COSMOSCAPE

The cover of COSMOSCAPE features SUGIZO in profile, with one wing curled over his back; an elegant and simple black and white photo. The album opens with a similarly elegant song. COSMOSCAPE, the first and title track, weaves beautiful guitarwork through a steady melody, leading the listener into a sense of ease. Next comes TELL ME WHY?, a song with a faster beat and a bit of a dance/industrial sound to it. The vocal elements of this track add that little something extra that make it stand out in the album, while the violin helps tie in the more mellow tone carried throughout.

The guitar in THE CAGE has a bit more of a rock sound to it, with a prominent but gentle beat that creates a flowing transition into KANON. The English lyrics to KANON are a bit poetic; however, the female voice stands out the most in the rest of the album.

EUROPA features a strong bassline throughout, with a lazy and almost monotonal guitar that gains tension in the next song, Le Fou. Flowing violin notes dance through the suspenseful guitar in Le Fou like a gentle breeze, before both sounds drop away into the next song. DELIVER... is another song featuring vocals as a dominant part of the track, and this time it fits the music much better, with the voice blending with the music rather than standing separate from it. The sound of this song almost has a jazz club feel to it, broken up with short, understated guitar screams.

Electric guitar is the base of Elan Vital, showcasing SUGIZO's talent to perfection; this song is possibly the strongest in guitar on the album. SUGIZO's violin has a strong presence in the next track, Rest In Peace & Fly Away, emphasizing the stark beauty of the song. RISE brings back the electric guitar, and a catchy, danceable beat, with overlaying vocals that only add to the atmosphere of the song.

INITIATION slides by smoothly into SWEET, an aptly titled, upbeat song with well-executed vocals that will leave listeners with some positive energy. akai umi to kuro no sora no soryouchi and VOICE both carry a similar feel-good sound, bringing COSMOSCAPE closer to the final song, Synchronicity.

Whether or not SUGIZO purposely saved the best for last, Synchronicity is there. The eerie beauty of Synchronicity comes from the vivid cries of the violin, which are underscored by acoustic guitar and filled by sound effects that are reminiscent of running water. This song also serves in bringing COSMOSCAPE full circle, closing the album with a sound similar to the opening track.

Even legends like SUGIZO have their flaws, but overall, COSMOSCAPE is a strong album. It showcases the best of SUGIZO's work and flows between songs with a smoothness that's admirable. It's a marriage made in heaven between rock and SUGIZO's amazing violin.

TRACK LIST
1. COSMOSCAPE
2. TELL ME WHY?
3. THE CAGE
4. KANON
5. EUROPA
6. Le Fou
7. DELIVER...
8. Elan Vital
9. Rest In Peace & Fly Away
10. RISE
11. INITIATION
12. SWEET
13. akai umi to kuro no sora no soryouchi
14. VOICE
15. Synchronicity