Haruka to Miyuki – LOVELESS/ARTLESS (album review)

Sorry for that hiatus. Just realized my last post was a year ago ^^;; For that, I apologize. I was really busy with thesis writing, submission, correction, the whole process was tedious and long I’m really glad that’s all over now. I was also involved in some jdrama subbing so even though I continued listening to jpop, I couldn’t find the time to blog here.

This new album by Japanese female rock-folk duo, Haruka to Miyuki prompted me to write something. I became a fan after being impressed by their debut album in late 2013, Cyanotype, which I reviewed here. I really dig their style, there’s something soulful in their mix of folk-rock indie sound and so I have been following them. After releasing a few mini albums and songs (released digitally) the last 3 years, they’re now back with their 2^nd album.

I feel every artist evolves some way or another as they discover new genres over the course of their career. Haruka to Miyuki is no different. They’ve been experimenting with electro-pop too, which I don’t see coming but it’s not bad. But overall, their past releases have been quite underwhelming with only a few highlights. So after going through 2 years of countless live performances, writing and evolving, how does the 2^nd major follow-up fare?

Namie Amuro – _genic [album review]

Namie Amuro has finally dropped her long awaited album _genic, following the local and international success of FEEL. I was happy with FEEL and to be honest, that album made me more accustomed with EDM, a genre I rarely touched back in the days, almost like a taboo. That said, I do have FEEL to thank for when it comes to me realizing EDM is not all that bad, as a music to just enjoy.

_genic is a 14-track album and 90% are sung in English or Engrish. I’ll touch more in detail about her pronunciation later. Let’s go into the songs first.

Photogenic is the album opener and if I were to compare with Alive (FEEL’s opener), I’d say without doubt Alive is much superior in many ways. Photogenic just doesn’t give me the WOW feeling no matter how many times I listen to it, still, it works for this particular album, perhaps. Basically, she sings of being photogenic and the confidence level is quite high, demanding her pictures be showcased and whatnot.

Time Has Come – I have mixed feelings for this. The verses are fine but somehow the chorus doesn’t quite flow with it, the breakdown before the chorus doesn’t do its job as well either, the lead-up sort of pulls the anticipation down. I have a hard time picking what she’s singing either.

Golden Touch – Love this. The first track to really grab my attention. Maybe because she sings both in Japanese and English so it doesn’t sound out of place. It also has an almost retro melody and it just sounds better as it goes. A lighthearted cute track.

Birthday – A nice follow up from Golden Touch. In what we’d call a rare moment, Namie is seen flashing endless smiles in the music video as she celebrates her birthday with friends, trying new clothes etc. I haven’t been a fan of hers for long so when I saw how overjoyed her fans were when she smiled in concerts, it’s kind of weird? But now that I realized she rarely smiled in the past, no wonder her fans are easily delighted with tiniest bit of smile or gesture. It also helps that this track is fun and catchy. Almost sounds like something Katy Perry would sing, not a bad case in Namie’s context.

It – The whistle-like intro is damn catchy! Such a pity it’s the shortest track, under 3 minutes. ‘If love’s a game, I just wanna be it.’ She’s referencing a game of tag. Well, maybe keeping it short is the way to go but I still wish they’d made an extra effort to insert a bridge.

Scream – ‘Cool’ Namie is back in this full-fledged EDM track. I don’t even care how much autotune is present here, as long as it works to put the music across, it’s fine. At least, they didn’t ruin her vocals like some other artists’. I guess this would make a good workout song so the next time you go to the gym, make sure this is in your playlist. It kind of pumps you up.

Fashionista – This reminds me so much of her older stuffs, some parts of the melody (claps, trumpets, beats) sounds eerily like Hide and Seek. The whole structure of the song is a bit cluttered and all over the place. She’s feisty and has the swag to carry the song though. Also her fast lines during the bridge, did she just sing like a native? Too bad I just don’t feel the song itself.

Fly – She just slurred through the entire song I can’t even catch what she’s saying most of the time. Didn’t leave much of an impression either. A weak faux Scream 2.0. There’s potential but only if she actually sings the lines properly.

B Who I Want 2 B (feat. Hatsune Miku) – What a shocker? Namie collaborating with Miku lol. It’s actually not a bad track, to be absolutely honest here. I was listening to this on the plane and at the time, I had no idea it was Hatsune Miku, I just knew someone else was singing together with her and obviously, their vocals are autotuned to the max. This song is unique however and really really simplistic. Even if anyone hates Miku (I don’t however) and I don’t even listen to Miku. So that being said, I still think this song is actually pretty cool and the minimalism works gorgeously.

Stranger – The kind of song that sounds best when you max the volume. It’s mediocre though, not really digging it. Generic.

Every Woman – Overall, probably one of the weakest track and a filler in the album. By the time the song ends, I can’t recall how it went anymore.

Space Invader – The intro makes me think this might turn out fine and different. It sure feels fresh but not quite there. This filler track is like a random song she throws in the album with no real purpose whatsoever.

Anything – The ballad of the album, fitting and quite inspiring.

What I Did For Love (David Guetta feat. Namie Amuro) – Thankfully, her English is bearable here. Started out as a ballad before transitioning into more upbeat in the chorus. I still prefer Anything.

Is this better than FEEL?

