TRIP
May 27, 2008 at 2:52 pm | In Aiuchi Rina | Leave a CommentTags: 2008, Aiuchi Rina, album, TRIP
- TRIP
- Harmony
- I believe you ~Ai no Hana~
- Mint
- PARTY TIME PARTY UP
- Creamy Day
- Sakurairo
- Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru
- Silent Motion
- Marguerite
- Secret Jasmine
- A DAY TRIP
- Nemurenu Yo ni
TRIP sounds a lot like the music I first listened to when getting into the J-Pop scene. The steady brass and unforgiving, happy pace make a brilliantly energetic opening. I was not expecting Rina Aiuchi’s voice, quite frankly, this was an impulse download and I had no prior expectations before getting into the album. I’m still sitting on the fence about her vocal ability. At times she sounds great and the tone she has works perfectly with the track, other times it hits a bit of a sour note, and even then through most of the track she sounds quite strained. Nonetheless, TRIP is a great opening track with lots of energy and a bit of nostalgia for me.
Track Rating; B
Harmony sounds like a stage theme from Sonic Heroes… is that too weird a comparison? Anyway that’s how it strikes me at first. I have to say that Aiuchi sounds far better in this, she’s not straining her voice and isn’t trying too hard. The vocal processing is a really nice touch and the constant beat is a focal point.
Track Rating; B+
I believe you ~Ai no Hana~ has a very disney-esque opening piano, before it slides into something that is definitely Japanese pop music. Again, Aiuchi’s vocal is much better, if a little nasal which proves to be a little annoying at times. It doesn’t really feel as if her voice is made for a track like this, with it’s orchestral tone. Her voice is just a little too weak.
Track Rating; C+/B-
Mint goes back to where TRIP started us off. Nostalgia time for me again. Aiuchi, no matter how much I fault her singing, suits this type of track down to the ground. The happy, arcade feel is prevelant and it doesn’t really particularly matter about the…er… not so nice vocal moments she has because the song isn’t about the voice singing the words, it’s more about the overall feeling you get from the track. Though at times it does still sound a little karaoke ^ ^’
Track Rating; B
PARTY TIME PARTY UP is like Mint’s sister track. A stronger voice is needed here, definitely. I sort of lose any positivity I have for the track within the first 3 seconds of Aiuchi singing. The ‘Party time, party up’ sections border on being a little painful. I think the first time I listened to PTPU I rather liked it, but as I’ve listened to it I’ve realised how weak Rina’s voice really is and it’s just been annoying me more here than in other songs.
Track Rating; C
Creamy Day has a nice opening, it’s unusual-ish but the 70’s disco vibe is quite nice. Again, a rather interesting opening vocal from Aiuchi, though not as bad as PARTY TIME PARTY UP. She actually hits some rather nice high notes during the chorus, but also some other not so nice notes. I’m willing-ish to look past these though as I like the rest of the song quite a bit. I think the strength of the song is in the high notes she nails and the instrumental.
Track Rating; B+
Unsurprisingly, Sakurairo is a ballad. The piano/guitar/string opening is very nice and it leads into one of the first decent opening vocals from Aiuchi. Actually, vocally, this is one of her strongest tracks, the slightly flat bits you can accept quite easily because they’re not as intrusive and certainly not as annoying. Aiuchi’s performance lacks a bit of emotion that a singer with a slightly richer tone could have probably run with, bit for once there’s not that many flaws. Probably one of the most solid tracks so far.
Track Rating; A-/A
Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru returns to the disco theme and then throws in some rock… strangly enough. Aiuchi is deepening her voice here and that adds so much. Her tone is much stronger and the energy she’s putting in can do no wrong. My favourite track definitely, I dare anyone listening to this not to get stuck singing ‘Bara ga Saku Bara ga Chiru’, it’s probably the catchiest song and it’s the easiest to get absorbed because you don’t have to worry about conciously ignoring bad vocals.
Track Rating; A
Silent Motion. Can I just out by saying that I love the title. The introduction kicks ass, but then Aiuchi enters with a vocal that just doesn’t match properly. After two really solid tracks, Silent Motion is shown up as being really quite feeble. Like PTPU a stronger singer could have made this song… Aiuchi just isn’t that singer.
