AKB48 – Thumbnail Review

AKB48-Thumbnail-Type-B-Cover

Release Date: January 25, 2017

Track Listing

Type A

  1. Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby
  2. 365 Nichi no Kamihikouki
  3. Kimi wa Melody
  4. Tsubasa wa Iranai
  5. LOVE TRIP
  6. Shiawase wo Wakenasai
  7. Hikari to Kage no Hibi
  8. High Tension
  9. Ano Hi no Jibun
  10. Get you! (Sashining Musume)
  11. Tanjoubi TANGO
  12. Coin Toss (Okada Nana solo)
  13. Hibiwareta Kagami
  14. Ayamachi

Type B

  1. Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby
  2. 365 Nichi no Kamihikouki
  3. Kimi wa Melody
  4. Tsubasa wa Iranai
  5. LOVE TRIP
  6. Shiawase wo Wakenasai
  7. Hikari to Kage no Hibi
  8. High Tension
  9. Ano Hi no Jibun
  10. Aokusai Rock
  11. Runner’s High
  12. Dakara Kimi ga Suki na no ka
  13. Baguette

Theater Edition

  1. Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby
  2. 365 Nichi no Kamihikouki
  3. Kimi wa Melody
  4. Tsubasa wa Iranai
  5. LOVE TRIP
  6. Shiawase wo Wakenasai
  7. Hikari to Kage no Hibi
  8. High Tension
  9. Ano Hi no Jibun
  10. Dare ga Watashi wo Nakaseta?
  11. Subete wa Tochuu Keika

Review

Thumbnail is AKB48’s 5th original studio album (8th album overall). It features their run of singles, starting from Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby up to High Tension.

This album comes in three editions, with each one featuring new songs split between each version:

  • Ai Hi no Jibun – Type A
  • Get you! (Sashining Musume) – Type A
  • Tanjoubi TANGO – Type A
  • Coin Toss – Type A
  • Hibiwareta Kagami – Type A
  • Aokusai Rock – Type B
  • Runner’s High – Type B
  • Dakara Kimi ga Suki na no ka – Type B
  • Baguette – Type B
  • Dare ga Watashi no Nakaseta? – Theater Edition
  • Subete wa Tochuu Keika – Theater Edition

Given that several new songs are offered across the different versions of Thumbnail, the primary focus will be on them. Not that the single releases should be ignored, but for many fans of AKB48, those songs have been played many times over.

Let’s start with the one track on Type A that idol fans might have the most interest in, and that is the collaboration between Sashihara Rino and members of Morning Musume ’17.

An immediate note to make here is that this is not a cover of the 2014 BiS/Dorothy Little Happy song of the same name. I’m just pointing that out to avoid confusion. This Get you! is a blend of the high octane that recent incarnations of Morning Musume have become known for and some of the more typical AKB48 sound beds. So far, so good in getting the best of both worlds.

Where this song falls apart is with the vocals. Sashihara doesn’t sound that great on this track. And while it can be argued that she doesn’t sound that great in general, she isn’t doing herself any favours here. Momusu pretty much outsings her at every turn. I would not have minded if this was a Morning Musume ’17 song instead. But if you can get past Sashihara’s bad vocals and focus more on Momusu, the song is fairly decent. The other songs on Type A are Tanjoubi TANGO and the ballad Ayamachi featuring Inagaki Junichi.

The new material on Type B and the Theater Edition is standard AKB48 music; not much stands out as anything special. Runner’s High and Baguette are probably the only songs that leave a somewhat longer-lasting effect after listening to this particular batch of songs.

Overall this is your standard AKB48 album package. Hardcore fans will pick up all the editions, but if you are on the fence about which one to get or want the best value, stick with Type A. 

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