Overall, it is a definite step up from FEEL. I won’t say it’s miles better because FEEL actually has some solid tracks that can stand on their own and actually memorable. This album surpasses FEEL in the fact that it’s more focused with an overall dedicated electronica sound while FEEL is a bit all over the place, giving different genres. In some ways, I miss the FEEL sound and her previous albums’ because she offered more Japanese-sounding tracks there and the ballads are mostly stronger. So I’ll just describe it this way, FEEL still has a more oriental sound while _genic is more Westernized. In fact, _genic is filled from top to bottom with US Top 40 hits.

Namie sounds more confident in this album, maybe she’s more comfortable singing in a foreign language now. However, she still has room to improve because honestly, I was straining my ears just to pick what she sings in most tracks. So don’t spin the album and expect her to sing like a native American. In some tracks, although rarely, she pronounced the lyrics quite well, but in 70% of the rest, it’s a hit or miss situation. I wish she’d switch back to Japanese for more tracks soon, though I don’t see that happening. Although she’d mentioned that singing the songs in English, in their original language makes it flow better and such, I can’t agree 100% to that. Because if I can’t understand her even in English, so what’s the point? In that case, I’d much rather she sings in Japanese.

I also think the production for this album is kinda rushed. I read she hand picked the tracks from like hundreds of demos in a short span of time? I’m not going to exaggerate and put down her choices because she did make some great selections, but it still feels lacking.

Score: 8/10 – a good effort but not showing its full potential. I think it’s time for her to switch it up for her next album and ditching EDM would be a great way to kick off.

Pity that Tsuki and Brighter Day didn’t make it into this album. I think it’s because of the label switch. Well, those two won’t really fit into this album anyways so maybe that’s a good choice.

Morning Musume ’15 – Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru/ Yuugure wa Ameagari/ Ima Koko Kara [ single review]

I realized I forgot to review this single. It’s been a pretty hectic month. So MM ’15 is starting a new era after Sayumi’s departure. In this regard, it means all the current members are new and has no tie with the Golden Era or Platinum Era. Sayumi was the last member holding that connection you see. So with her departure, MM ’15 is fully renewed and with an addition of 4 new members (12^th gen). Surprisingly though, being the first single for 12^th gen members, they didn’t get much solo lines or anything to stand out in the songs but MV-wise, they did get a bunch of solo close-ups and focus, albeit, the whole Karin issue did affect their screentime a lot. Fans and wotas alike have been complaining about the lack of Kanon Suzuki in the music videos so I will restrain from touching the issue here.

This single also showcased a balance of solos and obviously, you see less of Riho (the Ace) in all 3 songs. Line distribution seem to have improved especially when the shadow singer like Eripon gets 5 solo words in Seishun (she demands you pay attention to that in a recent TV show), you can’t help but be glad for her. So Riho doesn’t hog the songs and members like Sakura gets to lead in Ima Koko Kara and mid-members like Maachan gets some prominent lines in Yuugure.

Moving on to the songs, Seishun Kozou ga Naiteiru is not a track that you instantly fall in love with, at least not for me. It’s a very into your face kind of music that demands concentration. You see, while it follows the similar EDM vein like all of the previous MM’s singles, it has abrupt pauses in the verses that may sound odd to most people, me included (my first impression). It doesn’t flow smoothly and it may ruin the experience for some. However, I also can’t help but feel Tsunku is going ahead of the time again with this track. He takes risks and this move is very bold. In fact, it feels revolutionary. It’s not conventional/mainstream and it’s not something you hear from other artists as well. So while the verses may be appalling, the chorus is actually pretty good. If anything, this is truly Tsunku’s quirky style. Not to mention, there are parts in the verses that he referenced a poem (iroha karuta).

Yuugure wa Ameagari is my favorite of this single and I think most of the fans approve. The consensus is not hard to grasp because this song reminds of the beautiful TokiSora. It’s a piano driven ballad but there’s also a tinge of EDM beats in the background. I like the bittersweet atmosphere and the lyrics are supposed to be a form of encouragement for the members from Tsunku as in looking forward to a new start.

Ima Koko Kara is a tie-in with Precure anime. While the song is not an original track by MM ’15, the song was produced to fit their style and I think they did quite a good job with it. The piano keys resembles again, TokiSora’s style and Sakura singing the first verse was beautiful. The only downside is it feels tad short. It lacks a bridge so it feels really short.

Score: 8/10
In my opinion, MM ‘15 sort of got the short end of the stick among H!P groups for their first single in 2015. Compared with the others, groups like °C-ute and ANGERME especially, had more solid singles. I can’t say much about Juice=Juice because I’m not really into that single but being the flagship group, I can’t help but feel slightly sorry for MM ’15. On the bright side, the new members blend very well already with the group and their dance choreography may have stepped up especially in Seishun. I recommend to watch the Alternate version too because it is the most random and awesome H!P MV ever.

Music videos:

Alternate version

Rei- BLU [mini album review]

Who is this singer?! I was randomly picking albums to try and to be honest, when I saw Rei, I thought she was a singer I listened to before, but when I went through my collection, I realized it was Rie Fu that was on my mind and not this Rei. Names, they still sometimes confuse me. Well, anyways, Rei is a new kid on the block and her signature sound is classical guitar. You can instantly hear it in this mini album. She stayed in New York as a kid and learned classical guitar at the age of 4. Having brought up in the States during her childhood, you must be wondering how is her English? Well, it’s good. I’m pretty impressed actually, she sounds native! When BLACK BANANA started playing, I thought I was listening to a Western song. By the time this song ended, I had to remind myself it’s a Japanese singer. The clarity for the classical guitar is so good (that intro especially). This track sounded country-ish but it’s got these beats going on that keeps things kinda groovy.

