HIT ME HARD AND SOFT＜タワーレコード限定/Retail Excclusive Yellow Vinyl＞

Darkroom/Interscope RecordsからリリースされるBillie Eilishの3rdアルバム『HIT ME HARD AND SOFT』は、彼女のこれまでのキャリアの中で最も大胆な作品であり、多様でありながらも一貫性のある楽曲のコレクションとなった。唯一のコラボレーターである兄の協力を得て、二人は地元ロサンゼルスでアルバムの作曲、レコーディング、プロデュースを行ない制作した。このアルバムは、大成功を収めた2枚のアルバム『WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DOE WE GO?』と『Happier Than Ever』に続くもので、彼女の世界をさらに発展させる作品となっている。

環境配慮 このエコ・ミックス・ヴァイナルは、100%リサイクルされたコンパウンドで、トリミングされたフラッシュと、他の方法では再利用できないあらゆるカラーの残りを使用しています。製造時の破片はリサイクルされ、今後のディスク製造に再利用されます。Eco-Mixを使用することで、どのディスクも一つ一つ色合いの異なるユニークな仕上がりになります。この持続可能なアプローチにより、シトラス・カラー・ファミリーの中で様々な仕上がりの色となります。同じ色合いのディスクは2枚となく、黄色の色合いからオレンジがかった色合いまで様々な個体差があります。ジャケットは、FSC(R)認証の再生紙/ボードで作られており、100%再利用の繊維をリサイクルしています。インクは植物性の生インクと水性ワニスを使用しています。シュリンク加工の代わりに、100%リサイクルされた再利用可能なスリーブが使用されています。出荷の際には、完成品はすべて梱包され、最大93%リサイクルされ、100%リサイクル可能な輸送箱で輸送されます。このカラー・ヴァイナルは黄色とオレンジの色合いが個々で異なります。

TOWER RECORDS限定 イエロー・ヴァイナル

In between albums, Billie Eilish won two Oscars, a pair of Golden Globes, and a handful of Grammy Awards. What would typically be huge feats for regular folks has become the norm for the dynamic duo of Eilish and her brother, Finneas, but could they extend that success for another album cycle? For that third effort, Hit Me Hard and Soft, she didnt offer an advance single or major promotion, a move that might have been construed as getting ahead of any negative critical evaluation. And yet, it simply signaled a quiet confidence in the project, which is another home run. This pair can really do anything. A brisk ten songs, this is a "no skips" gem that is ideal for leaving on repeat and getting lost in the hazy, yearning snapshots of lust, longing, and heartbreak. Surprises reveal themselves around every turn -- orchestral backing, electronic breaks, sudden crescendos -- as songs transition seamlessly from one to another. Kicking off with the vulnerable "Skinny," Eilish sets the scene for the album, touching upon everything shes been dealing with by being in the public eye as she tries to find herself as a young person navigating relationships and identity. Her vocals continue to develop, stretching past her usual range and exploring subtle, but captivating runs. Set to lush string backing and warm production, it builds to shiver-inducing levels before landing on "Lunch," an adorably horny little bop that rides thumping bass and twinkling keys through hazy feedback and refreshingly candid lyrical territory where she admits, "Its a craving, not a crush." That thick, elastic bass travels into the hypnotic "Chihiro" -- named after the Spirited Away character -- another vocal showcase for Eilishs acrobatics that goes intergalactic in the back half. "Birds of a Feather" is a breezy dose of pop songcraft, while "Wildflower" teases campfire simplicity with sweet humming and confessional storytelling before, once again, building to powerful, goosebump-inducing heights. The cathartic "The Greatest" takes it a step further with a showstopping bridge that features a stadium-sized swell of crashing guitars, pounding drums, and Eilishs most impassioned delivery here. Just as this kind of "starts one way, ends on another" tactic starts to become apparent, Eilish catches listeners off guard with the jazzy, vocal pop delivery of the French cafe gem "Lamour de Ma Vie," which seems fairly straightforward until the synths kick in and the track transforms into a throbbing Y2K raver. After the scary stalker trauma of "The Diner" transports the set back to the dark, unnerving world of When We All Fall Asleep, the understated "Bittersuite" examines a dissolving relationship that eventually falls apart on the expanding closer "Blue." Tight, simple, and effective, Hit Me Hard and Soft does just that: it comes in with a bang, thrilling with fresh production and heavy lyrical content, before easing the listener into the murky emotional depths seen on the cover art. Its an ideal synthesis of the ever-developing style that Billie and Finneas have been crafting since the late 2010s on their continuing campaign to rule the music world. ~ Neil Z. Yeung