Tegomasu – テゴマスのうた [Debut Studio Album]
Tegomasu’s debut studio album, entitled テゴマスのうた, was released on 07.15.09. The singles released before the album are as follows: ミソスープ, キッス~帰り道のラブソング~, アイアイ傘 and 七夕祭り (not included in the album).
The album opens up with the sweet song, ミソスープ. Opening the song is a very pretty and romantic instrumental that will instantly attract the listener. It carries a nostalgic and somewhat sorrowful feel to it before the first verse comes in. Both Tegoshi and Massu provide vocals that perfectly suit the atmosphere of the music, helping establishing the story of the song more strongly. When they come together on the chorus, it sounds great and is really catching, particularly with those last few lines. The pure instrumental section is a very good fit since it perfectly captures the romantic nature of the song and makes a great introduction to the third verse. There’s something very hopeful and freeing about the third verse that comes rom the slightly changed instrumental. The boys’ first single makes for a very strong opening track for the album by giving such a cute story with sweet music.
The duo’s second single, キッス~帰り道のラブソング~, is also the second track on the album. The song immediately begins with the first verse and Tegoshi’s vocals really compliment the instrumentation, which feels almost like a gentle lullaby, bringing the listener into a dream. Massu also sounds great for his part of the verse and his vocals really catch the ear of the listener. The chorus has a twinkling sound to it that sounds great, further amplifying the beauty of the song. One part that particularly stands out in the chorus is Massu singing “I Love You.” The third verse brings the sweetness and beauty even more to the forefront which such a dreamy instrumentation and more strong vocals from the duo. Lyrically, the song is strong in that it has a naturalness anyone in love can relate to. It’s such a pretty song and it definitely keeps the strength from the last song and continues it.
The first new track is the sweet summery track, たったひとつだけ. Starting things off is a nice upbeat insrumental that gives the image of a summer day. Then Massu comes in and his vocals really exute a happiness that perfectly matches the instrumentation. Tegoshi also sounds good on his section, giving his usual strong vocals. The chorus sounds nice although it would have been nicer if Tegoshi didn’t sing in such a high pitch because it’s somewhat distracting. With the guitar spicing up the pure instrumental section, it sounds great and really captures the ear of the listener. Ending the song is a really weird sound that actually sounds pretty cool. The lyrics speak of a boyfriend of a strong-willed girlfriend and how he’ll be by her side forever so it’s an interesting contrast to the summery happy feeling of the song. It’s a great way to pick up the pace and keep the listener interested.
夏への扉 is a jazzy catchy number. The song starts off with a cool jazzy instrumental that immediately catches the ear. The boys do some smooth vocalizations before moving into the first verse. Tegoshi’s vocals really suit the music and bring the sweet story of the lyrics to life. When Massu gets his chance, his vocals sound great as well and are particularly ear-grabbing. The chorus is nice although the instrumentation doesn’t stray that much from its state during the verses. Near the end is when it really gets good as their vocals become slightly stronger and there’s a new instrument that makes a cute feeling come out even more. Like the other songs, the lyrics feel very natural and somewhat personal feel to them, which makes the song all the more special. It’s a very nice change of pace and one that definitely shines on tihs album.
What’s going on? is a fun track that will get the listener up and dancing. Starting things off is a nice pretty pop instrumental that actually kind of has a disco feel to it. That atmosphere comes out even more strongly with those background vocals before the first verse. On the first verse, both boys sound great, giving that special magic touch to the music. The chorus is easily the strongest part of the song just because it’s so catchy. They sound great whey they sing “oh, what’s going on?” and they just have that spark that makes the song shine. The pure instrumental section sounds very cool and even kinda jazzy, which makes a good connection from the last track. Although the lyrics are a bit weird but the nonsensical nature of them makes the song all the more charming. It’s fun and cool, definitely worth the listen.
くしゃみ is one of two short songs on the album. The song starts off with a pretty and soft instrumental, consisting of primarily stringed instruments that sound quite nice. The verses are pretty short but sweet and filled with emotion for the listener to really feel. The chorus features the repetition of the word “love,” which gets to be a little annoying over a while. Overall, it’s short and sweet although quite repetitive and it begins to annoy the listener.
サヨナラ僕の街 brings the boys back to the jazzy sound. Beginning the song is a cool instrumental with a very jazzy and powerful feeling to it. Then comes the first verse and both boys sound great, their vocals supporting the gradually growing instrumenation perfectly. While the chorus could have been a little stronger, it sounds nice because the vocals are slightly stronger and the music keeps its enjoyable tempo. The pure instrumental section sounds very nice, really showcasing that catchy jazzy sound that keeps the listener’s interest. The lyrics of the song talk about leaving all the familiar things of town behind, which ignites a feeling of nostalgia in the listener. It’s a nice song even though the chorus could have had a little more punch to it.