Cinnamon Girl is one of my favorites. I love the overall melody, it’s so relaxing. If anything, this reminds me of moumoon’s older music. There’s less guitar here, it’s driven more by piano. My mama is similar to BLACK BANANA, it really gives me country vibe. I think she’s very much influenced by western musical style, judging from these sounds. Her vocal is actually quite good. Eutopia is another track that relies heavily on guitar melodies to drive it. I like her vocal here, it’s more gentle and some parts where she sort of whispered a little was nice. This track is fully Japanese. POMELO is an instrumental track solely dedicated to showcase her talents in guitar. Not bad! Long Way To Go kicked off with her crooning slowly in English lyrics ‘We are young/ and we are old/ we are free but we are controlled’, talk about ways to appeal! This sure got my attention. I was expecting it to be a ballad but once the guitar comes in, it picks up speed and transitions to a mid-tempo. She mixed some Japanese lyrics in this. My second favorite track and it ended pretty oddly too with distortions. There’s a somewhat nostalgic sound to this track. The closing track, bumble B is just another guitar instrumental less than a minute long.

Rating: 7.5/10
Standouts: BLACK BANANA, Cinnamon Girl, Long Way To Go, Eutopia

If anything, Rei is definitely on my watch list now. She pretty much established herself as a solid singer with a clear vision for what her musical style. This album is overflowing with talent! I take it that she played those guitars herself (I’m not sure but since she plays classical guitar by the age of 4, I assume she plays them in her own album).

°C-ute – The Middle Management/ GamushaLIFE/ Tsugi no Kado wo Magare [single review]

I’m about 2 weeks late with this review. Among the groups in H!P, I’m only really interested in Morning Musume and a casual listener of the rest. However, this single undeniably increased my attention towards the most mature group in H!P at the moment. °C-ute has become the group with highest average age and its leader, Maimi Yajima has also taken over Michishige Sayumi’s role to head Hello! Project. Having been in the industry for 10 years, the group has somehow surpassed the idol image and now exudes maturity all over. They’re visually stunning and to be honest, I don’t really consider them as an idol group any longer. Secretly, I’m hoping they’d make a transition to being an ‘artist’ but of course, that would be impossible as long as they’re under H!P, which basically is an idol company. Either way, let’s get on with how this single sounds like!

The Middle Management~Josei Chuukan Kanrishoku is the main track from this triple A-side single. The lyrics were written by Tsunku but that was really the only thing he did for this single. Considering his health and battle with throat cancer, it is understandable that he needs more rest than ever and most of the work has been divided to others. The composition of the song was by Daniel Merlot and a bunch of other foreigners. Interestingly, the song still ends up with that unique Tsunku-feel right down to the beats. The song opens with a somewhat dramatic melody as if brooding for the worst and then takes you by surprise with an entirely different hook. It picks up speed immediately and you get this electronic-laden track with lots of autotune. I know what you’re thinking, autotune normally turns people down, but it’s not that bad here. Of course, ideally, I wish they don’t use it, but they’re really just during the verses. Aside from that, I really like how the usual back singers, Maimai and Nakajima get more lines here. The lyrics are typical Tsunku style. It’s insinuating on women arriving at that particular age where they’re now drowned by heavy workload in office (hence the title) and complains on the younger co-workers being incompetent with their job, thus troubling the seniors to clean up their mess. Since I’m at that age, I really couldn’t agree more to the lyrics, they’re so relatable to the point where I just keep nodding because I share the same sentiment! I like the energy in this track and like I mentioned, all of them look so good in the music video.

GamushaLIFE is a heartwarming song and rightfully so because it’s a tribute to their 10th year anniversary. The group began with 8 members in actuality, but ends up with the current 5 members. Even so, it’s nice to the other ex-members’ names making appearances in the music video. The track is composed by SHOCK EYE (Shonan no Kaze) and KOUGA. KOUGA was selected from an audition project on TV Asahi’s ‘Music Ru’ program. It’s inspirational and the lyrics are filled with gratitude and hope from the girls’ perspective regarding their 10 year journey as a group. This song is probably my favorite of the bunch because it’s different from what they’ve done in the past, which is fathomable since the people behind this song is completely new. There’s also a rap section which is basically, the best part. All in all, it’s quite a touching uptempo track.

Tsugi no Kado wo Magare was written and composed by Nakajima Takui. It’s a midtempo and leaning more towards the ‘rock’ genre. Initially, I’m not really feeling this track but it has now grown quite a lot. For others, this becomes an instant hit for them, I’m not sure why I’m slow to pick this up. The girls sing about turning at the next corner whenever they meet a dead end. It’s like stepping into a new territory now that they’re at their 10th year. A new journey is about to begin from here on. I happened to watch the recording for this song in a program and from that footage, it was evident that this track is not easy to sing. It requires lots of constant energy to pull off the chorus especially and Maimi made me lose breath just seeing her struggle. But it makes you appreciate the song more you see because they pulled it off.