Track Rating; C
Marguerite has a very odd opening. It can’t be explained, it needs to be listened to. Over this odd ‘instrumental’ Aiuchi really doesn’t sound that bad. Her entry into the chorus is a little ‘ouch’ and then the chorus is a lot ‘ouch’. The nasal quality just doesn’t sit well with me and I find myself wishing that she would launch into another ‘Bara ga Saku’.
Track Rating; C
Secret Jasmine opens with a barrage of vocals that I really don’t like. The high, nasal, flat bits that I’ve been referencing in pretty much every other song are all thrown into the first five or ten seconds of song… Which really inspires confidence. The verses aren’t so bad and listening the majority of the track isn’t that painful, but I always seem to be sitting on the edge of my sea, waiting for the bad parts. Musically, Secret Jasmine is really very promising, the piano over the percussion is really interesting and pretty.
Track Rating; C+
A DAY TRIP is another song with a really nice opening, musically and vocally. These are the times I smile in relief. While it’s nowhere near as strong a song as Sakurairo, it’s definitely one of the few tracks that has something going for it. There are, as expected, a few unfortunate patches, where Aiuchi tries to build her voice, but it comes out sounding rather flat and lifeless, but those aren’t as many as in songs like Marguerite. Another thing, when she sings ‘A day trip’ doesn’t it sound like she’s singing ‘A day dream’?
Track Rating; B
Nemurenu Yo ni’s opening chimes are gorgeous and the ‘la’s aren’t that bad either. Though the first couple of words aren’t fantastic, Aiuchi finds her feet in the song and she sounds a lot better as she moves through the song. Mostly, the song is okay. Not the most moving or thrilling ballad, but it’s worth ending the album with a strong song (even if it is a ballad). It has a few vocal gymnastic sections that go a little wrong and the odd place where the instrumental sounds noisy, but on the whole, a pretty good song.
Track Rating; B+/A-
Overall… If you hadn’t noticed by now, I don’t think much of Aiuchi Rina’s voice. In the majority of songs she sounds just plain bad, but the thing is, songs like Sakurairo and Bara ga Saku show that she has a lot of potential that she’s just not living up to…. I just Wikipedia’d her and let me tell you, I was very surprised to find that this is her sixth album. It feels a little amateurish in places. And I’m very sorry if I’ve insulted any fans of hers, it doesn’t sit well with me, that’s all, after all this is only my opinion.
Track Rating; B-
Love Cook
May 20, 2008 at 10:04 pm | In Ai Otsuka | Leave a CommentTags: Ai Otsuka, album, Love Cook, Otsuka Ai
- 5:09a.m
- Haneari Tamago
- Biidama
- SMILY
- U-Boat
- Neko ni Fuusen
- Cherish
- Ramen 3 Fun Cooking
- Tokyo Midnight
- Planterium
- Birthday Song
- LOVE MUSIC
Despite downloading this aeons ago, I’ve never listened to it properly, but I wanted something to post so here it goes.
5:09a.m is very pretty. The song feels quite detatched musically with the main melody being pretty laid back and the percussion doing some very interesting things in the back ground. Ai’s voice is very tame during the verses, and though her voice is usually quite childish, her natural tone makes the song a lot stronger. I was never expecting what happened halfway through. Suddenly the sound just explodes at you and Ai’s vocal is like I’ve never heard it before. Unfortunately the song just ends. I think that the sound explosion should have been repeated at least once before we had to say goodbye to 5:09a.m. But, oh well, can’t win them all.
Track Rating; A-
Haneari Tamago follows 5:09a.m. by being as laid back, musically and vocally. I’d never really appreciated Ai’s slow song voice until Hoshi no Tango on the Love Piece album (I know, I’m doing everything backwards) but now I realise how strong her delivery is and how much of a great listen it is. Soft and subtle with a simple chorus and sensitive instrumentation. I can’t believe how flowery that last line sounds.