Then they step things up with HIGHWAY. The song takes off with an upbeat instrumental that also has a jazzy feeling but this time it’s much stronger and in-your-face. The chorus sounds great with their vocals bringing even more life to the vivid instrumentation. Things don’t slow down on the verses and both Tegoshi and Massu really bring more energy that will catch the listener’s ear easily. Massu does a particularly strong job of ending the verses and making that transition into the chorus. The pure instrumental section has a slight change to it, making it sound fuller and the saxophone part sounds great. It’s a very strong upbeat number that will get the listener dancing.
Up next is the cool and inspirational song, POWER OF EARTH. Opening up the song is a cool pop-rock sort of instrumental that has more of an aggressive nature than the other songs, thus making it stand out. Tegoshi steps up first for the first verse and he sounds great here. Massu also does his thing, adding magic to the song before the chorus comes in. There are slight notes during the chorus that make it much more interesting and the little key change during the part when they sing “we are the power of earth” really makes for a nice finish. Tegoshi sounds perfect when he gives his solo version of the chorus and catches the ear nicely. Lyrically, the song speaks of making it through anything because of the inner power in everyone. POWER OF EARTH is a very strong track that will really speak to the listener.
四季彩 is the other short track on the album. A very pretty oriental styled instrumental begins the track, taking the listener back into a beautiful dreamy state. This song is sung by the two of them together at all times, suggesting the connection of spirits, which is reflected in the lyrics. The seasons are united and throughout all time, love will continue. It may be short but it’s very pretty, standing out much stronger than the other short track.
片想いの小さな恋 was the ending theme to the anime series Neo Angelique Abyss ~second age.~ The song starts off with a very pretty instrumental, drawn out by the erhu before the first verse arrives. Massu sounds amazing on the first verse as his vocals bring out the emotions of the music. Tegoshi also stands strongly when his part comes in. They sound amazing together on the chorus, the emotions coming out more strongly through more powerful vocals and the continuation of the erhu. It’s such a beautiful romantic song that definitely shines on this album.
The third single released before the album, アイアイ傘, is up next. The song begins with a very pretty and twinkling instrumental that immediately gets to the listener. Massu’s voice instantly stirs the emotions on the first verse and makes a good way for Tegoshi to come in. Tegoshi’s vocals are smooth and fit with the music perfectly. The chorus shines strongly as they sing together, letting the words really hit the listener’s heart. One part that really stands out is the pure instrumental section, which gives the image of the clouds dispersing and letting the sun shine through that rainy day. It’s an absolutely gorgeous song and one of the best Tegomasu’s offerings.
雨のち晴れ appears as the first track only available on the regular edition of the album. The song begins with an upbeat instrumental that has a cheery feeling. The repeating section of the instrumentation sounds a little annoying although Massu’s vocals sound very strong. As the song goes on, however, the music becomes more bearable and certain parts really sound pretty. The chorus is a little simple but enjoyable nonetheless as the boys come together and give it their all. It’s sweet and it’s pretty, really suiting the summer season.
チキンボーヤ is the second track only available on the regular edition. A dreamy and lulling instrumentation begins things perfectly and then it becomes slightly more upbeat and diverse, letting the listener fall further into the dream. On the first verse, the vocals are smooth and soothing, perfectly suiting the beauty of the music. They sound great on the chorus, particularly at the end of the chorus when Massu has those two solo lines. At that moment, the music takes on a slightly higher tone and shines strongly. The pure instrumental section is beautiful and really has an angelic feeling to it that will take the listener away. It’s a very strong song and carries some of the magic from アイアイ傘.
Miso Soup, the English version of their first single, also appears as the final bonus track on the regular edition. It’s kind of hard to understand what they’re saying a lot of the time but it’s kind of cute to hear them put all of their effort into it.
Album Ranking: A –
Tegomasu’s first album was surprisingly solid. One might expect a slew of slow songs but there were many upbeat numbers that showed off what the boys could do. From the cool jazzy numbers, to beautiful ballads and even one disco styled track, the album offers more variety than expected. Tegoshi and Massu certainly delivered a quality album.
5 Most Memorable Songs: アイアイ傘 / HIGHWAY / What’s going on? / たったひとつだけ / サヨナラ僕の街
Amai Wana 
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