Impression:
I love this single. I’d even go as far as to say that it’s one of their most solid singles. Perhaps because of the absence of Tsunku in the production of this single (except for his brilliant lyrics in Middle Management), the overall atmosphere feels different. I can only envision great things for this group from now on, it’s like they’ve reached a peak and hopefully, as the most mature group in H!P, they’ll continue to display a more adult image in their future releases. It’s funny because they’re called °C-ute and you’d expect the members to be cute and fluffy but now you get an entirely different image. It’s a good thing though in my opinion. 10 years have passed so it’s time to move on to the next chapter.

Score: 9/10

Music videos can be seen here.

miwa – ONENESS [album review]

I’ve never been a fan of miwa. I’m not a hater though and I actually like some of her songs. It’s just that I’m pretty indifferent when it comes to her music. It’s always a hit or miss for me. One day she releases this amazing single that stuns the hell out of me, then on another, she’d give a filler track that sounds like an album leftover. It’s just very unpredictable. She’s popular in Japan though and I think she has quite a fanbase. For this review, I’ll cut it short and brief, it won’t follow the usual song by song pattern. I will divide the songs in the album into categories.

STANDOUTS
As the title track, ONENESS definitely opens big and it intends to fill the stadium with ‘wow oh wow oh wow’ chants. Needless to say, I’m quite a sucker for this type of music. Heavy drum beats and guitar-laden track, she got my attention right from the start. When it comes to the bridge, you’ll be graced with this choir background that adds to its charms. Faith comes next and it’s a strong upbeat single from this era. Super catchy and infectious guitar riffs. I just don’t get tired of this. The trumpets are really addictive so whoever thought of it deserves praise (maybe it’s miwa herself). Philosophy caught me off guard with its minimalistic electro beats. It’s a great song. See, this is an example of when miwa surprises me with something ingenious like this. I’d never expect this kind of music but I love that she uses a more Western approach, in fact, it reminds me of Katy Perry’s music. Remarkably, I’m not at all bothered by that resemblance. I’m here to enjoy good catchy music and this is one of my favourites in this album. I absolutely LOVE that electronic intro. Pure bliss. It’s kinda groovy too and it certainly doesn’t feel like the shortest track in the entire album. Obviously Faraway made it into this group. It has this nice buildup with the urgency of drum beats and although the chorus could’ve been better, the overall instrumentals really make up for the lacking chorus. I can see effort poured into the production of this track. At first, I was thinking whether It’s you! deserves a spot in this category or not. After pondering, I can’t deny that it’s really catchy and one of those that grabs my attention immediately. It’s an uptempo pop/rock and I probably have heard this familiar melody. The synths reminds me of 2000s English pop. Nevertheless, it’s addictive. Super heroine is in the similar vein as philosophy and I find myself grinning. The intro actually goes on for like 45 seconds before she sings. It has those familiar beats that carry the song and the chorus is a mix of saccharine coolness. Kibou no Wa is one of the better ballads in this album and when I was still contemplating whether it should be here or in the mediocre camp, I decided to put it here instead when the song moves towards the end. The background chorus got me.

MEDIOCRE
The next category represents the mediocre songs which are fine but not amazing like the previous camp. Gesshoku~winter moon is one of two ballads in this album. The jingle bells in the background during the bridge is fitting for winter season. It’s probably romantic for couples to listen to this on Christmas, not me though. It doesn’t quite touch me. The only reason Stress Free made it into this category is because it’s actually different from everything else in this album. The verse is like something straight out of Girlfriend by Avril (the claps and ‘rap talk’). Although it’s not something that I’ll spin on repeat, I just like the way she sings this, it sounds like she’s having genuine fun making funny faces. The upbeat instrumental rush in 360° is probably the only reason it ends up here and not the trash camp. miwa sounds like a 10 year old kid singing this I don’t know why.

TRASH
The last section are dedicated to those that shouldn’t have made it into the album. These are the filler tracks that you wish you didn’t waste time listening to. I still can’t find a single reason why  fighting-Ø-girls gets to be made a single and tracks like philosophy or super heroine are left as album tracks. I hate the annoying background vocals, it’s trying so hard to mimic church choir that gets this ‘What?’ reaction out of me. I can’t even finish this song (I did once just for this review). Kitto Kanau is not memorable I can’t even remember how it sounded like. I don’t like the trumpets because they add more confusion here and it just sounds noisy at this point without serving a purpose. It’s bland and reminds me of the plethora of generic AKB songs out there (not saying it’s similar to the group’s music). Kimi ni Deaete Kara is another one of those tracks I can’t finish because it’s uninspiring. Koi no Yokan has this little jazz going on, just not enough to make me stay.

IMPRESSION
I feel this album is too long. In fact, it has 14 tracks when it should have just been 10 or 11. The album could do without the tracks in the trash camp. These tracks can be made B-sides for the future releases. However, since the better tracks outweigh the lousy ones, I guess this album is not horrible. I hope she fools around with more EDM in her future releases. There’s a reason why I love Delight until now. It seems to me that her electronic-infused tracks have always been quite good.

Score: 7.5/10

Gouriki Ayame – Gouriki Ayame [abum review]

Gouriki Ayame releases her debut album this week. For those who don’t know her, she’s basically this actress in Japan who among others, like Takei Emi, gets a lot of push in the industry for the past year or so. She has been in multiple dramas and most recently, she was in Black Butler movie alongside Hiro Mizushima. While she may have more experience in acting with a longer career in that particular industry under her belt, I don’t think a lot of people actually know that she learned dancing from quite young. Personally, I didn’t know that until she released her first single Tomodachi Yori Daiji na Hito last year. So now that she’s stepping into the music industry, how will her debut album fare?

