Anamanaguchi - Endless Fantasy

What I would consider the first 'big' release the band has put out, this album (while there are issues) delivers on what the band promised with their EP and Soundtrack releases with a splash more creativity, dash more versatility and just a lot more experimentation to keep Anamanaguchi's sound have a lot more bite to it...even if the album is kneecapped only slightly because of this.

'Endless Fantasy' is a clear step in the right direction for the band, do not get me twisted, and the material on this album never dips into outwardly bad territory at any point, but I do feel like, at least in comparison to the rest of the bands discography, this album feels extremely bloated and needlessly long for the sake of making a 'big statement' rather then keeping this album tight, cohesive and to the point. It feels like songs that should be cut just weren't, and again, while nothing bad is on here, there isn't a lot of point in making this an hour plus experience.

Still, when the album is good, it's great. The songs on here that are on here are more then worth your while. It's high energy, in your face 8-Bit Power Pop that the band is known for, but with better melodies, better production, way better percussion (seriously, the drumming on this thing is fucking insANE!) and overall just good stuff all around. By all accounts, this SHOULD be a better album then Dawn Metropolis, and in some aspects it is! But sadly, the album gets kneecapped by it's own ambition, and as such just leads to an album that's really good...not not AS good as it could have been. While it is for an acquired taste, (There is not really a big request for chip-tune-pop-punk-intrumental music in the late 2010s) if you lock into it nerdy groove then there is some really enjoyment to be had here. Just keep in mind...it's long.

Favorite Jams: Bosozoku GF, U N Me, (T-T)b

Lest Favorite: Planet