DIARY

March 27, 2008 at 12:09 pm | In Thelma Aoyama | 2 Comments
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  1. My Beginning
  2. Soba ni Iru ne feat. SoulJa
  3. ONE WAY
  4. My dear friend
  5. Last Letter
  6. Rhythm
  7. GOOD TIME REMIX feat.MIKU from YA-KYIM
  8. HIGHER
  9. Paradise
  10. This Day feat. Dohzi T
  11. Kono mama de
  12. Anata ni aete Yokatta
  13. Mama e
  14. DIARY

Aoyama’s debut album starts off with an incredibly sweet little introduction called My Beginning. An appropriate title methinks. The piano is simple and a little RPG-main-screen sounding, not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s nice that it’s in English, with Thelma being fluent. It sounds a tiny bit amateur dramatics but it’s alright.

Track Rating; -Too short-

Soba ni Iru ne is Aoyama’s reply to SoulJa’s single Koko ni Iru yo. I never listened to this song, even with the huge hype surrounding it. It has a nice beat and tone, but I don’t find it the most impressive piece. I can see why it was so big; it does have quite a strong sound and lyrical flow.

Track Rating; A-

ONE WAY starts with the ‘na na na’’s that you hear throughout the track. I really enjoy this song, it has a lot of energy and it’s memorable. It also shows her strong voice… though occasionally it reminds me of a mix of Yuna Ito, NaNa and May J. Which is good, in a way, because I like them all. But it’s bad in that, she doesn’t have a specifically identifiable voice. The best song on the album.

Track Rating; A

My dear friend is quite okay. It has a chorus that gets stuck in your head but it lacks anything to make it very ‘WOW’-inspiring. She sounds scarily like Yuna Ito is probably the one thing that’s really apparent.

Track Rating; B-/B

A nice piano ballad is next, Last Letter. Pet-peeve time; “R’n'B” clicking/clapping. Get rid of that and I’d like it a bit more, it’s something you hear so often it downgrades the arrangment to mediocre. The chorus is nice, but sounds like a lot of other songs.

Track Rating; B

RHYTHM isn’t much different. Nice, but nothing special.

Track Rating; B-

GOOD TIME REMIX takes too long to start. And when it does I find I don’t have much to say. Thelma’s entreating us to ‘put your hands up’ but it doesn’t feel like there’s much reason to. Bare arrangement and very little bounce mean that there’s no party feel.

Track Rating; C+

HIGHER is a little more interesting. More pace and energy than the last three tracks put together coupled with a memorable chorus means this stands out.

Track Rating; B+

Paradise is a little less mediocre because it has an interestingly irregular arrangement. Unfortuantely it gets boring quite quickly with a completely relentless backing.

Track Rating; B

This Day is dull. Little to entertain me.

Track Rating; C+

Kono mama de fills the ballad quota. A soft piano and vocal kick-off before a slow dripping sound is introduced. It’s a very nice song but once again I’m struck by the similarities to Yuna Ito. Probably one of the best songs on the album.

Track Rating; A-

Anata ni aete Yokatta is a soul-y guitar track… click/clapping…damn. And it’s a little dull.

Track Rating; B

Mama e. is boring, mostly. The strings introduced in the chorus provide a little bit of a difference.

Track Rating; B

Finally, the titular track. DIARY is a slow song. At risk of repeating myself; nice, but nothing special.

Track Rating; B-

Overall… Too much mid-tempo is the glaring problem. ONE WAY was, without a doubt, the most interesting track because it had energy and strength, the rest fell a little flat. Overall, I feel that DIARY had very little to offer even for a debut album.

Overall Rating; C+

Kirarin Land

March 25, 2008 at 7:25 pm | In Kusumi Koharu | 5 Comments
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  1. Happy
  2. Chance!
  3. Olala
  4. Himawari
  5. Konnichi pa
  6. very! berry! Strawberry!
  7. Hana wo Pu~n!
  8. Koi no Mahou wa Habibi no Bi!
  9. Futari wa NS
  10. Ramutara
  11. Shiawase Clover

Happy is definitely happy. A strange mix of hyper keys, awesome guitar and amazingly cute vocals is the best way to sum the opening track up. Koharu is probably my favourite Momusu (discussed briefly here), not necessarily for her voice though, but her voice is perfectly tolerable and the hyper-cheesy-cuteness of Happy helps you to forgive a lot…

Track Rating; B

Is it crazy that I love Chance!? It is a delightfully ridiculously adorable song… She’s the same age as me and I can call her adorable? The world’s gone mad. But she is adorable and it definitely shines during Chance!. Musically, it is not an amazing feat, but it hits it’s target audience squarely on the head with it’s bouncy ‘Ch-ch-chance!’ chorus.