Tomodachi Yori Daiji na Hito

Serving as her first single, I find this being the opening track in her album a quite fitting position. When I first heard this song, I liked it right away. The music video probably contributed a lot to that factor. It was colourful, fun and we get to see her dance along her other backup dancers in classrooms, hallways and basketball court. The dance is actually pretty innovative and addictive that I rewatched the video several times just to see the choreography. The song itself is electro-laden, catchy bubblegum pop, some synths and her vocal is sort of autotuned. That final bit is probably the only gripe I have about the song and actually all her songs. I think this will somehow be her signature style from now though.

Kuyashii Kedo Daiji na Hito

This is her third single and it pretty much follows the same pattern as Tomodachi. There’s something about the way she sounds that kind of refrains me from listening to the song repetitively. There are parts where she falls flat and even the autotune can’t save it. But ignoring that, the song is enjoyable like Tomodachi.

Wagamama wa Daiji na Hito

The synthy intro reminds me of some idol songs (which I couldn’t pinpoint) but I heard it before. This is a midtempo track so things are slowing down a bit. I also think that her voice is less altered in this song, especially in the verses. It’s nicer to hear a more natural voice. Also, it’s not hard to notice that the titles for the first 3 tracks so far ends with Daiji na Hito. I don’t know the purpose of this but if anyone knows, do share what you think in the comments. As for the track, I actually like it.

Nanairo 7 Days

An upbeat summer-ish track was what came into my mind when I heard the intro. It’s quite a bop but my complain is again how her voice is altered. There’s something very annoying about it, especially when she hits the higher notes. I can’t explain but it’s giving me a slight headache. It’s like grating in my ears. Maybe she’s straining, maybe it’s the producer’s fault. However, there’s a part where she sings lower notes and that sounds much better. The chorus might be repetitive but overall, I don’t hate this.

Tic-Tac

Did I hear R&B in this song? Love the beats. Thank goodness she doesn’t have to screech here, if anything, the chorus is the best part. The piano keys in the background gives a cute groovy vibe. The funny thing is she doesn’t pronounce the Tic as ‘tick’ but ‘Chick’ lolzz. This is a good diversion from the pattern so far so it makes sense that this track stands out right away.

Hitotsu Dake

The intro sounds so familiar it annoys the hell out of me that I couldn’t make out where I heard something like that before. This song is driven by synths. The song is slightly forgettable if not for that repetitive melody in the intro.

GO! GIRLS!! GO!

I was kind of waiting for something like this to appear. While her signature style is electro pop that sounds slightly juvenile, this has some ‘house EDM’ element. It could do without the excessive ‘Wow oh Wow oh’ though. I feel this track is probably the first song that sounds lazy in production. It’s obviously a filler, it doesn’t quite go anywhere, stays plateau mostly and that ‘rap’ which sounds like Avril’s Girlfriend doesn’t belong in this track. It’s a pity largely because they had a chance to pursue mature EDM but wasted it on this. I’m just waiting for it to explode into awesomeness but it never happened.  

Kimi Iro

In essence, this is business as usual like Tomodachi and the like. I’m glad her voice is less strained and actually smoother here, a pleasure to listen to. I see whoever produced this fixed her vocals. Now why can’t she sound like this in all her songs? I like the breakdown in this, the best part for me. That flute-like melody is nice.
Listen to Kimi Iro here.

Asagao

This is downright forgettable. The chorus is weak and there’s really no redeeming factor. It does remind me of 2000s Jpop so it has this dated sound but it’s not doing anything for me. Another filler. She sings some English in the bridge which surprisingly I can actually understand (for the most part anyway).

Rainbow

This is the only track that has ‘rock’ element with the fake-ish electric guitar. I think they’re trying to produce a pop/rock tune and I do appreciate the effort. The problem is, it’s not catchy and the rainbow is kinda lame. I mean, she sings ‘over the rainbow’ and stuffs, that’s not cool. The synths doesn’t quite blend well with the overall style. I think they should ditch the electronics and just focused on real pop/rock.

Anata no 100 no Kirai na Tokoro

She ends the album with her second single. I think it’s catchy like all her singles are, but it’s not something I will listen to countless times. It’s her vocals again.  

Impression:

For an actress who ventures into the music industry, I admit I was doubtful on how she will deliver. Overall, I do find this album is listenable and it’s not horrible. There are some actual good songs in this. The only major complaint I have is her vocals. Her vocal is sadly on the more ‘thin’ side and it can sound very grating on the ears. It really needs ample time to get used to, at least for me personally. I find that I can’t listen to her songs repeatedly because of the vocals. The track where she sounds the best is Kimi Iro and I really hope the producer will keep that as a lesson for her future songs. That aside, this album is actually better than I expected. Since it’s her debut, I didn’t put a lot of hope or expectation into it. She’s afterall more known for acting than being a singer. She’s probably great in dancing but I think she needs more work in her vocal. Getting a good vocal trainer should be her priority before releasing the next album. I’m not sure if music is one of the tactics her agency does to milk more money from her (consider the push she’s getting) but I think she’s genuinely interested in music, considering her dancing experience. Overall, I do like the direction she’s heading to, as far as music goes, this album has quite a few bops so I won’t put it down. I think she has a good team behind her with musical inspirations, but they just need to figure out how to fix her vocal. If they can solve that, I’m more than happy to look forward to her new songs.

