First things first: One Ok Rock are a Japanese band from Tokyo. In September 2016, they were signed to Fueled By Ramen records and announced that they would be releasing their first “English language album” called “Ambitions”, which is the one I’m about to review. They released seven albums prior to this one, which all have songs that contain both English and Japanese vocals.
When I heard that this album would be their first “English language album,” I vowed to stay away from it, as the news made me rather upset. Something that makes One Ok Rock unique in our alternative music scene is their ability to make songs that weave in and out between English and Japanese so seamlessly. It’s not often that we come across a bilingual band, especially not one that is gaining as much attention as One Ok Rock. As someone who speaks four languages and finds every language so interesting and amazing, the fact that they were cutting down to just English in order to (presumably) boost sales in the U.S was heartbreaking.
However, as I am currently writing an album review, it’s obvious that I broke my vow. I love One Ok Rock so so much that it began to feel wrong that I wasn’t celebrating their achievement with them. So, before I keep going on and on about One Ok Rock, let’s start the review. I’m choosing to do a track-by-track review of the Japanese version of their album, which (hopefully) includes at least one song with some Japanese in it - hey, a girl can dream.
“Bombs Away” starts rather slow, the vocals empowering the instruments. I thought that would change in the chorus, but it doesn’t really. And there it is! After the first chorus, two verses in Japanese. Oh, this is so promising. The song really kicks in after the bridge, but it could’ve done with that energy throughout its duration.
The next song, “Taking Off,” was one of the singles they released beforehand, and the only one I’ve heard before. I remember feeling sad at the fact that it was only in English, and it was after hearing this song that I decided not to listen to the album. Not because it’s a bad song, which is what I’m realizing as I listen to it for the second time. “Taking Off” sounds a little somber at first, but the chorus is catchy. I found myself bopping my head along to the beat, and smiling at the Japanese in the following verses. This proves it, though: the Japanese version retains the bilingual element One Ok Rock are known for. “Taking Off” has more punch than “Bombs Away” and does build up excitement for the following songs better.
“We Are” has a slightly haunting quality to it, but when you listen closer to the lyrics, it has an empowering feel to it. It almost feels nostalgic as well, but that might be me. The lyrics in the bridge are a reminder that we are stronger than we might think, further feeding into the empowering feel. “We Are” almost reminds me of All Time Low’s “Kids in the Dark,” as they both have similar messages.
“20/20” is one of the songs exclusive to the Japanese version. The intro is reminiscent of early 2000s pop ballads with a simple acoustic guitar riff accompanying the vocals. The lyrics made me a laugh out loud, though: “Back then always thought that you had my back / You were just there to stab it / Hindsight’s 20/20, should've seen it then / Maybe I should get glasses.” A song about a backstabbing friend/lover, “20/20” has a fast chorus paired with simple verses.
“Always Coming Back” is another Japanese version exclusive. It’s a mournful lament, a song about not being able to walk away from situations that really aren’t the most beneficial to us. To put it simply, it’s a sad song. For someone who doesn’t understand Japanese, the inclusion of Japanese vocals gives it an even more nostalgic, sad feel to it, somehow. Maybe it’s because you don’t have to understand what he’s saying to understand the sadness.
“Bedroom Warfare” seems like it’s describing the same situation as “Always Coming Back,” but puts a different twist to it. It’s another song about ignoring the flaws in a relationship because of the little things we find ourselves too attached to. It’s a somber song as well but the chorus has a kick to it, with a solid, almost dancey beat. I’m not sure I agree with all the choices they made in the song (especially the repetition of “Keep your enemies close” and the distorted vocals), but it could definitely be worse. This song would definitely be great to hear live.
Another Japanese exclusive, “Lost in Tonight” has a mystical feel to it. It’s a song you lose yourself in, the type of song that would accompany a blurry video shot at night in a big city with neon lights. It has lots of energy, probably one of the loudest, fastest songs on the album.
“I Was King” starts off with a violin intro, which is already pretty interesting. Once the verse kicks in, the song has a solid beat, giving it an empowering feeling. The lyrics contribute to that, too: the song is clearly about not letting loss stop you. The bridge is my favorite part, with the lines “If I go down / I will go down fighting / I'll go down / Down like lightning” being repeated.
I have to be honest: I scoffed when I learned that the next song, “Listen,” features Avril Lavigne. Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. I’m not sure how I feel about their voices together, but this song is definitely reminiscent of Avril Lavigne’s “Under My Skin” album. To be honest, this song is a little boring. There’s not much that makes it stand out, and not even the lyrics can save it.
“One Way Ticket” is a slow, sappy song - you know the type. It’s a cute song. There’s not much I can say about it, but I did enjoy it. It has some The Ready Set vibes to it, mostly due to the melody.
“Bon Voyage” starts off interesting. With a blend of synths and heavy guitars, it’s something… New for One Ok Rock. Not odd, but not common. A lot of the songs on this album are about moving on: some about wanting and empowering oneself to move on, and some about the inability to do so. This song seems to be the former. “It took some time to realize / That things are not getting better / We should know, we should know / It's over” are the lyrics to the first verse of the song, pretty much explaining it. Again, this song could’ve used more of a kick, a heavier sound, but all in all, it’s not bad.
“Start Again” has the kick that “Bon Voyage” should have. “Start Again” is about being unapologetically yourself. It’s something we all should hear. If I had to pick my favorite off this album, it would definitely be this song. It’s got a heavier sound, the vocals are so passionate, and the message is great.
“Take What You Want” features the band 5 Seconds of Summer. I was very excited to hear this song since I love both these bands a lot. However, the first time I listened to it, I was on the fence. It’s a bit… Well, how do I phrase this? You’ve heard this before. There’s not much original to the song in the musical sense, at least in my opinion. But I will say that their 5 voices working together definitely gives a very interesting vibe, which is probably what saves it. The bridge is also very interesting, with the abrupt breaks in the music.
This summarizes the Japanese version of the album. Altogether, it’s not as bad as I feared, but it wasn’t very interesting. I did enjoy it a lot, and I will be listening to it again, but I don’t think it will or should be remembered as one of One Ok Rock’s defining albums. I’m very glad I chose to listen to the Japanese version, too, because the Japanese vocals definitely added a layer of complexity to the songs that shouldn’t be given up. I would definitely tell you to listen to this album, but perhaps after taking a listen to their “Jinsei×Boku=” album (my personal favorite), or even “35xxxv.” And if you like what you hear (which you will, I promise) you can find One Ok Rock on Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify.
