PUFFY – Tomodachi no Wao! June 26, 2012

Track Listing

1. Tomodachi no Wao!
2. Tomodachi no Wao ~Shimajirou to Asobo! Version~
3. Tomodachi no Wao! Karaoke!
4. Tomodachi no Wao! TV Ending!

1. Tomodachi no Wao!

For as long as I have known PUFFY, they’ve always been pop/rock at its best which is usually refreshing to listen to (for the most part) but then we get into Tomodachi no Wao! and it’s completely void of anything rock-related!  It’s really cutesy and bubblegum and it’s quite scary.  I’m just kind of like surprised.  It’s not a bad song though and Ami and Yumi’s vocals are good…it’s just that the chorus needs a bit more oomph lol.

2. Tomodachi no Wao! ~Shimajirou to Asobo! Version~

I don’t know why but the fade-in to this remix sounds like the fade-in to capsule’s “Catch My Breath”.  Anyways the song got touched up and has more of a synth-pop style going on along with random sounds and such (I’m guessing from the anime it’s tied into).  I’m slightly annoyed here because of that cuz the voice of what I think is the main character gets annoying with the ~WAO!~…it’s too much…and what’s with the jungle sounds and the cut out in the middle of the song?  The new arranged style is nice but the voices destroyed it for me.

 

 

PUFFY is on a weird release schedule aren’t they with Yumi’s pregnancy and all that.  Tomodachi no Wao! is very childish for them and lacks their normal pop/rock standards.  I could get used to the original version but the other one is prolly one to stay away from because it’s so headache inducing.  I wonder if they’ll release another single before an obvious hiatus is announced.

PUFFY – SWEET DROPS August 16, 2011

Track Listing

1. SWEET DROPS
2. Dareka ga ~Live@2011.5.14 Hibiya Yagai Dai Ongakudou~

1. SWEET DROPS

Funny enough that SWEET DROPS is one of PUFFY’s cuter songs in their discography since it’s light and has more focus with acoustics than their last few A-sides.  I found myself really liking the happy upbeat feel for this tune and while Ami andYumi don’t really exactly have solos (which is normal for the duo).  I’d say this is a pretty good song to start a new era.

2. Dareka ga ~Live@2011.5.14 Hibiya Yagai Dai Ongakudou~

Seems a little strange that the only other song on this single is a live version of Dareka ga which if we remember correctly wasn’t even on their last album, “Thank You!”.  I suppose it works since the energy is definitely there in the performance and oddly enough the two ladies sound pretty good together.  Hmmm, good live cut!

 

 

As the era’s first single, SWEET DROPS might not be a good filled out single like their last one, “Happy Birthday”but I actually liked SWEET DROPS for being rather cute and catchy at the same time while their live version of Dareka ga wasn’t half bad either.  I just hope they have actual B-sides on their next single

PUFFY – Thank You! March 11, 2011

Track Listing

1. My Country Road
2. Jet Love
3. R.G.W.
4. Hoshi Girl
5. Wake up, Make up with ANI Bose (Schadaraparr)
6. Haru no Uta
7. Koi no Yama Arashi
8. Ai no Odyssey
9. Banzai!
10. Fish On
11. NO!
12. Yokubou
13. Happy Birthday

1. My Country Road

PUFFY doesn’t waste time to getting into albums.  I mean a mid-tempo pop/rock song with harmonica?  Could it be any better eh?  Now, Ami and Yumi sometimes aren’t very expressive in their vocals and My Country Road has that kind of dragging feeling…but I’m not sure why hahaha.  I think if they added some life to the song, it would’ve been more exciting TBH.

2. Jet Love

As one of the B-sides from “R.G.W.”, Jet Love still is a much needed boost of energy and cleaned up the lack of interest in the previous song entirely.  It even sparks up some reminences of something that The Beach Boys would’ve done…that’s how much nostalgia is in the song and I love it!

3. R.G.W.

Sadly, we get into the first single of the era and it still annoys the hell out of me.  I mean the song is so repetitive and just lame that I’m not sure why they even chose this to be an A-side.  I did like that they tried for a Holiday-themed kind of song, but I was expecting a whole lot more than this piece of junk….

4. Hoshi Girl

Getting out of that pothole, Hoshi Girl sounds a lot harder than I would’ve thought it would, but I kind of like the sound of Hoshi Girl a lot more than the previous songs.  The more edgier arrangement gives the duo a lot more oomph and they weren’t even covered up!  I must say, this is kind of a catchy tune.

5. Wake up, Make up with ANI Bose (Schadaraparr)

Bose…that name sounds familar to me…but that’s because he was featured on one of Rie fu’s tracks.  I thought it was funny getting a sort of new sound at the beginning with PUFFY since it’s kind of electro…but not.  The rappers are a bit icky in the song, but with the girls by themselves, they’re pretty good.  It’s different for sure, but those rappers have got to go.

