I was more than thrilled to get my hands on this mini record. Given the reluctance of our esteemed guitarist to release the original "Senpai EP" I was not expecting a sequel but alas! "The Noticing" brings us four new tracks and a charming tribute to Animals As Leaders that dives right into the heart of quirky guitar noises that band have been experimenting with. Two years have passed but the albums production, the tone, feeling and sentiment have been held on ice, the two can be played alongside one another without a hitch. Its exactly what I was hoping for! More of the same, the three songs on the original EP were simply not enough!
The record is so alike to its predecessor that I feel my last blog says it all. Again we have bright, colorful songs of lively, mood lifting, warm hearted intent. The lead guitar parades its way to the spotlight, rich in style, persona and emotion. Alongside fruitful, lush pianos and shimmering guitar chords illuminate the backdrop for the story to be told by the constant dazzle of solos that take us upon adventures. Again the vibe and character is warm, playful and always full of exuberant energy. Each of these songs feel like a theme tune to open a show yet their excellence lets them stand on there own as fun and involving songs.
Sithu Aye is onto something here and I would certainly welcome a third record. If I had one criticism it would be the format itself hasn't been all to varied so far. After ten or twelve different tracks in this vein it may start to stale, luckily we are not there yet and I'm continuing to adore these tracks. The tribute song "Anime As Leaders (The Woven Weeab)" references a song by the band its not a cover of, the core muted harmonic groove riff sound much like their style but the rest of the lead guitars do not. Either way Id point out this is a potential gateway to expand on the core ideas. Lovely record! Dying for more of this niche right now.
Favorite Track: Its The Second Season, The Noticing
Rating: 7/10