Single review: Perfume - Spring of life

"Spring of life" is what you'd expect from Perfume fresh off of the JPN run. Synthed up to the eye balls, with a beat that won't quit and enough auto tune to make you hear ringing in your ears for days. Quite simply put - there isn't a whole lot wrong with "Spring of life" other than as I write this there's no f**king video for me to sit and watch in awe as Kashiyuka works the hair, Aa-chan overloads my senses with her cuteness and Nocchi dances on my grave with dem legs.

Perfume's songs have always had strong melodies and production which skirts so close to perfection its sickening. As Perfume's single releases have gone on, the songs have slowly brought the girls' vocals to the forefront. No, seriously. I'm not kidding. They still sound like Miku Hatsune on helium, but they are there...on the songs..."singing". There's even some harmony action on this shit. The structure of their songs are also becoming much more conventional. Although the album mixes of "Laser beam" and "Glitter" messed with what was a conventional structure in single release form and threw them both down a flight of stairs. And I foresee "Spring of life" getting itself an album mix when their fourth studio album drops.

As good a song as "Spring of life" is, amidst the production, catchy hook and the dirty Capsule style switch on the bridge section, the song feels by numbers. Ironic, given that Perfume's music has always been pretty binary. But as much as I like "Spring of life" I don't get that desire to play it non-stop. Maybe it's because the calibre of singles released off of JPN was so high. Or perhaps it's that Perfume could release anything at this point, catch a hit and have us all love it. But that special something I was seduced by with "Laser beam" and got sexed with by "Glitter", it's not touching me with "Spring of life" even though I love the song.

As with "Glitter", this song sounds like something which wouldn't sound out of place in a Sonic the hedgehog game, which makes it an insta-win in my book. That blue n***a's games fell off a long time ago, but dem beats were always on point and put pop chart contenders under buses. But for all of the sunshine, fluffy animals and giant sunflowers that this song evokes in aural form, in true Yasutaka style it's under laid with a musical backdrop which wreaks of an underground grit. Under all of the whizzes and blips lies a filthy bassline which grinds away. Music punctuated by what sounds like the track malfunctioning and trying to correct itself. Lots of these dirty little dance flourishes woven in between such a light and polished pop song is what have always given Perfume the edge over their peers and has garnered them a fanbase from young girls who like their dresses and routines, to older guys who appreciate that these bitches gets dem hot undeniable beats that can put a sound system through its paces.

Please don't call this song a comeback. These robohoes never left. After releasing a string of adamantium proof singles from JPN, Perfume are back to show you that they do not do flukes. "Spring of life" is no "Dream fighter" or "Glitter". But even by numbers, Perfume are able to shit on other singles their peers are releasing - because no other girl group is putting out the songs they are.

"Spring of life" doesn't have the power to bring world peace and cure cancer as "Glitter" did. But it can summon a rainbow which shits skittles and cans of Kirin Lemonade. And it's exactly the type of song Perfume need to be putting out right now and what the fans want to hear.

RATING: 8 / 10