Score: 6.5/10

Highlights: Tomodachi Yori Daiji na Hito, Kuyashii Kedo Daiji na Hito, Kimi Iro, Tic-Tac, Wagamama

Leo Ieiri – 20 [album review]

20 is Leo Ieiri’s 3^rd album and rightfully titled as well as she just turned 20 or 二十歳 last December. I quite enjoyed a boy (2^nd album) and thought it was an improvement from her debut. Personally, when I listened to her debut LEO, I was disappointed because there was a stark difference between her singles and album tracks. While the singles were brilliant, the rest just fell all over the place and couldn’t interest me enough. That convinced me she was a single’s singer only, back then. a boy came along which obviously displayed maturity and better quality songs overall. So now that 20 is out, how will this fare?

miss you kicks off acoustically as Leo croons ‘Just wait for you, for you, I’m still in love with you’. It’s the first single off the record, a mid-tempo tune about as the title clearly suggests, missing somebody. This is typical Leo song so no surprises here. Overall, I like this, it’s not incredibly memorable but definitely a grower.

little blue is another similar mid-tempo and I prefer this track over miss you because everything just feels slightly more poignant. The verses are especially good and while it lacks the heavier bridge present in miss you, it compensates with acoustic, which sounds equally wonderful, if not, better. Personally, this is more of my type of song.

Silly served as the theme song for N no Tame ni drama, if you missed it, give it a try as I believe it was one of the best last season. I’d call this the ballad of the album. Three tracks in and I’m already feeling mellow, a lot. I’m beginning to wonder if she was warping herself in some sappy love life during the making of this album or the coming of age had somehow made her emotional? (kidding) I think I read somewhere she wrote this song with N no Tame ni’s characters in mind or something. So the lyrics sort of fit the drama. Having listened to this countless times when I watched the drama, I’m still not tired of it, instead, I’ve come to love it even more, especially if you have the characters in your mind.

Finally, something to break the chain of meltdown. This next track, lost in the dream is a light-hearted mid-tempo, at least it’s not as sad or depressed as the previous tracks. The drums and acoustic breakdown in the bridge is worth noting. I do like her slight playfulness with this song.

Now we’re picking up more pace with Kokoro no Katachi~Another Story~. There’s the original version in the Bless You single. I prefer this new one. The original has a more acoustic-feel while this revamped version has additional instruments, notably the background strings that gives it a fuller sound. It’s also slightly heavier. I love how it gives you a sense of infinity, must be the work of the echoing riffs. I love those.

TWO HEARTS is the first ‘cheerful’, upbeat and fun track after a slew of midtempo ballads. Nothing much to say about it though. For you makes a return to the first half of mellow tune accompanied with strings and piano. She sounds lovely in this, soft and yearning. Rock tune Junjou was the ending theme for Dragon Ball Kai. She sings with attitude. I’m not really feeling this because I was expecting something like Shine or Message (with explosive choruses). Junjou doesn’t deliver the kind of impact like those songs.

Still starts with echoes of Ahh Ahh that immediately melts my heart. This is my second favourite ballad after Silly. Everything sounds perfect I have nothing to complain. Love & hate is probably the alien of this group of songs, it’s quite unique because at one point it’s got like jazz piano, acoustic guitar plucking and groovy. Yuuki no Shirushi is like Junjou, upbeat, fast, fun and you get to hear her sing with more attitude them growls (well sorta). She also got to showcase different ranges of singing, strong vocals going to falsetto and I’m just curious whether she did that yee haw shrill?! Last song is another gorgeous piano ballad. Her soft vocals are great, as usual and the piano/violins gives me all the feeelsss. It’s also the shortest track but it just ends so beautifully!

 So do I like this more than her previous albums? Hell yes! While I miss some of her powerful singles like Shine, Message and Kimi no Todoke I feel this album is more intact and she knows exactly what she wants. Of course, like I mentioned, 20 is overloaded with emotional sad songs and I’d say she can release a Best of Ballads already with this collection. But you see, at least the ballads and mid-tempos in 20 are actually good and not half-assed. Also, unlike the previous albums, I didn’t feel the urge to skip any songs. LEO made me skip quite a number and there were only about 2-3 tracks in a boy. None for this one so that proves that most, if not all, are at least bearable and above your average kind of tracks (personally). I do wish she would experiment and venture into new things but the most out of place track I can point out in 20 is love & hate only. People who are not into mid-tempo ballads or slower songs might find this album a bore (but trust me it’s not!). Some of her best ballads are in here, you don’t have to look far. They’re up there with Kimi Dake and I hold this song very highly.

I’m glad this album is better than I expected. That said, totally looking forward to her future works. I’m not entirely sure though how many songs she composed herself in this album, I know she wrote (all or most of them?). *Did a quick check* She didn’t seem to compose for this, but wrote/co-wrote all of the songs. Well, maybe next time.

Score: 8.5/10 Highlights: Silly, Kokoro no Katachi~Another Story~, Still, Last Song, love & hate.