Track Rating; A/A+

Olala sounds a bit Mario… :D But it’s Koharu. I love it. Especially the ‘Olala’s and the little talk-y bits she does!

Track Rating; A-

Himawari has a slight ‘venture into pop-rock’ feel. That somehow works. There’s a load of energy being thrown out here. It hits you from every angle and you can’t help but get into it. The ‘Hey boy, hey girl’ bits are an overload of awesome :D

Track Rating; A

Konnichi Pa is a little too much for me. The intro is a little laughable and the rest is just a bit…. weird and Koharu sounds really bad here actually.

Track Rating; C-

After that mess… I was hoping for a great track. very! berry! strawberry! is a great track. Quite Otsuka Ai-y. Not completely hyper-Ai like but definitely draws parallels to songs like Frienger.

Track Rating; A

Hana wo Pu~n has a painful opening, but then it gets better. Great CHU-LIP-y brass and is proof of the really energetic, fun vocal that Koharu can put out there. A lot of fun and a great track.

Track Rating; B+/A-

Koi no Mahou wa Habibi no Bi! is a bit salsa-y, in a good way. Great guitar backing and a suitable vocal from Koharu. The chorus is nicely out there, it comes across powerfully. And, I haven’t mentioned this before, she has a really cute accent that you pick up sometimes at the end of her sentences.

Track Rating; A

Futari wa NS is a ballad with a brilliant opening. Koharu’s voice has a great tone in this, she doesn’t make it as overly cute as the other tracks. She handles the chorus really well and deserves a small trophy for pulling this off so well.

Track Rating; A+

Ramutara is nice. Not much to say really.

Track Rating; B

Shiawase Clover is a slower song… no hyperness here. I adore the chorus, it’s the most stand out point in the song, because it’s really quite memorable and a nice tone. Throughout, there’s a great pace to the lyrics. A good choice for a closing song.

Track Rating; A

Overall… Quite impressive actually. Okay, so maybe I’m a little biased towards her, but I do genuinely like these songs.

Overall Rating; B

ROCK PIT

March 24, 2008 at 8:42 pm | In HIGH and MIGHTY COLOUR | 1 Comment
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  1. Amazing -Prelude of ROCK PIT-
  2. Break now!
  3. TOXIC
  4. FLASHBACK -digital grain mix-
  5. HINATA
  6. EARTH
  7. -SKIT-
  8. GAMBLING
  9. MEKIMEKI
  10. ZERO SYMPATHY
  11. ROSIER
  12. Tokyo NIGHTS
  13. Tegami
  14. Komorebi no Uta -ROCK PIT version-

Amazing -Prelude of ROCK PIT- initially starts with a piano/classical ballad feel, but then Maakii begina to sing and the song is ramped up a notch, becoming a genuine rock song. Amazing isn’t really…. amazing, but it’s definitely good. It has a quality that is strong and memorable and I like that, but it doesn’t move me to give it a brilliantly high score.

Track Rating; B+

Break now!. Okay, I loved this from the first second I heard it. It has such a western sound (but isn’t in a self-pitying minor key :D ) and is a ridiculously strong track. I would have thought that I’d have a problem with the songs length, being just under three minutes, but within those three minutes it’s totally sustained and gives you all you need.

Track Rating; A/A+

Yeah, yeah, insert Britney Spears reference. TOXIC is next… let’s completely move away from that Brit thing. A powerful opening promises so much from TOXIC which it pretty much totally delivers. I’m not a big fan of the screaming over the chorus, could have done without that, but at least the rest of the song makes up for it. It has a great melody and a solid musical delivery.