6. Haru no Uta

Hey! A song about Spring!!!  I kind of liked how they represented it since unlike most of the previous songs, Haru no Uta has an acoustic background and the gals sound more together.  This is what “My Country Road” would’ve sounded like if they added some personality to the song.  Good song here.

7. Koi no Yama Arashi

As the other B-side from “R.G.W.” appears, I’m kind of surprised they added this B-side since it wasn’t very memorable besides the fact that they sound amazing by themselves, but together they seemed to miss the mark.  I don’t think it’s one of the album’s best, but it’s alright.

8. Ai no Odyssey

Another slightly off the road kind of song, Ai no Odyssey surprised me with its arrangement style and the way Ami and Yumi were singing along.  I must say I was turned on by this and the riffs from the guitars and the synth beats were pretty awesome.  I’m not sure whether they were going for hard or just experimental, but the clash kind of worked in their favor.  One of the album’s bests.

9. Banzai!

So all of the B-sides made the album’s cut.  Coming off of “Happy Birthday”, Banzai! might not be as awesome as “Jet Love”, but the whole rockabilly style is kind of cool and has a good, positive energy to it that I just can’t deny to love.  It’s a good song to pick you up and make ya giddy.

10. Fish On

I guess if there was a song to compare it to “Jet Love”, Fish On would be the closest one since there’s a lot of energy, drums, and piano present.  The extra background vocalists do take time to get used to, but otherwise PUFFY did good with this song, but I prefer the former still.

11. NO!

Oh god, the girls do not sound good together as shown in the beginning of the song…talk about awkward.  They fix their long notes together the deeper the song goes but damn was that a bad note.  NO! doesn’t really stand out on the album, but it does remind me of their older music which could be good for sure.  Still, vocals aren’t up to par here.

12. Yokubou

Getting into the last new track on the album, Yokubou is actually one of the album’s more serious songs and like with “My Country Road”, Ami and Yumi kind of sound boring at first, but the chorus totally fixed things up very quickly.  I will say, for serious songs, PUFFY are sometimes hit and miss with them, but they got right this time around. 

13. Happy Birthday

Closing the album is the 2nd and final single of the era.  Happy Birthday on the album seems to be sadly slower than the other songs and after “Yokubou”, I kind of wanted them to go out with a bang.  At least the song is moderately catchy as hell and the gals sound good together.  Iono if it was right to end the album this way, but the song is still good.

Tracks Recommended

• Ai no Odyssey
• Yokubou
• Jet Love
• Haru no Uta
• Banzai!

Song of Avoidance

• R.G.W.

Looking at other people saying that this was better than their previous albums “honeycreeper” and “Bring It!”, Thank You! must’ve meant those albums really sucked.  I think it’s a good album, but there were some tracks I could’ve lived without.  To me, the girls seem to be hit and miss with songs which is good and bad…but some people like the songs I don’t so it’s yeah haha.  Also, they didn’t put “Dareka ga” on the album?  It was a pretty big single for them and they omitted it?  I wonder why???

PUFFY – Happy Birthday February 15, 2011

Track Listing

1. Happy Birthday
2. Banzai!
3. Gingakei Drive ~PUFFY TOUR2009 Medley @ Naganoken Higashi Goshi Bunka Kaiken Sun Terrace Hall~

1. Happy Birthday

Yay, it seems that PUFFY has gone back to what they’re well known for and that’s fun pop/rock songs that sound a bit retro as well.  I loved the fact that they cleaned up and released this song since it’s celebratory and stuff.  While it’s well known that Ami and Yumi both don’t vocally mesh well, it’s what keeps them going and yet for the most part of the song, they sound really good which is a surprise to me.  So much better than that last A-side, let’s be honest!

2. Banzai!

The B-side keeps up with the rockabilly thing going on which also makes PUFFY stand out amongst other acts that try this.  I will say it’s not as catchy or vocally impressive like “Happy Birthday” but the level of fun is still pretty relevant and the guitar solo was pretty giddy hahaha.  I’d say it’s pretty good for a B-side.

3. Gingakei Drive ~PUFFY TOUR2009 Medley @ Naganoken Higashi Goshi Bunka Kaiken Sun Terrace Hall~

I’ll be frank, I know this is a live medley they did on the tour, but sadly…I only know like two songs from PUFFY before I began reviewing them, but from the sound of this track, they performed A WHOLE LOT of songs from their discography and they changed it up every 30 seconds or so.  There’s songs in there that make me curious since they sound catchy…but once again the short time limit between each track is oddly short…but they transition so well!  Still where’s the “Teen Titans Theme” and “K2G”???

As it is the last single for the “Thank You!” era, Happy Birthday is definitely a great single after that rather disappointing “R.G.W.”.  I love how both main tracks were upbeat, catchy, and true to their awesomeness.  The live medley was an interesting present to the fans as well and while I don’t know any of the songs they performed on it, it shows how much they’ve grown since their debut.

