JUJU – YOU
September 6, 2011 at 5:42 PM | Posted in JUJU | 1 CommentTags: albums
YOU is JUJU’s 4th studio album and it was released on July 13, 2011. The album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 272,454 copies. It features songs from the singles Trust In You, Kono Yoru wo Tomete yo, Sayonara no Kawari ni / Negai, and Mata Ashita….
I swear she has some of the best single and album covers ever. So simple and classy~
♦ ♦ ♦
The people who think this album is boring need to be punched in the face, tbh. It is true that YOU is packed with ballads but so what? When an album is so well produced and arranged such as this one, you’ll want to keep listening. Sure, some of the material that JUJU covers (like jazz for instance) might not be for everyone but you can build a bridge and get over it, right? ;D
The album starts with Kono Yoru wo Tomete yo, which has become one of her biggest hits peaking at #10 on Oricon as well as dominating the digital charts. It’s a sorrowful mid-tempo song with an extremely pretty arrangement. I really like this song now and it makes a for a good opening since it sets up the overall mature tone of the album.
Sayonara no Kawari ni has become one of my favorite songs from her EVER because it really stands out in her discography. The music is an amazing mish-mash of electronic synth and R&B blended with stronger than usual vocals from JUJU. She’s really belting it on this track, especially when the powerful chorus comes around. I highly recommend this track because it is tremendous.
The first new track is Tsuyogari, a dynamic ballad with a beautiful band arrangement. JUJU once again displays strong vocals in the chorus to really make this track shine. It’s probably my favorite out of the new tracks as well.
Here’s a jazzy song for you! Jazz is one of my guilty pleasures and JUJU does it so well. If is also one of the sporadic upbeat tracks on this album and it’s nicely done thanks to upbeat piano, drums, and electric guitar.
Negai is another ballad and like Tsuyogari, it has a big band arrangement. I didn’t really care for this song back when it was coupled with Sayonara no Kawari ni on its respective double A-side single because it got overshadowed by that track. It does stand better on its own here though.
JUJU mixes it up a little bit with Voice, a bright song with a prominent string arrangement. There’s a gradual buildup featuring a simple dance beat before the first chorus shows up and that’s when the music begins to shine by combining these elements. You don’t get a lot of upbeat material on this album but when you do, it’s good. This is a prime example.
This next track verges on being upbeat but mostly maintains a mid-tempo rhythm. Love again also has a light jazz sound with some R&B beats mixed in. Overall, it’s a pleasant song and was originally the B-side on the Mata Ashita… single.
Memories is probably the most R&B inspired track on the album. The beats are rather strong and constant together with JUJU’s stern vocals. There’s also some English phrases in the chorus like I can’t get you off my mind and How can I forget the love with you?.
At this point, the album enters into full blown mid-tempo and ballad territory, but I’m not complaning yet. lol Anyway, I love Piece Of Our Days! This song is so pretty and serene. It utilizes light electric guitar and piano to create a calming and romantic atmosphere. The bridge is also wonderful. This song was originally a B-side on the Kono Yoru wo Tomete yo single.
Trust In You was the first single of the era and it was released after her 3rd album (the self-titled JUJU) but before Request. A prime example of the mid-tempo R&B pop craze that is still sweeping Japan, this song is fortunately not about cellphones. XD
The beginning of the next track is gorgeous. Mata Ashita… was the final single of the era and also proved to be a big digital hit. A progressive ballad like some of the tracks at the start of the album, this song is really nice and keeps you interested. I wish I could say the same thing about the last two tracks…
This is where things begin to slow down and almost to a screeching halt! I’m just exaggerating but a lot of fans have expressed their dislike of ANTIQUE simply because it’s too long. Being over 7 minutes long and with such a laid back acoustic arrangement, I have to somewhat agree. The main reason is because the music doesn’t change and stays relatively quiet for most of that 7 minutes.
Sharing the namesake of the album, the final track YOU provides for a nice ending. When I first heard it, I was afraid that it was going to be like ANTIQUE but fortunately the music does pick up and more instruments come in. JUJU’s vocals are a lot better here as well. Recently, this song was released as a recut single with a new arrangement and coupled with a cover of rock band GLAY’s 90s hit BELOVED. Yay?
In the end, I was very satisfied with this album. I don’t think a majority of it is boring but I’ll never get into ANTIQUE because it has nothing going for it but that’s the only blaring exception. If you want sophisticated and extremely polished music then JUJU is for you. Like I said at the beginning of this review, this album is full of top notch material and it’s put together well. If you compare it to her last studio album, YOU is not as varied but at the same time it doesn’t have a monotonous feel.
