Review: MUCC - Sora to Ito

Welcome to the single of auto-tune abuse and deceptively dark passages marked by sudden poppy transitions from the land of MUCC. I have no idea what to think of this single. At some parts it plays like a genuine hard rock track I would be worthy to shove in my wooden bookcase and collect dust with and at other parts I want to use it as a fancy coaster for my Pepsi bottle. Also including the time that it was released, which is somewhere between the Christmas holidays where we brazenly spend money on gifts we plan to return to the Valentine's Day Hoax when couples finally remember they're together, Sora to Ito falls to the wayside right next to my Game Boy Advance and the used anal probe I picked up at the thrift shop at a discount. Despite the amount of obscurity this somewhat questionable single carries, there's a lot going on and if you can chew through most of it you might find something in here you like.

Then again, if you're a fan of new-age MUCC you might as well have the album already and you won't need to pick this single up, which makes the existence of this review somewhat questionable. I did it for the B-sides.

Sora to Ito - Regular Edition
01. Sora to Ito
02. Kanaria


Sora to Ito - Limited Edition
01. Sora to Ito
02. Kikansetsu

01. Sora to Ito	This isn’t my favorite single from MUCC, but I can’t deny that it’s creative in some aspects. The verses have some annoying auto-tune courtesy of Tatsurou which was obviously included for effect but I fail to see what it is. He’s a talented vocalist and the auto-tune takes away more than it adds. That bastardized tool disappears during the chorus which I find to be the strongest part of the song The entire musicianship feels off and it feels like Miya was trying to include a bit of everything and ended up creating a mixed up monster of a track. It starts off slow and mellow for a few seconds and you know it’s going to erupt into a hard rock track but somewhere in there it merges into a poppier riff that neuters the dark feeling. If I then tell you that right after the chorus Tatsurou screams will you believe me when I say it’s rather schizophrenic in nature? Lyrically it’s rather depressing. I think it has something to do with a person that chased after his dreams failing and then looking after someone worse off than he is until he passes away. Some seriously depressing shit. The track flows well but the constant shifting styles and the loss of the badass attitude early on into the track leaves this track at an enjoyable, yet underwhelming place in my library. I’m not going to be replaying this track too often.	7/10
02. Kanaria	YUKKE’s contrabass makes a strong presence right from the beginning of the track and stays solid throughout. SATOchi’s drumming is equally as impressive and I like Miya’s electric guitar solo halfway in. I’m not a fan of MUCC’s jazzy numbers and this one is no exception, but Tatsurou’s falsetto work is pretty damn good in this track and contrasts well with his singing in the verse. Even with all the praise I’m giving this track I’m not too fond of it. It’s just not my cup of caffeinated beverage. If you’re fond of MUCC’s upbeat, fast-paced jazzy numbers, you’ll feel right at home with this one.	6/10
03. Kikansetsu	These guys sure do like their disco. Kikansetsu takes off right from the beginning with rocking, but not heavy guitars that switch pace according with Tatsurou’s voice. SATOchi’s drums also stand out in this track as he alternates his patterns to create a rhythmic pattern that keeps the listener tuned in. It’s a very optimistic and upbeat track so fans of older MUCC hoping for a reprieve will not find one here (sorry guys I’m in your boat as well) but the middle section gets a little angsty if that’s any consolation. All in all, the musicianship is solid for what it’s worth and the only thing it leaves me wondering is what anime the guys got some inspiration out of. I’m still not fond of this side of MUCC but what they did here they did well so I’m not holding it against them.	7/10

So in the end, Sora to Ito is an overall average single that showcases MUCC's talent well but doesn't get everything right. It's not my favorite and it's not the best they've ever done, but the album was a "love it or hate it" affair so the thoughts on this single vary depending on who you talk to.

Download:

Rating: 66%