Track Rating; A

FLASHBACK -digital grain mix- a.k.a lets thrash out a strangely addictive tune. I really like the guitar that opens and the vocals are really strong. A little dischordancy never hurt anyone… as proved by the unusual chorus. But as I said in the preamble, ’strangely addictive’

Track Rating; A+

HINATA goes a little more pop-rock on us. To good effect. The result is a slightly less in-your-face song and a more universal listen. I found HINATA a little easier to get into without listening to the previous tracks than the others. It has a tiny bit more of an acoustic sound. A great song.

Track Rating; A+

I adore the opening to EARTH. There’s a familiar quality to it. Then the wonderful piano/string opening totally gets turned on its head when Yuusuke and the rest of the band rock it up! Not too crazy about that bit, but then Maakii saves it. I now officially love her voice, it’s so ‘persuasive’ and has a passive strength.

Track Rating; A

-SKIT- is unusual but nice and groovy, with an unusual mix of synth/programming and rock instruments… cool. Short but…

Track Rating; A

GAMBLING is plain rock fun. Maakii’s vocal sounds bizarrely 80’s to begin with :D. One of my favourites without a doubt. Powerful and memorable with a nice pace.

Track Rating; A+

MEKIMEKI is just as awesome as GAMBLING and then some! I love everything about this track. Especially the lead up to the chorus and the chorus itself. The riffs are awesome, not to mention the face-melting guitar solo :D , and the entire thing is put together seamlessly. A real triumph of a track in my opinion.

Track Rating; A*

ZERO SYMPATHY or, as it’s known by my friend, Yay Ska! But rock-ska, if you know what I mean. This song moves at such a pace I’m sure it’s broken the land speed record by now. If anyone has any qualms with their musician-ship… yeah, this’ll clear up any doubt you could have had. Their playing is SOLID.

Track Rating; A*

Originally by LUNA SEA, ROSIER bursts out of your speakers next. I’m feeling the low guitar and the vocal from Yuusuke. While not my favourite track on the album, there’s a lot going for this one.

Track Rating; A+

Track 12; Tokyo NIGHTS. Deep screaming over the beginning and then… it’s a bit of a weird combination I’ll tell you. Not entirely my style, but Maakii is the saving grace. Her input is all that’s needed to grab me.

Track Rating; B

Tegami has a great opening (It’s hard to explain so I’ll let you listen to it yourself). I adore the sound of the chorus and the overall feel of Tegami. Another of my favourites.

Track Rating; A+

Komorebi no Uta -ROCK PIT version- is a wonderful last track. The more acoustic feel allows Maakii’s vocals to really shine. Again, stupidly addictive chorus and I love the progression during the verses. Oh, the irony that the song that could contest any of my favourite tracks is right at the end :D

Track Rating; A+

Overall… I’ve been listening to this album on and off for the past few days, and I’m slowly getting to falling in love with it. Despite being a very diverse music listener, HIGH and MIGHTY COLOUR are a little bit of a departure from what I usually listen to, but I’m really getting to like them!

Overall Rating; A+

Big☆Bang!!!

March 20, 2008 at 7:57 pm | In Nakagawa Shoko | 3 Comments
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  1. We can do it!!
  2. Sorairo Days
  3. Koi no Kioku
  4. snow tears
  5. Brilliant Dreams -Shoko Planet Mix-
  6. Fruit Punch
  7. Strawberry melody
  8. Pretty please chocolate on top
  9. Calling Location
  10. happily ever after
  11. Starry Pink
  12. Sukashikashi pan Sukoshi Hen?

 Yep, She’s an anime singer! There’s a tone to We can do it!! that just screams ‘ANIME’. Not to say that’s bad. Quite the opposite actually. There’s something really addictive to We can do it!!, probably two lines specifically… ‘we can do it’ and ‘try once again’ I don’t know, it’s just the way she sings them. For a debut album…. This is sounding really quite good.

Track Rating; A/A+

Sorairo Days has a strong pop-rock vibe (though more pop than rock admittedly). It reminds me of something, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what. Shoko really shows off a strong, solid vocal here :D ANIME!!!

Track Rating; A+

I love the opening to Koi no Kioku. Strangely enough, I always seem to like songs with the word ‘koi’in the title and this is no exception to that bizarre rule. A slower song but still very energetic and it doesn’t sound as anime-y as the previous two tracks. It has a nice bounce and I really like the vocals during the verse. The guitar in the background of the chorus stops it sounding like every other song in its genre.

