Mikeru On Japanese Music Today

Though I love Plastic Tree at all paces and pitches, I am particularly fond of the band's slower, quieter numbers, and their new single Alone Again, Wonderful World is an outstanding example why. Written and composed by vocalist Ryutaro, the song starts off with steady strokes of repeating guitar chords, setting the stage for Ryutaro's signature melodic, childlike voice which tip-toes in and calmly curls around the guitar. In comparison to many of Plastic Tree's more ethereal mid-tempo numbers, Alone Again, Wonderful World largely employs a straightforward band sound arrangement, letting Ryutaro's singing carry the song's introspective lyrics and sentiments.

The combination of the floating melody, steady beat, and Ryutaro's bare vocals takes the song somewhere between haunting and soothing in its conversational softness and light arrangement. The simple music video reinforces this mood with a lone Ryutaro looking and sounding particularly like a lost manga child.

With the single going soft, side track Psychederhythm is unsurprisingly a faster, louder piece that Ryutaro chooses to sing with the same clean lightness as Alone Again, Wonderful World. The effect is very evocative of Plastic Tree's uniqueness as familiar vocals float over psychedelic rhythms, funky beats, and riffing guitar. It turns out this year is already Plastic Tree's 15th anniversary (it's hard to keep track of time when Ryutaro's voice never grows up), and their latest single is yet another reason to love them more.