Do As Infinity – Brand New Days [album review]

Do As Infinity has had a long history having just released their 15th Anniversary concert DVD and already in their 16th year. They lost their founder/composer in the process, came to a halt during the 3-year hiatus and reformed with just the vocalist, Van Tomiko (Ban chan) and Owatari Ryo (guitarist). After the reformation, there was a clear distinction between the old and present DAI. As we fans see it, the cause was none other than the absence of mastermind Dai Nagao who was largely responsible for the unique DAI sound they were famous for in the past. However, let’s not put down the new DAI so easily because from what I observe, they’re still releasing decent music. Sure they’ve lost a number of fans along the way but that’s something we see in most artists at the moment, sales dipped and whatnot. After releasing their 10th album named X, they took 3 years to produce a new studio album, Brand New Days (their 11th). If you noticed, after Time Machine (2012), they didn’t exactly follow the shiritori game for album names anymore. Some may say X can be interpreted by ‘ex’ but the way I see it, they’ve broken the pattern and though fans would’ve loved them to continue, I think it’s time to start anew. Brand New Days has 11 tracks and besides Mysterious Magic (Fairy Tail Opening theme) and Brand new days (title track) which was included in the USB they gave out to club members last year, we actually have not heard the rest of the album nor do we know what to expect. So let’s get into the album right away.

Mysterious Magic is one those songs that I initially don’t feel much about and ends up liking it. It’s a grower. That said, I’ve come to love it more now. I’ve also watched the live version from their 15th anniversary and I have to say, it’s the kind that sounds a lot better live. Afterall, for an anime theme, I didn’t put high hope for it to sound amazing, although before this, they had a number of great tracks for Inuyasha like Fukai Mori and Shinjitsu no Uta, not forgetting Rakuen as well. But those were the days where we expected no less from Dai Nagao. I think we can all agree that his absence plays a role in causing DAI to exert different sound now.

EDGE continues in the similar vein as Mysterious Magic, in it being a fast-paced pop/rock. I see this as a grower too and will definitely pump the audience in concerts. I like that it has a proper guitar riff during the bridge but still lacks a vocal one.

Brand new days is somewhat a surprise especially for old DAI fans. For us, this sounds a lot like American pop that we never expect them to make. However, I’m sure the lyrics still bring forth the message of a reborn Do As Infinity, perhaps? To be honest, it’s not a bad song at all. Like Mysterious Magic, it’s a grower, though I wish they actually put more bass in the song because it’s lacking it. It’s got too much treble and sound thin, at times grating on my ears. I blame the production at this point.

Sousei is beautifully amazing. Nuff said. Okay, this song deserves more than just two lines. This is the first ballad in the album and it begins with this guitar melody followed by Ban chan’s lower bittersweet vocal. God, I miss her lower register! I haven’t really analyzed the lyrics in detail but I think it’s about appreciating life and there’s also a subtle message about love and peace. I should also mention that this was written by Ban chan. Yup, I can always count on her for heartfelt lyrics. I’m also quite surprised to see that this was composed by foreigners. Do As Infinity never fails in making touching ballads. Just go through all of their ballads and you’ll get what I mean.
Listen to Sousei here.

Rapunzel reminds me of Tasogare. This track is quite odd because the pacing is kinda awkward in some sections and doesn’t quite flow smoothly, I didn’t even realize the first thing she sang was the chorus itself. Once you get down with it though, this song is sweet. I think this style is slightly different from what they’re used to. It’s probably worth mentioning that accordion can be heard and so it gives the track a very folk-ish sound.

Yume no Owari is still pop/rock with a tinge of blues. The beginning sounds like something you’d hear in those blues clubs (guitar riff especially), before the chorus gains more pace. Sadly, as groovy as this is, it’s not my type of song. I can’t find myself listening to this more than once and it’s more like a filler for me.

Marionette immediately reminded me of mainstream American pop/rock again I’m not sure why. It’s definitely the Ahh Ahh Ahh part in the beginning which sounds similar to something in the early 2000s by singers like Michelle Branch (don’t ask). That being said, it takes away the uniqueness I was hoping from DAI but I end up quite liking this as it progresses. The riff is proper and quite nicely done too.

Route 16 is like country pop. It’s not my cup of coffee and so I have a hard time loving this twang. It’s a light-hearted song and the nature of it makes me feel a bit meh about it. Hard to believe this is composed by the same person who did Marionette. On the hindsight, it might not be much of a surprise the fact that I think COZZi was somehow inspired by Western pop/rock. This song might work well in come cowboy town xD

Always, the second ballad is sure to capture your heart. Unless you’re not into slower songs then this won’t work. Anyways, I’m sold by this track, quite effortlessly too. It’s a step lower than Sousei but it’s up there. The chorus reminds me of that anniversary song they did before, heartwarming.

song for you has quite a promising intro and verse but it falls short of expectation when the chorus hits. It’s a bit disappointing because if the chorus was done in a different way, perhaps this would’ve been a solid track. The chorus makes everything collapse thereafter. The only good thing is that it has a proper bridge and riff.

Hajimari no Basho has a pretty intro and I believe they used some traditional instruments similar to what our ethnics are using (I forgot the name of the metal thing they used though). Now this feels more Japanesey and filled with hope.
Listen to Hajimari no Basho.