Track Rating; A-

snow tears. When I saw Big☆Bang up for download I had never heard a Nakagawa Shoko song before. So I hopped onto YouTube and typed in her name. The PV for this song came up and I listened to about 30 seconds of it, before commencing the download of the album :D True story. She displays some really impressive vocals and she’s singing in a slightly deeper register which gives the song a rich tone.

Track Rating; A*

Brilliant Dream -Shoko Planet Mix-Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why do I like this song so damn much!? It’s completely beyond all explanation. The funky europop/club/electronica/Daft Punk sound is just soooo addictive! I love the sound of her voice and the processing just rocks all the socks imaginable! Quite Tamaki Nami actually, which er… might be why I like it.

Track Rating; A*

Fruit Punch is exactly what I was expecting, in a good way of course. I adore the opening… it has such a funky sound. An unusual melody dominates the verses and yet, somehow, it works… I love the pre-chorus and the hyper-Otsuka-Ai chorus.

Track Rating; A+

Strawberry melody has such a Disney-type opening it’s almost unreal. Her voice sounds a little too nasal during the chorus but the vocals during the verse kinda make up for that. I think the best way to describe Strawberry melody is ‘cute’

Track Rating; B+

Pretty please chocolate on top goes into the favourite title ever category. A relentlessly fun song with a great disco sound an awesome vocal pace. Not to mention she sounds adorable.

Track Rating; A+

Calling Location sounds as if it’s going to be an acoustic track initially but then it bursts into an all out rock track… this woman has two voices! It’s really strange but it provides a diversity between her tracks. But I really could swear she was actually two different people.

Track Rating; A

happily ever after follows Calling Location’s example but this time with Shoko singing in a third voice, which is a medium tone! Unfortunately, it’s badly placed on the album. Two rocks songs in one place means that they are automatically compared to each other and the conclusion is that they aren’t actually that different to each other. That said…

Track Rating; A

Starry Pink is an orchestral ballad that gives Nakagawa a lot more vocal credibility. She sounds GOOD. It’s a beautifully arranged piece, it holds back at the chorus which I’d hoped it would. Then I get a bit of an Ayu-HEAVEN flashback between the chorus and the second verse… :D

Track Rating; A*

Sukashikashi pan Sukoshi Hen? Errrr…. WHAT THE HELL? I think she should have just left it at Starry Pink.

Track Rating; [ - -' ]

Overall…. This is a really solid debut album. Hek! even 30 seconds of one song convinced me to DL it!

Overall Rating; A

HEART STATION

March 19, 2008 at 7:52 pm | In Utada Hikaru | 1 Comment
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  1. Fight The Blues
  2. HEART STATION
  3. Beautiful World
  4. Flavour of Life – Ballad Version -
  5. Stay Gold
  6. Kiss & Cry
  7. Gentle Beast Interlude
  8. Celebrate
  9. Prisoner of Love
  10. Take 5
  11. Boku wa Kuma
  12. Niji-iro Basu
  13. Flavour of Life (Bonus Track)

Fight The Blues begins Utada Hikaru’s latest album. I’ve always liked her vocals, I just haven’t always liked the material she works with. Fight The Blues probably took me three listens to really get into… the best bit in the entire song is probably the ‘We fight the blues’ line as the rest of the song is a bit of a flat listen.

Track Rating; B

I like HEART STATION a lot more now then I did when I reviewed the single. I think it may be because Fight The Blues provided a bit of a spring-board into the genre Utada works in. Because I like it more now… I’ll re-review it. The intro is memorable, yes. But the chorus is incredibly memorable… I was looking through the lyrics before I listened to this album and found myself singing the chorus even though I’d only heard the song a few times. Oh, and now I like the ‘Heart-o Su-ta-tion’ pronounciation.

Track Rating; A

The Beautiful World/Kiss & Cry single was one I never listened to even though everyone was praising it left, right and centre but back to the point. Beautiful World has a nice vocal quality but it doesn’t really enagage me, though I do love the ‘It’s only love’ line.

Track Rating; B

Now I do have to admit, I’m a little biased towards the awesomeness of Flavour of Life because of three little words…. Hana Yori Dango. That’s right I first heard it whilst watching my favourite drama. Putting that aside, the reasons I like this song (minus positive association) are solid, rich vocals, wonderful arrangement and a fantastic chorus.