Track Rating; A-
Biidama is a bit more poppy than the previous two tracks and it definitely works. Ai’s cuter voice comes through here, not as much as songs like CHU-LIP but along the same lines. I love the little organ pieces, they add a slightly Sesame Street feel to it… Well, at least that’s how it feels to me 
Biidama is a cute song, for a cute word and a cute singer.
Track Rating; A
SMILY . I don’t really think much of the chorus here, I find it a little off the path that the rest of the song seems to be going on and I don’t think that the instrumentation really fits the vocal that Ai’s offering. SMILY follows well after Biidama but I’m inclined to listen to the previous track more. I like it more and SMILY leaves me kind of not-caring.
Track Rating; B
U-Boat definitely has an interesting title, and a fitting one, considering I just had a History exam today. U-Boat leans more towards pop-rock than the others and I really like it. Ai varies her vocal tone beautifully from normal to cutesy and back again and the little interjecting effects during the chorus are nice. U-Boat has the tendency to get stuck in my head, even though it’s not really the usual addictive, get stuck in your head type song.
Track Rating; A/A+
Neko ni Fuusen reminds me a lot of a British artist, KT Tunstall. It has an aura around it that feels quite chill-downy and comforting, like most of Tunstall’s work. The verses are slow-ish but they allow Ai to inject some great vocals into it. I think the thing that impresses me most with Neko ni Fuusen is the intelligent use of strings here and there. They add a lot to the song and I get the feeling that this paragraph would read a lot differently if they weren’t there.
Track Rating; A+
Cherish sounds very futuristic in the beginning, a little bit Perfume, a little bit Enigma. The introduction is brilliant and a real standout of the track. The rhythm section feels as if it should be something from the score of a Resident Evil movie for the first verse, which is good, because the first RE had a really innovative score. Once again, there’s a strong intelligent use of stringed instruments which can only add to the track and Ai shows her simply brilliant passive-yet-strong vocals. In other words, Cherish is pretty damn epic and one of the songs you need to hear at least once before you die, even if Otsuka Ai is not usually your style.
Track Rating; A*
Ramen 3 Fun Cooking is definitely very different from Cherish! The telephone thing is just amazingly random. Only Otsuka Ai could make a song this random but still be stupidly addictive. She hardly lets the guy get a word in edgeways though! It’s got a very strong style which is really quite hard to explain, but it throws a lot of things together doing their own things and somehow it manages to come out sounding pretty organised. But only if you don’t concentrate on the instrumentals too hard, then you get a real feeling of ‘How the hek could this ever work?’ I think the only problem with this track is that it sounds a little…. unusual (understatement) after Cherish.
Track Rating; B
Tokyo Midnight hits on 30s nightclub jazz to open and then randomly goes into Reel Big Fish type ska! Ai sounds a little bored though, I’m not ordinarily one to fault Ai’s energy, but this time time it seems like she’s just singing the song and not really getting that involved with it. Which is quite an accomplishment, considering the usually hyper nature of ska in general. Despite all that, the melody is great and gets you bobbing your head along, for sure.
Track Rating; B+
Planetarium has a beautiful introduction. Hands down, one of the best uses of woodwind in a pop song ever! The melody is truly haunting, with its ups and downs, but the strength of the song truly lies in the entrance into the chorus, it’s such a strong line. And again, during the chorus a truly awesome use of woodwind. It makes it sound a little Celtic (probably why I’m fixating on it so much)
Track Rating; A*
If I thought that the organ in Biidama sounded a little bit Sesame Street then I swear Birthday Song is from Sesame Street. I love the happy-bluesy harmonica things and the overall instrumental, Ai sounds like she’s having fun at least! My only real issue with this is probably the amount of times she sings ‘happy birthday’ goes into the hundreds I’m sure. I realise that those two words do make-up almost the entirety of the chorus… but it does get a little excessive by the time you hit the second chorus.
Track Rating; B-/B
And finally LOVE MUSIC. Ah. Finishing an album with a ballad/slow-song. By now you should realise how much that does not suit me. I have nothing against the song… In fact it’s one of my favourites… it just irritates me if most of an album is made-of slow/mid-tempo-ish songs and the last song is a ballad. But anyway, back to the song. One word; Strings… I’ve said it all before. I adore Ai’s voice in this, it sounds mature and fits the tune so well!
