Sithu Aye "Senpai III" (2021)

 

 I've been awaiting this next installment for some time now... Its actually been over three years since the last Sithu Aye release! Time has absolutely flown by. Senpai III is the anime themed musical take on Progressive Metal that is now here in a longer album format. The project started out innocently as a curious experiment, mixing in the melodic styling and instruments from Japanese cartoon theme music in a jovial stride. With parts I & II the small number of tracks really wet the appetite for more and alas it comes with fifty two minutes of fresh new music across ten tracks.

Bright, warm and uplifting a constant flow of dexterous melody unfolds on an ever pacy stride, marching through its bold and colorful sound. Its metallic elements brings forth power and strength, a little groove and bounce to bolster the intensity but never to turn to anything dark. Its a cheery record of smiles and good vibes, all with an authentic emotional current. With a lack of human voice to center on the lead guitars often steps up with frequent unleashes of dazzling fretboard work, swooning with speed and technique when blazing into a solo. If not, its often a more subdued line of melody that gives the music that needed focal point. This record is all about melody though, its a unending unraveling of them which can get a little tiresome.

To pivot to criticism, I think the novelty of this idea is best served in smaller dosses for this listener. Although there is genuine mood and expression here, the style of theme music demands a lot of energy and instrumental activity. The pace is swift and a lot of notation gushes forth through a rather narrow range of ideas. Mari's New Day is one song that stands out for managing to calm the tone down and provide a little contrast but the rest of the songs are continually swept up into this whirl of dance-able energy that has most its big melodies feeling very similar to one another.

The project doesn't feel like it has many directions to go in. EDM elements drop in on a couple of tracks, dialed up a notch with intense kick drums and some lively synths but they tend to compliment the dominant narrative more so than bring something new to the mix. I really do adore this sound and have enjoyed my time with the record but it has struggled to establish more than a mood. With the narrow range these songs operate within and similarity to what came before, nothing stands out. If there is to be a forth installment I would love to hear a human voice in the mix. That would be most welcome alongside some experimentation to see where this framework can be taken. If you've not heard this project before and enjoy Anime theme music you are most likely going to lap this one up!

Rating: 6/10

Sithu Aye "Senpai EP II The Noticing" (2017)

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

Sithu Aye "Senpai" (2015)

Sithu Aye's latest release "Set Course For Andromeda" is an impressive one, a record of two halves, a set of remarkable collaborations and a singular song split into six parts. Left yearning for more I spotted this previously overlooked record on bandcamp. For a three track EP it really packs a punch and brings out the better qualities of Sithu's sensibilities for lead and melody, undoubtedly because of its anime inspiration. On one listen alone you can hear the influence, if you've ever watched Japanese animation the style of music that accommodates can be cliche, which had me wondering if these were covers but a little reading uncovered these songs were created with specific common theme in mind for each track.

These songs are radiant, uplifting and cheerful in a carefree way and the first song reflects this strongly with the inclusion of poppy electronic chords bustling away like a dance song. There's a strong emphasis on the lead melody which can scale fast soaring solos and playful quirky melodies. The second track "Senpai" is the records strongest and could easily be the opening theme for a show, you can almost envision the cartoons behind the music as it swings between its energetic guitar solos and main hook. Despite the now obvious Anime inspiration for this record, I just took the music for what it was and loved how bold and charismatic the themes in place were. Its only now that Ive put one and two together that I can see how well the two gel. Sithu comments that the record is cheesy but I have to disagree, I think its a brilliantly warm and fun record full of lasting substance!

Favorite Track: Senpai Please Notice Me!

Rating: 5/10