By the middle of the first song, I was positive that this was an album I was going to love for years to come. As much pop and classical music I listen to, I am foremost a rock fan, and ONE OK ROCK’s sound appealed to me immediately. I wasn’t as instantly sold on the vocalist, but after a couple of songs I found myself liking his voice more and more, and knew I was going to have to hear more of this band.

And then I realized why the band sounded familiar. I’d just read an article the other day about its guitarist, Alex, getting arrested for groping someone, which has resulted in their next single’s delay and the guitarist’s career up in the air.

To which I say: well, damn! Did it have to be right when I got into them?

Despite that, though, I am thoroughly enjoying ONE OK ROCK, and my thoughts on their albums are behind the jump.

Kanjou Effect is, in a word, brilliant. “Koi no Aibou Kokoro no Cupid” grabs your attention right from the start, and the first few tracks continue that energy. “Living Dolls” slows it down and features some English lyrics, as do several other songs on the album. A few of them — especially “My sweet baby” — bring American bands like the Backstreet Boys to mind, which is a bit… unexpected, but not bad, because the music is still terrific. The strongest track in my opinion would be “Break My Strings,” though the others are all just as great.

(Please view the post to listen)

My one and only gripe with the album is the last track, “JUST.” There’s nothing wrong with the song itself, but there’s a hidden track at the end of it. The pause between the two songs is far too long, and I’m too impatient to sit in silence for that long, so I find myself skipping ahead. Still, if that’s the only issue I have with it, it’s clearly a fantastic album, and I do expect to enjoy it for quite some time to come.

BEAM OF LIGHT, their second album, should really be called a mini-album, as there are only eight tracks (including an interlude) and the total time is under half an hour. Nevertheless, it would serve as a great introduction to the band, particularly “100%(hundred percent).”

Their first album Zeitakubyou is honestly just as good as Kanjou Effect. The songs flow together well, though a little variation would probably help it — it’s pretty much all rock songs. Not that I’m complaning, but it does get a little difficult to tell them apart. The exception to this is “Yume Yume“, which was their second single. It made me sit up and listen immediately, and I think it’s probably my favorite song by the band.

(Please view the post to listen)

In fact, all three of the band’s singles appear on this album, and they’re all great in different ways. “Yume Yume” is captivating, at least to me, while “Et cetera” is (relatively) slower and “Naihi Shinsho” is a fairly typical song for the band — typical in that a lot of their songs are like it, which is a compliment because it’s a great song. And I have no complaints about their other mini-albums, Keep it real and ONE OK ROCK, which are both great.

In short, this is a band I’m going to keep a look out for… so long as they weather their current scandal.