Pros: The first half of the album is perfect to me. Sayonara no Kawari ni is definitely one of the best songs of 2011.
Cons: Those last 2 tracks… *shakes fist*
BASICALLY…YOU stands out compared to other mainstream releases this year.
Overall Rating
4½ stars
Tracklisting
1. Kono Yoru wo Tomete yo (この夜を止めてよ)
2. Sayonara no Kawari ni (さよならの代わりに)
3. Tsuyogari (つよがり)
4. If
5. Negai (願い)
6. Voice
7. Love again
8. Memories
9. Piece Of Our Days
10. Trust In You
11. Mata Ashita… (また明日…)
12. ANTIQUE
13. YOU
Note: My favorite tracks are highlighted in blue!
Utada Hikaru – Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.2 (Disc 2)
August 21, 2011 at 1:49 PM | Posted in Utada Hikaru | 2 CommentsTags: albums, compilations
Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.2 is Utada Hikaru’s 2nd compilation album and it was released on November 24, 2010. The album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 441,267 copies.
I know the cover is just a bunch of stars but I’ve grown to like it. Did Utada ever mention the meaning behind it?
♦ ♦ ♦
Reminder: This is primarily a review of the album’s 2nd disc which contains the 5 new songs. I will briefly cover the 1st disc though.
Now you’re probably asking, “Lex, why are you reviewing this?” Well…I always wanted to do a review of the 2nd disc and and I love her. XD What else can I say?
Utada sure likes to make us fans wait. During the end of 2010, she finally starts doing music activities again but only to announce that she will go on indefinite hiatus. *dead* Oh well, onto the review!
The 1st disc of the album is the actual single collection. It features every A-side starting from 2004′s Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro all the way up to 2008′s Prisoner Of Love with the tracklisting in reverse order (so Prisoner Of Love is the first track). As a nice bonus, the really cool PLANiTb Acoustica Mix of Beautiful World is included as well.
If I was Utada, I would have released the 2nd disc as its own mini-album or something. lol It starts of with Arashi no Megami, a song dedicated to her mother. I was really surprised by this song when I first heard it. It’s quite the opposite of most of the music that comprises the 1st disc. An organic pop ballad, the music is mainly piano and percussion and it sounds really pretty. I also have to mention that Utada’s vocals sound a lot better than before, too. Contrary to popular opinion, this is actually my personal favorite of the 5 new songs (the next two tracks seem to be fan favorites from what I’ve observed).
You can’t blame them though. Show Me Love (Not A Dream) is pretty awesome. It starts off quietly but quickly gains momentum as electric guitars come in and Utada’s vocals become a lot stronger. I get major Passion vibes from this song since it has a similar sweeping, ethereal quality. Even though I love Arashi no Megami, this song would’ve made for a better single release in my opinion.
I’m sure everybody remembers Goodbye Happiness! The quirky PV is what sold me because it’s really cute but alone as a song it’s still quite good. The music is reminiscent of the light electronic sounds of both the ULTRA BLUE and HEART STATION albums. I also liked the bouncy dance atmosphere.
The next track is the only one that I don’t care for. Hymne à l’amour ~Ai no Anthem~ was the first song to be released and it has been met with mixed reception. It’s a cover of a French song and Utada actually sings in French in the beginning but later switches to Japanese. As for the music…I can give points to Utada for trying the jazz lounge sound because it sort of works for her. The arrangement is kind of monotonous minus that cool breakdown sequence (you know the one ;D). She has a tendency to draw out the endings of her songs but she overdoes it this time. The ending instrumental is so long that it makes the track clock in at 6 and a half minutes.
Ending this short collection of new songs is Can’t Wait ‘Til Christmas. A simple piano ballad, Utada’s vocals really radiate on this track. Besides sounding gorgeous, I think the chorus is catchy! I’m already ah loving you. ♥
So there you have it! The 2nd disc of Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.2 is a nice little assortment of songs and compliments the A-sides of the 1st disc quite well. Utada presents some new sounds as well as some nostalgia so you get the best of both worlds. Hopefully her hiatus won’t last too long and she’ll be back in full form. Wishful thinking, I know…
Pros: Pretty much FLAWLESS. Utada never disappoints when she delivers the goods!
Cons: Being only 5 songs, it leaves you wanting more. With some crucial tweaks, Hymne à l’amour ~Ai no Anthem~ could have been better as well.
