I’ll rave about Ryugujo to anybody who will pay attention. Their Deep Wave EP earlier this yr is among the many most fun items of music launched in 2024 and I’ve comparable hopes for his or her first full album later this month. Lead observe Urashima is extra ‘assertion of intent’ than full tune, making it a curious selection for promotion.
As with all their music, Urashima is the brainchild of producer/mentor Avu-chan. It’s a pure extension of the sturdy worldbuilding they’ve displayed to this point and looks like an prolonged album intro. Its taut, two-minute working time doesn’t supply sufficient house for improvement, making it their weakest single but. Nonetheless, Urashima manages to suit fairly a little bit of content material into this slim body. It jogs my memory of unit observe Seafood launched earlier this yr, although it lacks a few of that observe’s distinctive sonic punches.
What stands out most is Ryugujo’s efficiency. As all the time, they throw all the things they’ve into the observe, sneering and snarling their means via every second. They discover character in imperfection — a very vital asset on this age of AI-perfected pop tune sheen. The verses are as a lot dialog as they’re rap, taunting the listener with off-kilter move. I’m most keen on the incantation-like hook and temporary bridge that injects additional drama to Urashima‘s closing moments. If I had it my means, the tune would go one other minute and construct additional upon these strengths, however Urashima stays a truncated tease. Hopefully the album takes its time to flesh out this potential.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Grade: B