Familiar Sounds: Fading Impact in Anamanaguchi’s Anyway.
Anamanaguchi’s latest album, Anyway, leans heavily into the band’s signature mix of 8-bit synths, guitar-driven rock and electronic pop. Known for using video game hardware like the Game Boy to generate sound, the New York-based group delivers twelve tracks that are energetic and chaotic—though it can come off more cluttered than cohesive.
The opener, “Sparkler,” sets the tone with distorted guitars and a fast-paced riff. It’s loud and densely layered, approaching sensory overload. “Rage (Kitchen Sink)” dials it back slightly, offering a more restrained sound built around synth and guitar. The melodic vocals add a layer of emotion that’s missing elsewhere.
“Magnet” offers one of the album’s few lyrical highlights, pairing soft guitar with lines about love and connection—“I don’t need air when I’m with you.” It’s one of the rare moments that feels grounded. From there, though, the album often falls into repetition. Tracks like “Lieday” and “Come for Us” return to the same blend of noisy guitar and buzzing synths, with little to distinguish them.
Mid-album, “Buckwild” and “Sapphire” keep up the energy but start to blur together. While the sound is undeniably distinct, it rarely evolves. “Valley of Silence” tries something different with a slower, more ambient approach, but even that eventually builds into the same full, layered style.
“Fall Away” stands out with more urgency in the vocals and synths, but tracks like “Darcie” and “Really Like To” lose that momentum. By the time the album reaches “Nightlife,” the formula feels tired, even if the energy remains high.
Anyway has a clear aesthetic, but leans so heavily into its own sound that it rarely gives the listener space to breathe. The album may land for diehard fans of 8-bit rock or Anamanaguchi’s earlier work, but for others, it might feel more like a loop than a progression.
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