BASICALLY…wahhh I miss Utada! *crying rivers of tears* lmao
Overall Rating
4½ stars
Tracklisting (Disc 2)
1. Arashi no Megami (嵐の女神)
2. Show Me Love (Not A Dream)
3. Goodbye Happiness
4. Hymne à l’amour ~Ai no Anthem~ (Hymne à l’amour ～愛のアンセム～)
5. Can’t Wait ‘Til Christmas
Kana Nishino – Thank you, Love
August 18, 2011 at 7:00 PM | Posted in Kana Nishino | 1 CommentTags: albums
The cover of the regular edition
Thank you, Love is Kana Nishino’s 3rd album and it was released on June 22, 2011. The album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 307,183 copies. It was preceded by 4 singles: if, Kimitte, Distance, and Esperanza.
The duck lips are back! I’m not digging the hippie look either. It doesn’t suit her.
♦ ♦ ♦
I got to hand it to Kana Nishino for staying consistent after the release of to LOVE. This album era featured some of her best singles so far so I was looking forward to what she would bring to the table with her 3rd album titled Thank you, Love. Much like the last album, Thank you, Love has a pleasant summer vibe but it’s even more evident here since there is noticeably less “aitakute”. LOL
The album begins with the extremely pretty introduction track *Prologue* ~Sunrise~ which goes into the leading single Esperanza. As much as I enjoy this song and appreciate Nishino for trying out a Latino acoustic sound, the similarities to Motto… are above obvious. The structure of the song almost mirrors that of Motto… from beginning to end but maybe that’s why I like it so much. XD Still, you can’t hide this from me, Kana!
Then we have the bouncy party song Clap Clap!!. The big thing about this album is that it’s mostly comprised of upbeat songs which is a nice change from all the mid-tempo stuff she’s been doing. After that is Together, a feel-good song with a happy-go-lucky atmosphere. It sounds like a parade during the chorus when that brass kicks in.
Distance, the 3rd single off the album, still remains as the standout track here. It has a ambient dance sound but it’s not like one of her aggressive club-banger B-sides. That’s okay though since the song is unique in its own right. The B-side I’ll be there (from the if single) follows and even though it’s not the B-side that I would have personally put on this album, I still like it. It’s a pretty song but I would have put Beautiful or beloved to shake things up.
The first full-blown ballad on the album is Flower. I don’t really remember it though since it gets quickly overshadowed by Every Boy Every Girl. I have to admit that this song is full of character and energy. It’s bound to get you moving.
I don’t really remember Where are you? since it’s clumped in-between better tracks. It’s still nice to hear somewhat upbeat material though. Anyway, I wanna talk about if instead. XD It’s a GREAT song and being the first single of the era, it set the standard for the rest of the singles that followed. Compared to the to LOVE singles, this song has a different vibe to it. The music is more uplifting and progressive with strong vocals from Nishino as well.
Hmmm…what should I say about Alright? I’m pretty sure you’re trying to read my mind but I’m not going to say that it’s just alright! lol To me, this song sounds a lot like if but more upbeat. The music is vibrant for sure and the chorus stands out. It’s more than alright, to be honest!
We’re getting close to the end of the album and here we are with 2 really nice ballads. First is Kimitte, a lovely song that proved to be the most popular A-side of the era sales-wise. It’s really pretty and the next track Wishing compliments it really well. Remember back on to LOVE she was all ”cellphones and aitakute” at this point? None of that is here. In terms of the lyrics, these songs feel more genuine, especially when you listen to the chorus of Wishing.
Closing the album is *Epilogue* ~Thank you, Love~ which is a reprise of the prologue. The pleasant island sound comes back along with the looping “Thank you, Love” vocals that I love. It also features Nishino talking in English thanking her friends and family for their support and LOVE (of course!) Haha. It’s cute though.
I have to give props to Nishino for showing some growth and maturity in Thank you, Love. In an interview for the album, she said that the album reflects a different mindset compared to the likes of LOVE one. and to LOVE and if you care about lyrics, you can notice it here. On the down side, the music isn’t that much different with the exception of Esperanza and maybe Distance so you don’t really see any development in that department unfortunately. All in all, I enjoyed the album for what it was worth and pretty much every song is likable in some way. I hope Nishino continues to explore that untapped potential she has because it’s definitely there.
Pros: This is a fun album and her most colorful work to date.
Cons: Like to LOVE, some of the new tracks don’t stand out until you really give them a good listen.