Track Rating; A/A+

Stay Gold, which I initially liked more than HEART STATION, is now probably on the same level. I think the chorus is fantastic, lyrically is has an unameable quality and Utada’s vocals have a beautifully wistful tone. I adore the line ‘My darling, stay gold’ for both of those reasons. Enthuses me a hell of a lot more than when I first heard it, I’ll tell you.

Track Rating; A

Kiss & Cry has an….interesting opening. I’m not a fan of the vocal over drums thing. Some great harmonies, but that’s all I really like about Kiss & Cry.

Track Rating; C+/B-

Gentle Beast Interlude is diverse. Utada gives an interestingly tribal vocal along with the interestingly tribal backing. I like the usage of the ‘ahh, ahh’s from HEART STATION. It ends very abruptly!

Track Rating; B

Celebrate isn’t really a song you’d celebrate to. It doesn’t have quite enough energy. Also, the music is a little too passive. Celebrate doesn’t make me care enough.

Track Rating; C+

Okay, so I’ll admit I had a Producers flashback when I saw the title :D Prisoner of Love is good… better than Celebrate. J’aime the ‘I’m a prisoner of love’ lines. The song has a nice flow, with a lot of groove.

Track Rating; A-

Take 5′s a little epic sounding at the beginning. It has a great tone and atmosphere.

Track Rating; B+

Yay! Boku wa Kuma! I love the adorable-ness of Boku wa Kuma and the absolute nonsense in the lyrics. Some people I know weren’t amazingly happy this was gonna be on the album, but I was! I have a bizarre taste in music :D .

Track Rating; A+ -Call me crazy-

Niji-iro Basu or ‘Rainbow-Coloured Bus’ is an “R’n'B” kids song. Weird, huh? But that how it hits me. I love the chorus. It’s a completely addictive song and I was singing it all day. Thanks to the backing it loses nothing during the verses in terms of pace.

Track Rating; A+

Flavour of Life is the bonus track… this is with the full and I just don’t like it as much as the ballad version.

Track Rating; B

Overall… I liked this album way more than I thought I would. I like it even more now that I’ve analysed why I like it… funny that.

Overall Rating; B+/A-

Bittersweet Symphony

March 17, 2008 at 1:40 am | In Jade Valerie | 7 Comments
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  1. Unbreakable (Moonlight Sonata)
  2. Like A Bird
  3. Out In The Sea
  4. Razorman
  5. Living By Numbers
  6. The Last
  7. We Can Run
  8. Stuck With You
  9. Piece Of Love
  10. Lucky Lady
  11. Always Mine
  12. Undone
  13. No, You Don’t
  14. Empty Pages

If you’ve played FFX-2 you’ve heard Jade sing. She was credited as Jade from Sweetbox, and I was never hugely interested; Until I recieved Hamasaki Ayumi’s (miss)understood, her versions had me intrigued to hear the originals. Now that Jade’s going solo, I’m definitely interested :D

Unbreakable is a completely beautiful song. I heard the preview I can’t remember when and it really impressed me even though it was only about thirty seconds long. The use of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ is fabulous and Jade’s vocals are powerful and engaging. The unusual mash-up of classical, “R’n'B” and a few rock elements is amazingly well executed and it just goes to show that a strong track can come from unusual mixes and not just formulaic pop!

Track Rating; A*

Like A Bird is another brilliantly strong track. It starts with a guitar that sounds like it’s going into a sort of Arabian feel but then it turns into something else! It fills all the holes left in the new millenium by the good pop music we used to have. I just love this song, despite its simple chorus (Like a bird, like a bird, like an island you can’t reach). Once again Jade’s vocals are engaging and deep.

Track Rating; A+

Out In The Sea was another that I heard a preview of. Now that preview didn’t impress me… but the full track is another fantastic delve into mixing “R’n'B” and classical. I think that some of the lyrics are brilliant (I hate when they tell me to be brave, they think it alleviates my rage) and the chorus, while not being a stand-out from the rest of the track, sounds wonderful.

Track Rating; A+

Razorman really reminds me of a British singer called Amy Studt. I’m not sure what it is about Razorman but I truly adore it. The chorus is pure LOVE and again wonderfully intelligent lyrics throughout, especially the ‘Razorman you cut right through me’. A rock solid track at the worst of times, if you want something to try before you buy…. this is the song.