Track Rating; A+
Overall…. I believe I like this album a lot more than Love Piece. Where Love Piece had it’s incredibly strong tracks (CHU-LIP, Frienger, Hoshi no Tango) and some weak ones, relatively or in execution, (Katori Senkou springs to mind) Love Cook is very, very consistant. Though I am aware that many people loved songs like Katori Senkou I just don’t find them appealing and Love Cook, on the whole seems to be my kind of album.
Overall; A+
Namida no Iro
May 14, 2008 at 5:29 pm | In ℃-ute | 2 CommentsTags: 2008, C-ute, H!P, Hello! Project, Namida no Iro, single
- Namida no Iro
- DARLING I LOVE YOU
- Namida no Iro (instrumental)
I wasn’t really holding my breath for Namida no Iro. I’m not really a C-ute fan, I tend to prefer Berryz stuff, but Namida no Iro actually impressed me. The Latin flavour was something that I’d heard referenced to, but I wasn’t really expecting it to be pulled off as well as it is. The whole group sound a lot more mature as well, considering the material they have can’t really work well with cutesy voices.
Track Rating; A
DARLING I LOVE YOU I still don’t like this song. Didn’t when I first heard it on Dschinghis Khan, don’t on Namida no Iro.
Track Rating; C
Single Rating; A-
GAME
May 14, 2008 at 5:14 pm | In Perfume | 6 CommentsTags: 2008, album, GAME, J-Techno, Perfume
- Polyrhythm
- plastic smile
- GAME
- Baby cruising Love
- Chocolate Disco
- Macaroni
- Ceramic Girl
- Take Me Take Me
- Secret Secret
- Butterfly
- Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow
- Puppy Love
Exams? What exams?
I have only recently heard of Perfume, so I know little about them. GAME begins with Polyrhythm. Takes a little while to get going, but I really like this song. The processing of the groups voices is really good for the most part, there are a couple of times when I do think ‘What was that about?’ but Polyrhythm is a catchy and rather addictive track.
Track Rating; A-
plastic smile, in my opinion, is better than Polyrhythm. I like the melody more and I love the introduction and the fact that that section of the song is reused in the chorus. Infectious is probably the best word to describe plastic smile.
Track Rating; A/A+
GAME has a slightly heavier sound. With just as much energy as the previous two tracks you’d expect it to be just as good, but there’s something about it that doesn’t scream ‘replay value’ at me. I don’t really like the chorus and after a while GAME starts to irritate me a little.
Track Rating; C+/B-
Baby cruising Love was the first song I’d heard of by Perfume. I think I listened to it a maximum of twice. I like the English lyrics, even though they don’t particularly make sense. Now that I listen to it with hind-sight, I realise that it’s a very good song. It plays down the techno elements and processing to great effect.
Track Rating; A+
Chocolate Disco is my second favourite song on the album, without a doubt. It’s happy and the repetition of the line ‘chocolate disco’ is, surprisingly, not annoying. Probably because the way they pronounce it is cute (Chocoreito Disuko). Addictive and energetic.
Track Rating; A*
Macaroni sounds quite jazzy to begin with. Again the processing is toned down to fit the song and this shows that the girls do have great voices. Macaroni is a little too slow for me, though I do appreciate that it’s good.
Track Rating; B
I love the repetition at the beginning of Ceramic Girl. The pace of the lyrics in the verse is really refreshing and contributes a lot to the song. It’s a great pick up at the end of a slower song like Macaroni.
Track Rating; A
Take Me Take Me is too long. It takes forever for it to really go anywhere. I just don’t find it a very interesting track at all.
Track Rating; C
Secret Secret is the entire reason I downloaded this album. I watched the PV about three days before the actual album was set to release and totally fell for the song. I love the chorus to a ridiculous extent and even though the introduction irks me a little with the starting and stopping, every time this comes up on my MP3 player, I have to stop and listen to the entire song.
