Back in May, five-member vocal group Color Creation released their very first album First Palette which went on to debut at number two in albums on the Oricon. Color Creation got started back in 2017 and consists of Kaz, Riosuke, Junpei, Takuya, and Yuuto. This album is a culmination of all the singles the group has dropped so far. First Palette contains a total of fourteen tracks including hits “I’m Here”, “Canvas”, and “Let it Snow”, just to name a few; however, also on the album are tracks such as “Movin’ On” and “Odds & Ends” which are new and can only be found on this album. A quick note: the Type B edition of First Palette does feature a slightly different track list and includes the song “Smile” while the limited edition and Type A edition feature the song “Saturday Night”. For the purposes of this review I’ll be focusing on the limited and Type A editions since they feature the same track list.
The album starts off with a punch. “Movin’ On” is a fast and upbeat song that really shows off the playfulness of the group while still featuring the amazing vocals the group is known for. The track moves pretty fast but it’s a good first step of the journey the album takes the listener on. From there we move to “Summer Love” which is one of Color Creation’s first singles. This track is a bit on the simple side with a fairly uncomplicated beat but one that is super catchy. The hook on the chorus will surely have the listener up and dancing, which is perfect since the lyrics discuss dancing in the sun.
Now I just want to talk about a few more highlights or I will be here all day. The sixth track “Odds & Ends” is a great find and a wonderful song. It starts off slow but quickly picks up and includes some really beautiful verses that flow in a very satisfying manner before building up to a breakneck pace as the chorus kicks in, only to slow down again, but it maintains the momentum started with the first verse. This track was a really nice surprise and a song I can definitely recommend. One more great song I want to mention is the final song on the album, “Butterfly”, another that was written exclusively for this album. “Butterfly” is a stunningly beautiful song and an amazing way to conclude this album. It starts off with one person singing and passes along from one member to the next but as the verses go along it starts to crescendo to this amazing pinnacle before the rest of the group joins in and sings the chorus. It’s a stunning song that will stick with the listener long after they finish the album.
For the DVD with the limited edition comes with the music videos for the songs “Canvas”, “I’m Here”, “Blue Star”, “Let it Snow”, and “Butterfly” which can only be found on this DVD. You also get a nice movie showing how the album comes together along with some TV appearances from the boys including a segment in which each member shows off their cooking talents. It’s definitely worth picking up the limited edition for the extra goodies. I can’t recommend this album enough. Ever since I purchased it I’ve been listening to it on repeat. It’s a great first step for the group and I can’t wait to see what Color Creation does next.
Gray’s score: 5/5
