Keys to Everything

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 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 .

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-