Album Review
Title:  Galyuu
Artist:  Miyavi
Release date:  December 2, 2003
www.o-re-sa-ma.com

    Galyuu is an album of improvement for Miyavi. The songs are more polished, the production is better, and even his singing has improved (if only marginally) since his first album, gagaku. Like a showman throwing darts with his eyes closed, Miyavi throws his songs with youthful abandonment and leaves the rest up to his guitar and fate.
    The album opens with some clapping before jumping into "Ippiki Ookami Ron," a fast and heavy song filled with squealing guitars and vocals that jump between growling and screaming. A few tracks later, "Aa Kanashiki ka na yaotware no mi no buruusu" slips up like a fellow looking to get lucky. Cool and jazzy acoustics act as the perfect counterpoint to Miyavi's rough and clumsy vocals.
    Another interesting track is "Shikenkan Baby" (Test Tube Baby), with a constant low bass rumbling throughout and some other unidentifiable sound effects that drive home the image of some beast in a lab trying to break free.
    Galyuu is a leap forward in Miyavi's career and unveils a little more of the potential that seems ready to leap out of the ex-Dué le quartz guitarist. A pattern of catchy acoustic songs ("Ashita, Tenki Ni Naare") could develop into a signature sound, but it's the recklessly fast anthems ("Ossan Ossan Ore Nanbo") that hit the bull's eye.