It may seem like unimpressive J-rock to the minority that's out there, but there's a certain elegance to Smile which should make you want to come back to it a few more times just to really appreciate how much the songwriting can tug at the heartstrings. "Ready Steady Go" was undeniably my gateway to knowing about L'arc-en-Ciel, because it was the second opening theme to the 2003 anime adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist; that, and the song unto itself is a guaranteed earworm. Anyway, the record is packed full of soaring vocal qualities provided by hyde and some rather well-developed guitar work - noticeable on such tracks like "Time Goes On," "Spirit Dreams Inside," and "Coming Closer".
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