PUFFY – R.G.W. November 28, 2010

Track Listing

1. R.G.W.
2. Jet Love
3. Koi no Yama Arashi

1. R.G.W.

I’m only guessing, but I’m gonna say that the title actually stands for the three main colors of Christmas: Red, Green, and White.  Since this is PUFFY’s Xmas tune, R.G.W. is kind of annoying at first since the beginning is just naming off the three colors in sequence and it kind of was just like…Children’s song much?  It’s also like they’re trying to speak in code with the way they’re chanting the colors.  Luckily Ami and Yumi both get solo lines that doesn’t have to do with it.  Iono, but this song kind of sucks when compared to their last A-side “Dareka ga” and that’s not a good thing (added its holiday theme as well).  Sorry, this just doesn’t do it for me.

2. Jet Love

The other songs off the single do a much better job at impressing me more than “R.G.W.” tried to do.  I love the surfer’s vibe that I get with Jet Love and it goes back to their earlier psychedelic days in their music and that’s how I ended up loving songs like this and “K2G” for that matter.  It’s very energetic, the arrangement is fun yet out of this world and Ami and Yumi sing together for the whole song.  Definitely an upgrade after such a disappointing A-side.

3. Koi no Yama Arashi

The other B-side on the single lightens up on the exciting fun factor that “Jet Love” had, but keeps the catchy arrangement and the style of the more 70′s pop/rock sound that basically pushed PUFFY forward since their start.  I do think it’s a bit more serious in lyrics, but it also kind of lost a bit of the duo’s togetherness unlike the previous song.  Still it has its shining moments and I like that still.

Wow, I didn’t think R.G.W. would’ve been a terrible A-side knowing that the B-sides fly right past it both musically and well everything else.  Maybe it’s just me, but I’m annoyed by their Christmas song immensely.  Jet Love and Koi no Yama Arashi is the stuff that they should be putting forth as A-sides since both are musically great and doesn’t become repetitive after 15 seconds of it.  Though with the amount of time between this release and their last single, “Dareka ga”, I wonder if an album is in the works…

PUFFY – All Because Of You January 12, 2010

Track Listing

1. All Because Of You
2. Frontier no Pioneer
3. Closet Full Of Love (RYUKYUDISCO REMIX)

1. All Because Of You

When I heard that Avril Lavigne worked on this song, I was surprised because I really did hear Avril through the songs pop/rock arrangement.  Like I said before, Ami and Yumi aren’t the best singer around but their interesting harmonies keep me interested for a while.  Definitely American-inspired rock, but it’s pretty catchy.  PUFFY sure do know how to make a good song here and then.

2. Frontier no Pioneer

I’m not sure if Frontier no Pioneer was produced by Avril, but I doubt it because it sounds more like what they usually release.  It does sound something you’d hear on a pioneer adventure, but other than that this song really does nothing for me.  It’s alright, but I don’t think it’s like jaw-dropping.

3. Closet Full Of Love (RYUKYUDISCO REMIX)

Taking a track off their album, “honeycreeper”, Closet Full Of Love gets remixed by none other than RYUKYUDISCO.  Now I’m not too fond of remixes made by them and this doesn’t surprise me one bit that I didn’t really like the remix.  Though the ad-libbing was pretty cool and the Engrishness going on in the song.

 

 

PUFFY begins the “Bring it!” era off with a pretty good A-side in All Because Of You.  It’s not what you really expect from PUFFY, but since when have they been actually predictable in their work?  Frontier no Pioneer was alright but nothing really stoof out from me and the remix for Closet Full Of Love was OK.  I guess it’s an alright start for an era. 

PUFFY – Dareka ga July 29, 2009

Track Listing

1. Dareka ga
2. Wedding Bell (80kidz Remix)

1. Dareka ga

So Dareka ga begins the era with a pretty strong rock track from the duo.  It’s actually quite something I would’ve expected since it’s tie-in is with the Naruto series.  It’s pretty catchy, though some of the guitar chords are pretty outlandish and squeaky as well which is unfortunate LOL.  Ami and Yumi aren’t the best of singers (no surprise there), but they do harmonize sometimes.  It’s alright, but I bet they have done way better.

2. Wedding Bell (80kidz Remix)

Damn, 80kidz have been everywhere recently haven’t they?  Anyways that remix a track that was on their last album, “Bring it!”.  I’m not sure how the original goes, but this is a bit tame for an 80kidz remix, but I think it made the song a bit cuter and the ladies sound a bit more together and in tune.  PUFFY and synths need to happen more often.

 

 

Ok, I’ll be honest, I’m not their hugest fan, but I do love “Aoi Ringo” and “Teen Titans Theme” to death (latter because of the cartoon).  PUFFY, today doesn’t sound as different as they did then and I’m wondering if the fans are starting to drift because Dareka ga is like those two songs, but enough to be an alright A-side.  The Wedding Bell remix is a little better here, but for a bonus track?  Strange.  Alright single I guess.