Yukueshirezutsurezure will be dropping their uncharacteristically upbeat single, “ssixth”, this coming Wednesday, July 3rd. To prepare us for this imminent release, these barefoot angels of yami kawaii blessed us with a chilling MV that inspired dueling interpretations around the Homicidols press room. 

In it, Mei Yui Mei and the adorable Kotetsu portray gleeful bullies documenting their torment of a passive Takara. Left battered and restrained, Takara is rescued(?) by  opportunistic predator or compassionate fellow victim Komachi.  This is left a bit ambiguous in the blood spattered end as is their final fate.

The lyrics of “ssixth” are about persevering while being hurt and broken, and while the song speaks of loneliness, there is definitely a dialogue taking place, so the voices are not alone.  Tsurezure tracks are known for cacophonous digital hardcore, multiple signature changes and extensive use of harsh and dissonant vocals.  Much of their music is designed to generate disquiet before reaching a revelatory moment that allows for an ecstatic release. By contrast, “ssixth” is a straightforward, guitar-driven alt-rock number with clean, unfiltered singing and a single harsh vocal drop. It feels like a bit of a reprieve until the song is viewed under the anguished light of the MV and it’s enigmatic conclusion.

This was my overly-erudite take at least. Some of our other authors were more efficient in their analysis:

https://twitter.com/weeaboowitch/status/1144530077570469888

And others, like PM, used their words:

I love seeing how Tsurezure make use of the new voices they’ve gained by adding Kotetsu and Takari Takara. My interest is piqued. The B-side for Odd Eye had the heavier “illCocytus” and I hope this single also fully packs a punch. One of the bonuses you can get if you buy the CD in person at Tower Records is a DVD with a dance version of the video, which I don’t remember Codomomental doing previously. It is also the first time in a long while that Tsurezure went with a straight narrative approach for an MV, the only other I can think of is “Shinjuku Cinema Connection”. The most recent narrative also inspired confusion among foreign and Japanese fans alike, as no one really understands why (spoilers ahead) Komachi just starts spitting blood, nor exactly what is happening to Takara at the end.

After all the buzz had died down around the offices here at Homicidol Tower, the one consensus that emerged is that the contrast of “ssixth”, both the single and MV, are exceptional additions to the Tsurezure portfolio. Expect to see it on one or more end-of-year best lists.