Overall, this album is better than I expected because I really wasn’t putting a lot of hope having not heard anything new from them for the last 3 years, except for the recent Mysterious Magic release which was to hype the release. If I were to compare though with the post-Dai Nagao releases, I still think Eternal Flame is my favourite and some of the track here remind me of that album. Especially the slower tracks. This album lacks the emo tracks present in Eternal Flame, which I loved so much lol *don’t mind me*. What this album is lacking though is experimentation, in fact, it’s playing on the safe side and I don’t feel like they’re pushing to the edge. I think the strength of this album is on the slower songs followed by the energetic ones. The filler-ish tracks should’ve been replaced with maybe darker vibe ones or harder rock. I miss rock and roll DAI. That said, the style is not much different from the previous album, X, if anything they’ve probably slowed down a bit. I’m not sure what producer Seiji Kameda was planning for the image of this album, it doesn’t sound like Brand New Days to me tbh, I was expecting something more drastic but overall, it’s on the more mainstream side. Regarding Ban Chan’s vocal, I think it sounds similar to the previous albums, I’m not sure if it has naturally just gone higher or what, but when she hits the lower notes, I’m instantly reminded of her True Song days where it was pure bliss. Her vocal has transformed over the years and it may have to do with the technique she’s singing now. I just know quite a number of fans (international) were commenting on it. It’s just something I’ve probably gotten used to but I still wish her vocal will someday magically go back to the way it was during True Song period xD

Still, it’s hard to hate this album when it has some actual solid tracks. In fact, I can’t bring myself to hate any of their albums because they have clear gems in each that you can’t ignore. It still exceeds my expectation and I think I’ll be churning some tracks on repeat for the next few weeks xD

Score: 8.5/10
Highlights: Sousei, Hajimari no Basho, EDGE, Rapunzel, Always.

MONKEY MAJIK – Colour by Number [review]

Beautiful – This was released a while ago and when I first heard it, I liked it already. As with much of Monkey Majik’s music, it’s inspiring and uplifting. Well, I guess any song with lyric that goes ‘Life is beautiful’ probably will fall in the same category. I quite like the progression of the track and the ‘yay ee yay ee yay’ parts. Gotta chase your dreams, that was how I felt when I listened to it. It’s a relatively short song too with just over 3 minutes.

Frozen – It says Japanese version for this track, but I don’t know about the English version, I probably will have to hunt for it. Anyways, as I’m very accustomed to their musical style that mixes both languages I’m just fine with either language to be honest. If there’s one thing to point out about this song, it’s the flute-like instruments that they used in some parts of the songs, it really reminds me of Irish music? I wish the bridge was nicer though but it’s still a great song nonetheless.

Crazy – This does feel like a Western pop (sung fully in English). Not really my type of music so I’m not feeling it. It’s groovy and slightly jazzy, some saxophones with clapping. I appreciate the use of them sexy saxophones though during the bridge, it’s different and refreshing.

PHONE CALL – They fused some electronica in the verses and to be honest, I really won’t mind if they decided to go that route for some songs if they wish to. I know some people are turned down when their favorite bands go all EDM and preferred them to stay with rock, I’m open to experimental sounds. Well they didn’t go EDM for this song, I’d call it’s still very much a pop/rock tune with a tinge of electronica. This track though felt like a filler. Another track sung in English.

Puzzle – This is probably my favorite tune of the record. Blaise sang this by himself by the way. It’s such a beautiful song, again, those flute-like instrument in the background, just adds to the emotion. I nearly teared up! I think it’s basically about finding the missing pieces in your heart/life in general to make sense of what’s the purpose of your life? It’s subjective but it’s so touching if you really think about it. Not just about love or romance but bigger things.
http://yourlisten.com/shireley.yeo/monkey-majik-puzzle

Calling Heaven – I’m not entirely fond of the chorus, I thought it was kinda too forceful. Blaise’s vocals sound kinda strained too. It’s a typical sound for the band and so there’s really nothing much to say.

rise – This is slightly better. The melody is more catchy and at a slightly different pace plus they made use of guitar riffs during the bridge. Could’ve been better though but I like the more edgy guitar sound towards the end.

Miracle – Monkey Majik’s ballads are mostly great, if not, definitely above average. In that sense, I find myself never disappointed by their ballads for some reason, much like how I feel about Do As Infinity’s as well. Although this is not their best, it’s still up there. The verses are better than the chorus though.

You Are Not Alone – If I’m not mistaken, this was the first promotional single for this album? It’s definitely fitting, another inspiring track. I quite like the rapping section in English, it’s powerful. Full of hope and I think when you’re having a bad day, try listening to this, it might just make you feel better.

夏の情事/Natsu no Jouji – This is a collaboration with Yoshida Brothers (this is not the first time they worked together). The Okinawan musical style is very nice, I love them. It’s got this very oriental-ish feel. That breakdown with sanshin (sorta like banjo) was great!

Walk with me– As the final track, the use of some strings in the intro was nice. This is my second favorite track, it’s got this choir singing in the end which just made me feel so uplifted.

Score: 8/10

Highlights: Puzzle, Walk with me, Beautiful, You Are Not Alone

Overall, I feel this album slightly lacking. I appreciate some of the diverse sounds they managed to incorporate, for example, including Yoshida Brothers because that Okinawan sanshin is awesome and some choir-singing in Walk with me is beautiful. However, there’s also a nagging feel that this album is on the safer side. They did experiment with some tracks but they didn’t go all the way and that felt as if hanging in the air, not quite there. I think I prefer DNA over this album but Colour by Number still holds its own pretty well. Fans will not be disappointed, I just wish they’d do something totally different and innovative. Either way, they still shine in what they do best, that is producing inspirational songs that moved our hearts.