Track Rating; A*

Living By Numbers follows Razorman VERY nicely. The verses remind me of something I can’t put my finger on, but it’s very reminiscent of 90’s pop music but somehow, far far better. Jade’s voice gives the song a huge boost and the ‘rap’ (not really, but the only equivalent word) has a great sound. A great display of what the new millenium’s missing music-wise in my opinion.

Track Rating; A*

The Last is a pop-ballad, the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long time! Wonderfully expressive lyrics and beatiful layering and processing of Jade’s vocals. There’s a great pace in the verses and the music explodes into the chorus. The song, overall, has a wonderful progression and is another must listen.

Track Rating; A*

We Can Run is not as good as the previous tracks… but don’t get me wrong it is NOT bad. I just feel that it should have been pushed a little farther. The build-up to the chorus is brilliant and I love it, I just feel that it promised something that the chorus didn’t quite deliver. But still definitely worth a listen.

Track Rating; A

Stuck With You is next. An opening you immediately recognise when you have your MP3 on shuffle. I like Stuck With You because it’s simple (incredibly simple when compared to Unbreakable) and therefore really accessible.

Track Rating; A/A+

Lucky Lady is so reminiscent it’s almost not funny. I adore the opening… Specifically for the programming and the ‘Yipee yeah’s. The chorus, while slightly less energetic than the rest of the song, fits nicely and once again, well considered and lovely lyrics. Keywords; FLOW and PACE.

Track Rating; A+

Piece Of Love is the first full-blown ballad and boy…. this, if you haven’t already, is where you realise how sturdy Jade’s voice is. She carries the entire song with strength and you can feel the emotion in waves! Waves, I tell you! I can only thank God that no-one tried to hike Piece of Love into a My Heart Will Go On type song. It all remains very simple and genuine. Beautiful!

Track Rating; A*

Always Mine goes back to the flow Lucky Lady had, this time the chorus has just as much energy as the verses and the ‘da, da, da’s are really addictive :D . Always Mine is memorable and is without a doubt going to get stuck in your head at least once, maybe twice.

Track Rating; A+

Undone is a slightly sinister sounding dance track. It gives a couple of nods to Unbreakable, mainly in the amazing vocal. The relentless thuds of the drums during the chorus adds a particular atmosphere that cannot be forgotten however hard you try. Some great voice processing. I love this song!!!

Track Rating; A*

It seems that in the beginning of No, You Don’t Jade is possessed by Nelly Furtado, circa Turn Out The Lights. In fact, the whole seems to have that feel… but a lot less mediocre and actually entertaining to me.

Track Rating; A

By now you should know what I’m like with ending an album on a ballad… I don’t have a problem with Empty Pages though. Mainly because of how simple and unpretentious it is. It just focuses on the lyrics in the beginning and when the band kicks in, it’s still simple and only for a short time.

Track Rating; A+

Overall… An unexpectedly amazing album. Get it if you’ve heard of her, get it if you haven’t.

Overall Rating; A*

Dschinghis Khan

March 11, 2008 at 7:11 pm | In Berryz Koubou | 1 Comment
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  1. Dschinghis Khan
  2. DARLING I LOVE YOU (Berryz Koubou ver.)
  3. Dschinghis Khan (instrumental)

Dschinghis Khan is disco-y and fun. The vocals sound a little weird and the ooh ahh’s reminded me of Kung-Fu Fighting XD. It sounds a little same-y throughout, but I like the opening to the chorus. Apparently, this is a cover of a song by a German group…. which I now really want to hear!

Track Rating; B+

DARLING I LOVE YOU follows Dschinghis Khan with just as much spirit and little execution… Not impressed.

Track Rating; C

Single Rating; C+/B-

Tokyo Bambi

March 7, 2008 at 9:52 pm | In the pillows | Leave a Comment

  1. Tokyo Bambi
  2. Go! Go! Jupiter
  3. Across The Metropolis

Okay, so, weird inclusion but the pillows need more attention in my opinion.

Tokyo Bambi is fast paced and fun. It has great guitar riffs and great brass, and I think the title is beautifully strange.