Track Rating; A*
Butterfly simply has a lot to live up to, Secret Secret being the awesome track that it is. Unfortunately, like Take Me Take Me, it takes a little too long to get going. Though I wasn’t convinced at first, I really do enjoy the vocals, though the chorus is a bit pointless in my opinion.
Track Rating; B-
Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow is a great song, definitely. It’s a little hard to explain, but the techno elements and the strategic use of the word ’snow’ really work in the songs favour. Also, the baseline of the track is quite funky and carries the rest of the instrumental well.
Track Rating; A+
Puppy love is another less techno song. More instruments, less computers when it comes to the music. Of course, the vocals are processed, but it does work with the song. I’d like to hear an un-computerised version to see what it would sound like. It’s a great final track though, ending on a high note, but not too energetic, because in my current state of mind, I would not be able to handle that.
Track Rating; A
Overall…. This album really isn’t a casual listen. It’s underwhelming if you don’t give the songs your full attention, but when you apply yourself to the tracks it’s easy to see why Perfume are so popular. Their music is specifically aimed at one style, but somehow manages to be pretty mainstream. Of course it has its ups and downs but it’s a strong album.
Overall Rating; A-
Mail no Namida
May 8, 2008 at 12:54 pm | In Chocolove | Leave a CommentTags: 2007, Chocolove from AKB48, Mail no Namida, single
- Mail no Namida
- Kare no Kitchen
- Mail no Namida (rina version)
- Mail no Namida (sae version)
- Mail no Namida (sayaka version)
I think that Mail no Namida is definitely nowhere near as good as Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru. Musically, it seems a lot more frenetic and confused. In some places it wants to be techno and in others it feels like it wants to be a ballad. It’s not particularly catchy either and, even though the vocals are good, it inspires not a huge amount of confidence for anymore singles they may have.
Track Rating; C
Kare no Kitchen is better. It has more energy and is a bit more definite in its choice of genre. It has a great steady feel throughout and the chorus has a memorable tune (in my opinion). Not amazingly good, but I think it’s better than Mail no Namida.
Track Rating; B
(Not rating here, just FYI)
Rina’s version of Mail no Namida is quite good. Her vocal lacks a little attack though. She makes the high notes well, but it’s just a little bit flat.
Sae has a slightly deeper voice than Rina, so it sounds a little more steady. Again, quite placid, but the high notes make her performance a little more dynamic.
Sayaka’s solo version is my favourite. I prefer the sound of her voice and I like listening to this when I’m going home on the bus : ) She hits some really nice notes too.
Single Rating; C+
Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru
May 8, 2008 at 12:54 pm | In Chocolove | 2 CommentsTags: 2007, Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru, Chocolove from AKB48, single
- Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru
- Chocolate
- Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru (rina version)
- Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru (sae version)
- Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru (sayaka version)
Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru is a brilliant song. The chorus is not something you’d expect after the lead-up and it works really well. Ashita wa is just a pretty song. The verse have a misty feeling to them which I really like, but it is the chorus that sticks out. It’s simple but effective
Track Rating; A+
Chocolate is the perfect b-side. Slightly more acoustic and with a very appropriate name (yeah), Chocolate is a faster than Ashita wa but not too much more, otherwise it would sound really strange being coupled with Ashita wa.
Track Rating; B+/A-
Rina plays up the more ballad sound that Ashita wa has with her soft, high-ish pitched voice. In the main mix, Rina’s voice stands out in the chorus because her voice is higher anyway.
Sae’s is quite like Rina’s but her voice suits the build-up to the chorus way better, and then in the chorus you can tell where she fits in in the actual track.
Sayaka’s voice is my favourite. It has a deeper sound, and, to me, a nicer quality than Rina or Sae’s. I love the way she sings ‘shirushi’ just before the chorus starts.
Single Rating; A
Resonant Blue
May 8, 2008 at 12:53 pm | In Morning Musume | 1 CommentTags: 2008, Morning Musume, Resonant Blue, single
- Resonant Blue
- Sono Bamen de Bibichaikenaijan!
