Album Review: Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Kimi Tsunagi Five M

Song-by-Song Reviews

 * 1) "Flashback" - A fast paced song that has a punk-rockish feel to it. It'll get you banging your head! 8/10
 * 2) "Mirai no Kakera" - Continuing with the momentum from the previous track, "Flashback", we're off to the same raw rhythm (or what I call "rawthm"). As of now, the album is still forcing you to get in a moshpit, as the indie-hard rock sound continues. Near then end, you'll get a soft break, or two as it settles down. 8/10
 * 3) "Denpatou" - The next track has a more power-pop feel to in. However, this track does sound more constructed than the previous two. 8/10
 * 4) "Understand" - The song starts off as a sing-along to the fans of AKFG, and then the band comes in, making it a jam before the first verse. The pre-chorus sounds like you're preparing for something, but what? That's when the chorus comes in, making it a good time to start jumping up and down. Good stuff. 8/10
 * 5) "Natsu no Hi, Zanzou" - My favorite off of the album. A song that starts off calm that gains momentum. I love how the rhythm and lead guitars compliment each other near the end. This is easily my favorite song on the album. 10/10
 * 6) "Mugen Glider" - This song has a very progressive feel to it. And I like how they managed to accomplish this in only one song! This is another of my favorites on the album. 9/10
 * 7) "Sono Wake o" - This song goes back to the power-pop feel it has in the third track ("Denpatou"). A very solid track. 7/10
 * 8) "N.G.S" - This song has very good rhythm and lead to it. Despite it being so good, it lacks in length! Oh well. This song is a great crowd -mover anyways! 8/10
 * 9) "Jihei Tansaku" - Another fast-paced song, like the first track ("Flashback"). However, the song doesn't have a punk feel to it, but it still has you forcing to jump in the moshpit, forcing you to tear down your metaphorical wall that separates you from the rest of the world. 9/10
 * 10) "E" - This song is a bit of a momentum-breaker. This one, I don't really catch the drift of. Sorry Gotch! 6/10
 * 11) "Kimi to Iu Hana" - Another crowd-mover as it's another song that has a power-pop feel to it. As fantastic as this song is, it really grew to become a staple to the band's setlist now. Another one of my favorites on the album. 9/10
 * 12) "No Name" - The calmest song on the album, as it's the last track. Fantastic instrumentation, as I love the last part of the song, as the hard-rock feel comes back to finish the album full circle. A favorite of mine on the album. 9/10

Overall Score
Overall, the album is a great way to kick off the career of the Japanese foursome. It has a strong hard-power-punk-pop feel to it, and I find it highly enjoyable. It's hard to try to find something to compare this album to, which is mostly a good thing if you can't compare the album to something, because it proves to show how original the band are. Raw score: 99/120

Overall score: 83 /100 (4.5 stars)

Favorite Tracks

 * "Natsu no Hi, Zanzou", "Mugen Glider", "Jihei Tansaku", "Kimi to Iu Hana", "No Name"

Tracks to Avoid

 * "E"

Externa Links
Wikipedia Article of Kimi Tsunagi Five M