Track Rating; A

Go! Go! Jupiter is the first B-Side, and it sounds really pop-rock it’s unreal (think early Good Charlotte). There’s a full sound and feel to Go! Go! Jupiter

Track Rating; A-

Across The Metropolis is a lot slower than the first two tracks. It has a very Beatles sounding vocal and it all sounds very laid back and groovy.

Track Rating; A

Overall Rating; A

mihimagic

March 7, 2008 at 9:37 pm | In mihimaru GT | Leave a Comment

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  1. Itsumademo Hibiku Kono melody
  2. Drum-Line
  3. Magical Speaker
  4. Squall
  5. WAVES ~Interlude~
  6. Rakuen
  7. Hello, Pansy!!
  8. Tsuyoku Tsuyoku
  9. Over Drive ~feat. SHOGO(175R)~
  10. Sayonara no Uta
  11. Doo na no yo? Saikin feat.Kosaka Daimaou 
  12. Heya to Y Shirt to Watashi session with Ooe Senri
  13. WAVES II ~Postlude~

Itsumademo Hibiku Kono melody is our opening. And what an opening. With a lovely vocal from Hiroko and some fantastic music arrangement, which throws you off very cleverly. Suddenly the slight ballad feeling shifts and in comes the classic jazz piece ‘In the mood’. I love this unusual mix and there is a lot of fun to be had listening to this song.

Track Rating; A

Kibun Jojo is very mihimaru GT. I adore the chorus, and the funky arrangement. It’s awesome! I don’t know what else to say.

Track Rating; A+

Drum-Line, unsurprisingly has a bit of a military feel to begin with and then, in true mihimaru GT, it’s mixed up with sheer pop and great vocals that no-one else would think of putting together. The chorus is full o’ drums, playing unusual rythms, that rock!

Track Rating; A+

I love the title. Here comes Magical Speaker. It begins with Miyake getting his go and then Hiroko joins in. I’m sorry but the song somehow becomes awesomer when they sing ‘magical speaker’ as if it’s something you’d say normally :D .

Track Rating; A+

Squall. Now, put your hands up all of you that immediately thought Final Fantasy when you read the title! Well, this isn’t an FF song. It begins with rain and then shifts into some rap parts. I love it when Hiroko raps, she always sounds really cute. Squall shifts around genres so much it’s hard to explain if you’re not listening to it.

Track Rating; A

An 18 second interlude of WAVES, ironically. Kind of pointless.

the opening of Rakuen begins with wave sounds. There’s the link. A fun islandy song, Rakuen had me from ‘hello’. The verses mainly consist of some sort of vocal and an island beat, but then in the chorus the song is given a more complete sound and it just puts the icing on the cake.

Track Rating; A+

Hello, Pansy !! says Hiroko, and I’m sure Pansy’s saying ‘Hi’. This song has so much pace it’s almost stupid… and oozes fun. How do they turn such fantastically strange lyrics into a great pop track? It’s almost superhuman. God! I’m just giving away A’s now!

Track Rating; A+

Tsuyoku Tsuyoku has a more pop-rock feel, due to the guitar used. Again, wonderfully pacey and there’s a lot of diversity contained with three minutes and fifty-two seconds of song.

Track Rating; A

Over Drive ~feat. SHOGO (175R)~ yeah, I’ve got no idea who SHOGO is but at least the song’s good. SHOGO’s inclusion doesn’t change the dynamic at all and they still throw out a great hyper song.

Track Rating; A

Sayonara no Uta, Goodbye Song. Right, well I was expecting this to be more ballady than it is (hello, look at the title!) but I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that it was more peppy than that. As always, Hiroko’s vocal energises the piece and the overall product is fantastic.

Track Rating; A

Doo Nanoyo Saikin ~feat. Furusaka Daimaou~. I have no idea what’s going on. It’s obviously them on a talkshow but as I don’t speak Japanese I don’t know what’s happening.

Heya to Y Shirt to Watashi session with Ooe Senri really shows off Hiroko’s lovely voice in a ballad situation. This really has to be listened to as proof that Hiroko is not just a cheesy pop singer.

Track Rating; A

Now we get 2 minutes of waves, which is absolutely pointless as it is the end of the album… oh well… at least it’s relaxing.

Overall…. mihimagic is all the hyper-pop goodness anyone could ever need.