- Resonant Blue (Instrumental)
Resonant Blue is the first single I’ve seen released as part of the fandom, and I’m glad of that. If it had been not so good, I may have dropped out of the Morning Musume fandom completely. I’m sure you’re all aware of the uproar that surrounded the PV when it came out, but you do have to admit, even though Takahashi Ai and Tanaka Reina are ’stealing’ most of the lines…. they don’t half pull it off. It has a brilliant hook ( ‘Cry, cry don’t cry’ ) and is a great dance-y track which is very accessible.
Track Rating; A/A+
Sono Bamen de Bibichaikenaijan! has an incredibly long title that I can never remember, but putting that behind us, Sono Bamen has a very FFX-2 Songstress feel (if you’ve played it you’ll know what I mean). The casino-y feeling brass is very fun. You have no idea how happy I was when I distinctively heard (what I think is) LinLin’s voice! It’s obviously b-side material, but it’ll probably be a great concert song.
Track Rating; B+/A-
Single Rating; A
Anataboshi
May 8, 2008 at 12:53 pm | In Milky Way | Leave a CommentTags: 2008, Anataboshi, H!P, Hello! Project, Milky Way, single
- Anataboshi
- Sansan Gogo
- Anataboshi (Instrumental)
The theme tune for Kirarin Revolution and as many have pointed out, Anataboshi is nothing like you’ve ever heard from Hello! Project. With its strange Celtic influence and odd rhythm it’s a little hard to get into when you first hear it. After about three dedicated listens (a.k.a finished all classwork in maths) I started to really like it, just because it is really strange. It’s not a huge surprise that Koharu’s getting the most lines… She is after all the seventh generation miracle and main character. You may/probably hate this if you don’t like Koha very much, but considering she’s my favourite MoMusu, I have no problem with her getting most of the lines. Yuu and Sayaka definitely stand up straight though because their parts are equally as enjoyable for me.
Track Rating; B+/A-
Sansan Gogo is very Buono!. It has a destinctive pop-rock theme and the same sort of guitar riffs. Here the line distribution is pretty even, with each girl getting lines here and there. I don’t know if it’s the mixing, or Koharu’s voice is just more confident, but you can hear her a lot more definitely in the chorus that you can hear Yuu or Saya. Speaking of the chorus, it’s an addictive one, without a doubt. I think, overall, I like this track more than the A-side.
Track Rating; A+
SIngle Rating; A
Mirrorcle World -YOU Version-
May 3, 2008 at 12:31 pm | In Ayumi Hamasaki | 1 CommentTags: 10th anniversary, 2008, Hamasaki Ayumi, Mirrorcle World, single
- Mirrorcle World (Original Mix)
- Life (Original Mix)
- YOU (10th Anniversary version)
- Mirrorcle World (Original Mix -Instrumental-)
- Life (Original Mix-instrumental-)
- YOU (10th Anniversary version-instrumental-)
Mirrorcle World kicks every-bloody-thing you’ll ever hear out of the park! The strings the track opens with are beautiful and if you’d never heard the original Mirror they’d definitely lull you into a false sense of security. This track is pure rock. Plain and simple. It’s intense and a total roller-coaster ride, with Ayu going up and down and around vocally. Mirrorcle World resonates power and strength and I love it.
Track Rating; A*
Life is… far more tame, to say the least. An Ayu acoustic ballad song, with a great chorus and simple instrumentation. A perfect b-side for Mirrorcle World. If it had followed with the same intensity, my head may have exploded. I’m really tempted to learn this song, as it’s right in my vocal range. She doesn’t put in any stupidly high or low notes and that lends a lot to the overall tone of the song.
Track Rating; A
I’m a very bad fan. I’ve never heard the original version of YOU. So I can’t compare them, though I’m sure the biggest difference is the maturity in Ayu’s voice. I really the steady building feeling just before the chorus and then it gets taken down by the chorus and the overall effect is a little ‘wait, I wasn’t expecting that’. In a good way. I like this track definitely, but er… Mirrorcle World owns this single!
