There are a lot of things to like about Love Psychedelico's newest single, "Dry Town ~Theme of Zero~ / Shadow behind." For one, it goes against the longheld tradition in J-music of bands and artists releasing all singles before the album. "Shadow behind," the B-side, comes from the album "Abbot Kinney," which was released four months ago. And "~Theme of Zero~" is a reworked version of a song from their second album! Second, this is the first time any of the band's singles have included a live track (in this case, a rousing version of "Freedom" from fourth album "Golden Grapefruit").
Hardcore Delico fans have (kind of) heard all three of the songs from this single before, but the combination of a re-recorded version of one of their best songs, coupled with a live version of what is arguably the band's most arena-ready rock anthem and a great track from "Abbot Kinney" makes this a must-listen.
I must say, I really like the "Zero" version of "Dry Town." If you had asked me when the song was first released eight years ago what it needed to make it better, I think "add some strings" wouldn't have even occured to me as a possible answer. But the string arrangement here really works, and it gives the song a totally different feel. It's like listening to a different song. Lead singer Kumi's voice is a richer presence in the mix, and finding all the song's other new details makes for a rewarding listening experience!
I cannot recommend this excellent single enough!