Overall Rating; A/A+

WISH

March 7, 2008 at 8:38 pm | In Yuna Ito | 2 Comments
Tags: , , ,

  1. Power of Love
  2. alone again
  3. Anata ga Iru Kagiri ~A WORLD TO BELIEVE IN~ (with Céline Dion)
  4. Urban Mermaid
  5. HEARTBEAT
  6. Colorful
  7. Unite As One
  8. Mahaloha (with Micro of Def Tech)
  9. A Long Walk
  10. Moon Rabbit
  11. I’m Here
  12. Wish
  13. Tokyo Days
  14. MY HEART WILL GO ON (Bonus Track)

Power of Love begins Ito’s new album. The first thing that hit me about this is that her vocals sound a little deeper and more mature. Which is quite nice. The actual is okay….-ish. Nothing to write home about, it has some nice ideas but the overall execution is a little lacklustre.

Track Rating; B

Track 2 is alone again, a blatantly ballad-y title, but it’s a little more Alicia Keys without the power/soul notes. The chorus is nice and flowing but it’s not as shiny as it could be. Yuna Ito sounds a little bored and it remains unimpressive.

Track Rating; B-

Well, you know what I think about Anata ga Iru Kagiri….

Track Rating; A*

Urban Mermaid is pure cheese. It has to be to even somewhat pull off lyrics such as ‘I’m a beautiful mermaid’. Now, this is a strong pop song with an inspirational chorus, but I still don’t, and have never really, liked Urban Mermaid.

Track Rating; B

HEARTBEAT has an unusual opening. And that all that really sticks out about it. It has some awful English lyrics, which you would think Yuna’d pick up on, and a really weak musical arrangement.

Track Rating; C

Colorful. Now being British I dispute the title… It should be Colourful. But nevermind. This is quite funky but doesn’t go very far. The chorus could be a real focal point, but it kind of falls flat and very short of the mark, but it’s more enjoyable than some of the other songs here.

Track Rating; B-

Unite As One sounds nice. Yuna Ito’s voice is in its’ element, with a slow ballad arrangement but it really should get rid of the click/clapping and veer away from the “R’n'B” ballad thing. Ito has a rich voice and it is wasted on a song of this type; if it’s arrangement was more classical, like that of ENDLESS STORY, we’d all be having fun by now.

Track Rating; C+

Yay! Mahaloha! I’ve always liked how sun-soaked Mahaloha sounds. It’s much more fun and happy, it sounds constant and Ito has quite a big vocal field to play on. Unlike some, I actually like Micro’s voice and I think it goes well with Yuna’s. It’s just a lotta fun.

Track Rating; A

A Long Walk’s next… and I absolutely hate the opening. It’s just grating and the actual song is just….ugh!

Track Rating; C-

Strangest title award goes to Moon Rabbit, a song in which she learnt no lessons from her debut album. Faux disco does not work. It is boring and, besides, Ito’s faux disco songs are never well executed, and I see no way how ‘Moon Rabbit’ applies. Apart from the terrible lyrics, there’s no connection.

Track Rating; C-

I’m Here is not one of Yuna’s better singles. It’s a huge departure from her others and it shows a little in her execution, her vocals are a little strained but are okay. I’m Here is alright though, and it’s a welcome break from the mediocrity of the last two tracks.

Track Rating; A-

I prayed that the opening signalled what was to come in the rest of Wish. And it did…. thank god. Finally a full fledged ballad, not a stupid fake “R’n'B” ballad. Not an epic song, but it’s nice and the album really needed something that could be latched onto as a good non-single album track. It would have been better with an orchestral score rather than a band though.

Track Rating; A-

Tokyo Days is a nice pop song, which could have used some more enthusiastic vocals from Yuna, but it’s sunny enough to get by. The backing singers put in a nice performance. There’s not a huge amount more to say about Tokyo Days.

Track Rating; B+/A-

The bonus track is Yuna Ito’s version of MY HEART WILL GO ON. Now, I haven’t always liked this song, but Yuna’s version is beautiful. Singing in her first language and a ballad at that! Recipe for success. And it doesn’t sound like she’s saying ‘The hot dogs go on’

Track Rating; A+

Overall… less of a dissappointment than HEART but still quite a large disappointment. I was hoping she’d learn a few lessons from HEART but despite some stronger tracks, the singles were the only things particularly worth listening to.

Overall Rating; B-

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