowlights:
PASSPO☆ aren't in my neighbourhood

5 / 7 Glowsticks