TRiDENT's second mini-album, DREAM UP, delivers!

 

A while back I made a post about the all-female J-rock trio known as TRiDENT. In that post, I wrote about how fundamentally sound they are as musicians and have been up until now. Well, on the 15th of November 2023, they released their second mini-album, titled DREAM UP and they showcased their musical wizardry once again. 

DREAM UP gets off to a rather kick-ass start. A beautifully catchy and technically sound guitar riff starts off the aptly named KICKASS. When the bass and drums join in, it's clear that the song is going to be quite fast paced which fits the title. I love the pre-chorus in which everything almost becomes silent except the guitar before the catchy chorus is gorgeously sung by Asaka with her clean vocals being a delight. 

Yet more catchy, engaging guitar riffs lead us into Repaint. The chorus of Repaint is particularly pleasing to the ears with upbeat sounding guitars matching the melodious tone of Asaka's clean vocals. I also really love the use of synths and pianos in the song as it adds a neat, whimsical feel to the track overall. Plus, the uplifting lyrics of the song about not living with regrets are the cherry on top. 

Asaka's soothing cleans sing Twinkle, twinkle little star to kick off twinkle. Another fast paced song for the most part, I love the almost frantic feel to the hard pounding drums throughout the song. The breakdown also goes hard and heavy, I loved it and how it slows down, leaving just the synth before the chorus. I also love the bass and guitar's riffs at the outro, that was a nice, softer way to end. 

Asaka's soothing voice and softer guitar riff is accompanied by a magical sounding electronic work with synths being a big part in the slower paced, penultimate track of the album. It's a very chill song with a really nice guitar solo in the middle. Once again, everything slows down momentarily in the last quarter to allow Asakas' vocals to really shine before the outro. 

Speaking of her beautiful vocals, she also kicks off NEO FUTURE. I absolutely love the fast paced drumming which stands out throughout the otherwise quiet verses. There's also an 80s vibe to the synths which I thoroughly enjoy. Asaka also gets a little time to shred between verses which is always a good thing. You should also know how much I love when songs slow down before hitting the chorus or a breakdown and NEO FUTURE does this for the former. 

Overall, DREAM UP is a solid mini-album in which the trio showcases just how full of a sound they make. A sound which puts a lot of more traditional quartets to shame with how big and loud it is. I'm looking forward to future TRiDENT releases and think they could make it big if they continue this form.