I'll keep it fair in this review because I have to admit, my introduction to Wednesday Campanella came from Oorutaichi's cover of their song “Sand Castle.” Both versions of “Sand Castle” rank high in my all-time favorite songs collection. When I stumbled upon that track, I explored other tunes from the same album “Galapagos” and got hooked on their super creative take on pop. Songs like “Picasso”, “The Bamboo Princess” and “Melos” bring in the usual pop language, orchestral tricks, and bits from the electronic music scene. But here's the kicker—they throw in these intricate and interesting polyphonic melodic ideas, superb production, and a balanced blend of traditional Japanese instruments with synthesizers and EDM-like sounds, making it all sound unique.

After checking out their other albums, I felt a little disappointed, especially with their latest album “Neon,” where I didn't find a single song sounding like galapagos. But here's the twist—this isn't your typical tale of an artist losing their spark over the years. The beloved “Galapagos” album dropped in 2018, while they started their career back in 2013. What I've noticed is that Wednesday Campanella completely overhauls their sound with each album. Describing what makes a Wednesday Campanella tune structurally? Tricky. They mash up bits from various genres—EDM, Hip-Hop, Pop, and even jazz—in a way that's super hard to copy and describe. Also, the singer's voice is so unique and odd for these genres. Fun fact: the producer invited KOM_I to join the group precisely because her vocal style mismatched dramatically with the project they were working on.

Now, back to the review—the single has just one track. It starts with a violin playing a repetitive phrase, jazzing things up by layering another violin doing quick, little glissandos with a noticeable delay on every second beat. Then, boom! An entire EDM orchestra jumps in—thick bass, digital organ-like chords, synthetic drums, and claps—all backing the singer full throttle. It's a punchy contrast, full of pep. Not much changes as the verse leads to the chorus, echoing the opening melody followed by the same theme with a touch of Japanese flute. The song remains straightforward, offering slight variations and a brief section featuring that classic Japanese pop-rap vibe.

I'm still a little nostalgic for that Wednesday Campanella vibe of 2018, but hey, I'm still throwing out an invite to check out this new single. It might perk up cheerful folks and those curious for a fresh take on Synth-pop. Enjoy!

Author: Martín Cacho

Martín is a video game composer, producer and writer from Sonora, México.