“Mō Sagasanai” (もう探さない, I Won't Search Anymore) is Zard’s sophomore album and unlike “Good-bye My Loneliness” is helmed by a singular producer. Many people involved with its production, specifically Oda for music and Akashi for production, will become very influential in Zard’s music later. However here it is a very mixed effort and represents growing pains for Zard.
A singular producer should generate a consistent album, this can be a good thing but for “Mō Sagasanai” it feels like Izumi Sakai is fighting Akashi’s production. Where it doesn’t work I put on him, Sakai is always going to sing like herself which is part of what makes her timeless. My feeling here is Akashi’s production was aimed at an older audience.
“Mō Sagasanai” has some good tracks, so it is not a failure by any means.. "Sunao ni Ienakute" is the best track on the album, which is also one of two tracks that Sakai was most involved with as she penned the lyrics and music. “Forever” and “Lonely Soldier Boy” are also solid entries.
The cover of the album is stylistically very cool and very contrasting to Zard’s other albums with how Sakai is portrayed. We’re going to see a lot of this over Sakai’s career. She can pull off a lot of styles, looks and emotions. Here with a thousand yard stare, she looks young and fierce and I very much like that.
Here is the breakdown by track:
“Fugishi ne…” starts out feeling a little dated with the synth, but about 30 seconds in it takes a little turn and feels like a Zard song. There is some interesting and busy guitar work here that contrasts well with the mid-tempo song. The song is very Sakai, barring the heavy synth at times you could drop this anywhere in her prodigious catalog and it would not be out of place. Also I do not think this is a distinctive song for that reason either, but that kind of Zard is a couple albums down the road.
Sakai’s vocal delivery is really interesting, she comes off as a little lower and husky in parts and then clearer higher vocals in the chorus. It is an interesting contrast. The sax lead in is nice and through out the song gives some jazz elements. The synth work is a little heavy and busy, which makes the song feel a little mechanical, sometimes contrasting elements work but in the case here I think the synth and jazz elements are not complimentary. Oda will deliver better songs down the road for Sakai!
I feel set up, the first two tracks were very mid-tempo and here "Sunao ni Ienakute" is a rock song. Notable that Sakai handled both lyrics and music, which even today is not common (esp for a singer now two albums in) but then much more unheard of for female performers. The synth work here is good and the guitars are great. Sakai’s delivery is clean with a little huskiness at parts. Her ability to go high/low within a syllable was always her signature sound and we get that a lot here. This is a really good song
A very noisy intro to the song, which feels like a dated mess, which is "Hitori ga Suki" in a nutshell. This is entirely on Akashi. Sakai’s vocals are fine and on point. Drums are a little more assertive, which was missing to some degree in prior tracks. Guitar work is alright, though the bass is toned down. Like prior tracks the synth work is where "Hitori ga Suki" does not work, adding to that there is weird and pointless noise added just before the 4 minute mark.
Sakai’s vocal delivery for ‘Forever” is really good. Backing vocals leading into the chorus are a little out of place (and sound like Kawashima). Guitars are very assertive. Drums can be felt. The synth work is better or at least pushed way back. “Forever” overall is a timeless Zard song and if you found it on a later album it would not be out of place.
The prior track “Forever” sets up “Lonely Soldier Boy” very well. This is a hard rock song and while cemented in an early 90’s sound, it doesn’t feel stale. Sakai’s vocals here are really good and really show how she started singing higher better after her debut album. Guitar work is very good. Drum and bass are felt. The synth parts are pretty minimal, which is to the benefit of this track.
…and “Iysuka wa…” ends “Mō Sagasanai” on a slower note mid-tempo rock note. It is an interesting song and structurally very different than "Sunao ni Ienakute." I feel Sakai struggles a little in her high notes and sometimes is a little muddy, which her high/low vocal delivery is muted. I wish she would have sung more like herself. The production on "Itsuka wa…” is where the problems are, yet Masao Akashi is going to deliver some really exceptional songs for Zard down the road
Over all score: 3.48 / 5 Vocals: 4.3 Music: 3.35 Production: 2.8
Overall, I do not love “Mō Sagasanai” as an album. Not do I hate it. Nor would I seek it out as an album to listen to in whole. I am not sure how it will stack up against all of Zard’s other albums to come but it is a step back from “Good-bye My Loneliness” which in American parlance would be a sophomore slump.