BASICALLY…noooo, thank you, Kana. Thank you. ;D
Overall Rating
4 stars
Tracklisting
1. *Prologue* ~Sunrise~
2. Esperanza
3. Clap Clap!!
4. Together
5. Distance
6. I’ll be there
7. Flower
8. Every Boy Every Girl
9. Where are you?
10. if
11. Alright
12. Kimitte (君って)
13. Wishing
14. *Epilogue* ~Thank you, Love~
Note: My favorite tracks are highlighted in blue!
Hello everyone!
July 4, 2011 at 12:55 PM | Posted in ~Blog Updates & Announcements | 6 CommentsI’m happy to report that Beyond the Sea is officially back in business! After a couple of months of getting situated with my new military life and job at my first duty station, I feel comfortable enough to begin reviewing again. I just reviewed 2 albums (Love songs and Dejavu) in the past couple of days and let’s just say that I missed it. =O
Here are some little things though:
- Reviews will most likely come on the weekends when I’m off duty. I’m still busy after duty hours on weekdays since I’m studying my career development courses and doing PT but weekends I’m totally open.
- The “upcoming reviews” page is GONE. I’m going to review whatever I feel like now but you’ll be able to see the next review on the right side of the page.
- I’ll be switching back and forth between my old (track-by-track) and new (summarizing) review styles. Depending on the type of release it is, I’ll decide which style is better.
That’s pretty much it! Now I have to make a new banner for this blog…the old Ken Hirai one is depressing me. lol
- Lex
P.S. Thanks for all the welcome back comments. You guys are so nice. =D
Koda Kumi – Dejavu
July 3, 2011 at 11:54 AM | Posted in Koda Kumi | 2 CommentsTags: albums
The cover of the CD+2DVD edition
Dejavu is Koda Kumi’s 9th studio album and it was released on March 2, 2011. The album (barely) reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and sold 204,227 copies. It was preceded by 3 singles: Gossip Candy, Suki de, Suki de, Suki de. / Anata Dake ga, and POP DIVA.
Seriously what is going on in this cover? Look at all that crap! Books, cakes, a trumpet…the only thing that it’s telling me is that Kumi is a hoarder and needs an intervention.
♦ ♦ ♦
In the Prologue to Dejavu, Kumi asks a simple question: “Why won’t you come with me to my Dejavu?” Sure, why not! The music is rather strange and seems to have a foreboding atmosphere so I think it works well as the opening number.
I used to haaaaate POP DIVA because I thought it had the most obnoxious chorus ever but I guess you could say that I’ve grown accustomed to it (well the rest of the song at least XD). If you do ignore the chorus, you have a pretty sleek and thumping track.
Fortunately, only one song from the Gossip Candy single is on here. Lollipop is silly goodness and I think the chorus is pretty catchy despite the funny lyrics about dodging bullets and such. At least neither of the “fishbowl songs” were included!
The first new full-length track is Okay, a cool R&B song with prominent synth. There’s also some Western influences in the music like the dudes in the background going “Ayyyy!” (like in BoA’s Eien) and that distorted English voice.
Next up is a mellow R&B track. Aitakute is very nice and trumps her previous attempts at songs of this nature (Tsuki to Taiyou and Your Love come into mind). It maintains a relatively calm vibe but manages to keep you interested.
We have another R&B inspired mid-tempo track but a male singer joins Kumi this time. In Passing By, I’ve never heard of this B. Howard person but his role in the song is undeniable. I don’t mind his vocals and he sounds alright for the most part. The chorus is where the song shines and his and Kumi’s voices come together, mixing English and Japanese.
Out of all the new upbeat tracks on the album, AT THE WEEKEND was my favorite. It has a lot of energy, a great beat, and Kumi sounds great. The chorus is a highlight as well.
Now we have the Interlude to Dejavu, which features the same music as the prologue. The main difference is that it has some more English lyrics like “This Dejavu drives me crazy” and Kumi going “Woo!”. XD As an interlude, it only prepares you for the upcoming ~kawaii song~. D:
And it’s a doozy (and it mean that in a bad way)! Melting just comes in and attacks you with disgusting cuteness. I honestly don’t like this song at all and I hate Kumi for getting that “La la la melting chocolate” line stuck in my head.
At least it smoothly transitions into a much better song. Hey baby! was released digitally in an edited version prior to the album and here we are with the full version…all 2 and a half minutes of it. The cute vibe is there but at least it’s masked behind heavy beats and synth on top of an aggressive chorus unlike the complete bubblegum pop heard in Melting.
Here’s some more fluffy pop for you! Choi Tashi Life isn’t bad and probably the most laid back of the pop songs on this album. I don’t have much to say on this one.
