Last updated August 31st, 2023 | by steinaech | Posted in Music
Listen to the article here
Ellegarden is a Japanese rock band that was formed in 1998, styling their sound after North American bands like Blink-182, Sum 41, and Good Charlotte. Like each of these bands, Ellegarden successfully created their own sound in the greater pop/punk space. I didn’t learn about Ellegarden until around 2014 after they had already entered “indefinite hiatus” back in 2008. I believe I came across the song Salamander online and that grabbed my attention. The album it belonged to, Eleven Fire Crackers, quickly became a favorite listen of mine at the time. Later on when I was at our local music store I happened across the Eleven Fire Crackers CD – it was the only Ellegarden CD they had. I was surprised they had one at all since I believe only 2 of Ellegarden’s 5 albums were released in the US.
When the first singles came out I was very excited about what I’d heard. “Mountain Top” was the first single released, their first song since 2006’s Eleven Fire Crackers. though as with albums like “This is Why” I’ve learned to stay my expectations. Fortunately, Ellegarden’s 5th album, and first album after a 10 year hiatus, is an absolute blast.
While still distinctively an Ellegarden album it’s definitely a much more mature sound. Deeper vocals and less cutesy lyrics compared to previous works make this album a fresh outing. ダークファンタジー (Dark Fantasy) is a personal favorite starting out with some quiet vocals over a single acoustic guitar that then delves into a somber but pumping chorus line. This is a track that really showcases Hosomi’s singing ability when not delivering punk rock lines. Strawberry Margarita, Firestarter Song, and チーズケーキ・ファクトリー (Cheesecake Factory) are your unequivocal Ellegarden songs, thumping drums, heavy guitar, and catchy lyrics. Perfect Summer is another personal favorite with a gently beating drum coupled with a minimal but evocative guitar and a perfectly catchy chorus. The album ends on the pumping and catchy pseudo title track Goodbye Los Angeles featuring the lyrics “farewell to the city of the sun, till I come back to the end of yesterday.”
You can shuffle this album right in with previous albums and the only differences you’ll notice are the production quality. Ellegarden has kept their same brand of punk rock a decade later but everything here is expertly crafted and there’s not a single misstep across the 11 tracks and 40 minute runtime. The instruments are clearly separated, Hosomi’s vocals are clear and the smoothest they’ve ever been, and everything is nicely layered for a rich sound that really showcases how much they’ve grown post-hiatus.
Fans of Ellegarden should love this album as much as any other and I would even recommend this album to anyone that just likes punk rock. End of Yesterday is a perfectly executed punk rock album that should please many people.