In an era where digitisation has reshaped not only how we listen to music but how it’s made, RADWIMPS’ return with ‘Anew’ feels both nostalgic and daringly modern. The rock band, known for their energetic and emotionally charged compositions as well as their cinematic collaborations with Makoto Shinkai, have long stood out for their organic “live band” soundscape, a rarity in today’s increasingly digitised landscape.
Their new album, ‘Anew’, marks the band’s first release as a duo, and plunges the band into an era of reinvention. With guitarist Akira Kuwahara’s departure in October 2024 and drummer Satoshi Yamaguchi on hiatus since 2015, many of the tracks in the album sound more like Yojiro Noda’s personal musical explorations than a collaborative effort by a band. Perhaps as a result, the album is brimming with sonically engaging and experimental arrangements, as well as high-quality production. Still, few tracks possess the lyrical or melodic staying power of RADWIMPS’ earlier hits.
Among these musical experiments is ‘Tamamono’. Both the instrumentation and the vocal performance are a departure from the classic RADWIMPS sound, with a funky and choppy electric guitar chugging alongside a brief burst of clavinet in the first verse. This is interspersed with stints of energetic string sections and nonchalant vocals, adding dynamic drama to the track. The track also showcases one of Noda’s strongest vocal performances to date, displaying an impressive range of textures across its five-minute runtime.
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As far as Noda’s personal reflections go, ‘Hitsu Zetsu’ almost reads as a personal journal entry. With an apathetic and detached vocal tone, Noda contemplates the meaning of life and death through music and the people around him, with one lyric even acknowledging the fact that most of his bandmates from “back then” have quit, and that music used to be “created by the human hand”. Fittingly, Period. follows immediately afterwards, which leans into digitally manipulated vocals, glittering and playful synth lines in the background, and cocky, attitude-filled lyrics.
Departing from the new RADWIMPS sound, ‘DASAI DAZAI’ is definitely a short but standout moment in this album. Following a similar songwriting formula to their 2016 hit single ‘Zenzenzense’, it opens with a guitar solo, includes a modulation in the prechorus, which leads to a rapid-fire chorus with tongue-twistingly fast lyrics, followed by a scorching guitar solo in the bridge. The track is a nod to the band’s energetic roots, with clear-cut electric guitar lines and a sharp drum sound.
‘Anew’ captures a band at the crossroads, one that blurs the boundaries between collaboration and solo project while retaining the emotional nuance and creative fire that defines their music. While the individual tracks may not linger, the record stands as a testament to Yojiro Noda’s restless artistry and willingness to explore and evolve. ‘Anew’ may not be their most cohesive album, but it is decidedly one of their most sonically interesting and emotionally raw and honest works.
RADWIMPS
Anew
Release Date: 08/10/2025
Label: EMI Records / Muzinto Records
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music
CD: CDJapan
