issue 25// vol 46 he Rw AA CO Under the age of 20 and want to know what your dad considers new music? » Pearl Jam ‘Gigaton’ album review James Wetmore Contributor kek KK h jeez, another “dad rock” band. Commence the eyerolls. Yes, the ancient band that is Pearl Jam has garnered enough strength to struggle out of their wheelchairs and make their uth studio album, Gigaton—released seven years after their previous record, Lightning Bolt (2013). Pearl Jam has become much more experimental since their 1990s grunge heydays, and this record is no exception. This is arguably their most experimental record—meshing new wave and electronic influences with their 1970s blues rock and punk roots. Despite that, some of the songs on the record fall into the trap that most bands from the pre-1990s rock scene are sucked into—sounding out-of-touch with what is popular today. Songs like “Who Ever Said” and “Never Destination” fall into this category, sounding like they would fit in with the music on Pearl Jam’s 1998 release Yield. There are multiple examples of the STU48 band having fun with experimental rock on this record, so there is not much of an excuse to have a bland song. With that said, songs like “River Cross” and “Alright” are spacey, atmospheric tracks. They showcase Pear] Jam’s ability to keep it simple and not overload the listener with a dense wall of sound—instead they prioritize a small array of sounds to enrapture the listener. “Dance of the Clairvoyants” may be the band’s most experimental on the record; it’s an upbeat, new wave, ‘80s synthpop effort that works surprisingly well. Who knew that these old farts still had the ability to make a club song? Pearl Jam again switch things up for the 10th song on the record “Comes Then Goes,” an acoustic ballad featuring just vocalist Eddie Vedder and his guitar that lasts over six minutes. There are songs that are more memorable than others—and there are certainly some that cater to their older fanbase—but one thing that stays consistent is the great production throughout the record. Whether it be an 1850s pump organ like on “River Cross,” or the programmed drums on “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” it all sounds amazing and the songs sound full. No matter if a song has five or thirty instruments, everything has its spot and there is no wasted space. Matt Cameron’s drums sound amazing and explosive, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready’s guitars are warm and smooth, Jeff Ament’s bass is huge and rounds out the songs, and Eddie Vedder's vocal performances make this record truly exciting and rich with few dull moments. All in all, this record is going to satisfy both long-term fans and newer ones with its classic grunge sound meshed with the band’s newfound sonic experimentality. It for sure contains enough hits for both sides to enjoy. It won't break commercial records for the band or make them break J-POP SPOTLIGHT » Group showcases Japan’s seaside region Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist Because the Tokyo Olympic Games and many other industries—including music— are now delayed due to coronavirus, this column will be ongoing and published from time to time to learn the histories of famous musicians in J-pop. f you read this column regularly, you probably know that the 46 groups are the biggest idol group in Japan right now and still have a rivalry with their predecessor AKB48. Despite that, the coronavirus pandemic affected music sales in the country. AKB48’s recent hit single “Thank You Heartbreak” surprisingly sold more copies than Nogizaka46’s recent hit single “Protective Colour of Happiness.” Both singles were number one in their first week— with AKB48 selling 1.3 million copies compared to Nogizaka46’s 900,000 copies. It appears that AKB48-mania is here just like Beatlemania was in the 60s’. The group is still relevant today with Team 8: a team in the main group that has members from all 47 prefectures in Japan and is sponsored by Toyota. They also stay on the scene with their newest sister group: STU48. Unlike the rest of their sister groups where each represents an area ina city, STU48 represents the entire Setouchi region—which is in the southern part of Japan and includes Hiroshima and Kobe. I went through the region during my trip to Japan in 2018, and their music videos do Setouchi justice in showcasing their picturesque mountains, seaside towns, and lemons— the official fruit of the region. The group is co-owned by the Setouchi Tourism Board, which might be predictable. With four singles so far and a fifth single possibly being released in May, the group was launched in 2017 with their airy hit single “Setouchi Voice.” In that music video, the STU48 members get advice from two predominant members of AKB48: Nana Okada and former member Rino Sashihara. They are depicted as the captains of the ship showing the new members the way. When the group began, they performed in various theatres around the region while a ferry was being refurbished into their theatre. Since April of last year, the “STU48 GO” docked in its home port of Hiroshima and the group goes around the region holding performances inside it. Their music has a seaside sound; songs like “Darkness” and “Waiting for the Wind” sound like songs that you would hear in a cruise ship. Promotional image of STU48 “Onward” and “The Person I Really Like” have music videos that actually showcase their cruise ship. It can even sail to other parts of the country and they do special events on the deck. The members showcase Setouchi through tourism ads and appearing on a lot of shows. One of the members, Sakaki Miyu, even has a YouTube channel called CUCA Channel where she talks about food in the region and explores restaurants near train stations in Setouchi. An interesting fact about the J-pop group is that almost half of the members went to Actor’s School Hiroshima—the same music school where the infamous Perfume was formed. The lead member in all their singles, Yumiko Takino, is very tall and plays the Album cover of 'Gigaton' by Pearl Jam into the mainstream, but it continues the experimentalism that is characteristic for Pearl Jam post-1990s while containing the rough and raw rock sound the band helped cultivate in Seattle 30 years ago. Overall a solid performance from the biggest remaining grudge band, and arguably their best effort since Yield. They prove that no matter how old you are, you're never too old to kick ass and rock out. saxophone. My favourite member in the group is Mitsuki Imamura who is now the captain of the group after Okada stepped down from her position during aconcert in Tokyo in January of this year. She sings great, plays the guitar, likes baseball, and surprisingly knows me because I talk to her a lot in an app called Showroom where the members do live chats. One of the newer members in the group, Kudo Riko, is known to international fans because she is fluent in English. If you are going to Japan for Tokyo 2020 next year, watching STU48’s music videos and talent will convince you to go to Setouchi. Even if you aren't, the group is great for easy listening and conjures up images of a relaxing day at the sea.