Track Rating; B
Single Rating; A/A+
GUILTY
May 3, 2008 at 12:15 pm | In Ayumi Hamasaki | Leave a CommentTags: 2008, album, GUILTY, Hamasaki Ayumi
- Mirror
- (don’t) leave me alone
- talkin’ 2 myself
- decision
- GUILTY
- fated
- Together When…
- Marionette -prelude-
- Marionette
- The Judgement Day
- glitter
- MY ALL
- reBIRTH
- untitled ~for her~
I haven’t updated in forever because I have a lot of exams coming up. Which basically translates as; ‘Goodbye, motivation’ . I’ll try and get back on top… I have a series of reviews lined up, I just need to find time to write them, but it a bank holiday weekend so I probably have them all up on Monday.
So, GUILTY first hits the speakers with the intense opening that is Mirror. Now this is one heck of a beginning. I won’t say too much because I recently got the single and a review of that will find its way to KtoE. But, I will say this, Mirror is intense and such a strong way to start an album.
Track Rating; A
(don’t) Leave Me Alone wasn’t what I thought it would be at all. I thought it would a mid-tempo song if not a ballad but nope, it’s an explosion of sound that I greatly appreciate. Being the J-pop Empress most would associate Ayu with summer pop tracks, but most of her work is actually far more rock/pop-rock and this is a great representation of that.
Track Rating; A-
Talkin’ 2 Myself is amazing. I’m not sure what to say. Ayu brings kick-ass vocals, I adore the chorus for this reason. I love it when Ayu sings in a lower register, it gives her voice a edge that’s hard to explain. I love the way Talkin’ 2 Myself holds it all in until the chorus and instrumental sections. The intrumentation isn’t overpowering, everything is in the right balance. Completely FIERCE!
Track Rating; A+
Decision is Talkin’ 2 Myself’s b-side and, from the arrangement, it’s really obvious. It reminds me of an older Ayu track, but for the life of me I can’t remember what. It blatantly follows the same formula as Talkin’ 2 Myself but it’s not quite as memorable.
Track Rating; B
GUILTY reminds me of Linkin Park! (my sister’s a huge fan) A weird comparison, I’m sure, but if you listen to a few tracks of LP’s Minutes to Midnight album, you’ll know what I mean. But anyway, I love the somewhat dischordant guitar in the chorus and the vocal Ayu’s putting out. Overall, in my opinion, a great title song.
Track Rating; B+/A-
Fated has grown on me since my intial review. I have this song to thank for making sure I didn’t have a total melt-down at school on Thursday. I was close to exploding and the sensitivity of this song calmed me right down.
Track Rating; A
Together When… so should have been a physical single. I’d have been on YesAsia in a trice. Hamasaki Ayumi ballads are legendary and it’s an unwritten rule that I must love them. Musically, Together When… goes in a completely opposite direction to what you think it will in the chorus. You expect it to bust into a full orchestral sounding section, but it doesn’t and that always catches me out when I listen to it. The piano is crystal and the vocals are emotional and powerful.
Track Rating; A*
Marionette -prelude- is suitably creepy. It reminds of The Nightmare Before Christmas which I love, so hey! Positive association.
Marionette originally caught my eye because it’s one of my favourite words : ). The melancholic, creepy feeling that begins in the prelude, is turned up to 11. The chorus is plain awesome and is very, very powerful.
Track Rating; A*
Another interlude The Judgement Day. I think Ayu’s ‘la’s are amazing. Atmospheric with a wonderful tone and even though this is an interlude it should bot be ignored. Especially when it gets all techno-y.
glitter. Yay! Read This
Track Rating; A+
MY ALL is another pop song. This has such a great feel to it, I love love the chorus. There’s something about it, a certain joy.
Track Rating; A
reBirth another interlude. It has a bit of a Mulan Reflection feel.
Untitled ~For Her~ is simply beautiful. A heart-breaking dedication that holds so much expression and passion it can’t really be ignored. The orchestral sections are fabulous and Ayu gives it her everything, and it really comes across.
Track Rating; A*
Overall… I think GUILTY is an amazing album. The interlude’s were grouped a little too close together though, but that’s my only problem with it, I can tell you.
Overall Rating; A/A+
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