Two back-to-back ballads are up next, the first one being Anata Dake ga. This song is seriously beautiful and I now think it’s one her best ballads. Kumi also gives one of her strongest vocal performances as well.
After that is Suki de, Suki de, Suki de., which has grown on me a little bit. Compared to the R&B and piano blend heard in Anata Dake ga, this song is more of an acoustic pop ballad.
One notable thing about this album is that it ends with upbeat songs. I was worried that Bambi was going to be like Melting (yeah I’m going to keep bashing that song) because it follows the same cute pop formula but at least we get a nice rockish sound in the music. This song is a lot more tolerable as well.
I thought I Don’t Love You !?? (why is it being presented as a question? lol) was a great ending track because it breaks the mold of her albums always ending with ballads. The pop synth arrangement is nice and the chorus is great. I also get a “classic Kuu” feel from this song since it reminds me of material from past albums like grow into one and secret.
With a title like Dejavu, I was wondering what direction Koda Kumi would take with this album. Luckily, there wasn’t a case of de ja vu because I thought a majority of the album sounded pretty fresh. Like past Kuu albums, Dejavu has a mixture of hot dance songs, upbeat pop tunes, and ballads but it’s presented in a cohesive format. The same can be said about her last album UNIVERSE but I thought the songs on here were better executed this time around. Honestly, the only song that I skip is Melting since it’s garbage but everything else is good.
Pros: This was a solid release. I could listen to the entire album except…
Cons: Melting! Kill it with fire! Give me Black Candy or even the fishbowl songs…just make it go away. *cries*
BASICALLY…if I didn’t like this album, I would call it “DejaBOO”! LOLOLOL /lame
Overall Rating
4 stars
Tracklisting
1. Prologue to Dejavu
2. POP DIVA
3. Lollipop
4. Okay
5. Aitakute (逢いたくて)
6. Passing By
7. AT THE WEEKEND
8. Interlude to Dejavu
9. Melting
10. Hey baby!
11. Choi Tashi Life (ちょい足しLife)
12. Anata Dake ga (あなただけが)
13. Suki de, Suki de, Suki de. (好きで、好きで、好きで。)
14. Bambi
15. I Don’t Love You !??
Note: My favorite tracks are highlighted in blue!
Ayumi Hamasaki – Love songs
July 2, 2011 at 1:22 PM | Posted in Ayumi Hamasaki | 4 CommentsTags: albums
The cover of the CD only edition
Love songs is Ayumi Hamasaki’s 12th studio album and it was released on December 22, 2010. The album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 272,653 copies. It was preceded by 3 singles: MOON / blossom, crossroad, and the triple A-side single L.
This cover is a lot better than the other two. I don’t know…it seems more genuine and she’s not doing the duck lips.
♦ ♦ ♦
The album begins with Love song which has a gorgeous opening sequence. There are electric guitars but they’re mainly in the background since strings, piano, and acoustic guitar are the main instruments during the vocal segments. While I think the music is wonderful, Hamasaki’s vocals really keep me from enjoying the song. She sounds so…rough. I guess it was supposed to show off the “raw emotion” of her voice but I didn’t like it.
Then we have crossroad, the first A-side of this era to be produced by Tetsuya Komuro. This is probably my least favorite of all the A-sides but that’s simply because I didn’t think it was very memorable. At least the music, along with Ayu’s vocals, were nice.
I didn’t like MOON at first back when it was released as a single but it sounds more fitting on the album. The instrumental sections with the electric guitars were my favorite parts of the song, especially when those haunting riffs appear during the bridge.
When I first heard sending mail, I was blown away. Ayu has never done a song quite as brazen as this. It features an awesome buildup into a powerful chorus that never lets up. I liked the orchestral setting of the music as well, especially when it all comes crashing down at the end (in a good way, of course). As of now, it’s my favorite song on the album.
I’ve always liked Last angel and I thought it was the standout track back on the L single. To me, the music is very “old school” Ayu because of its trance and eurobeat influences. The LOVEppears album really comes into mind when I listen to this song.
insomnia is the first interlude and it’s just kind of there. I didn’t really care for it but it does give you an idea of what the next track sounds like.
I thought Like a doll was another unique offering from Hamasaki. Like sending mail, she hasn’t done anything quite like it. It starts off pretty normal with piano then transitions into a strange mix of beats, rhythmic synth, and background vocals chanting “like a doll”. Mix in the piano with all of that and you got yourself a pretty good song.
And another interlude! But we should be used to that, am I right? Aria is actually kind of pretty, well half of it is. The single violin at the beginning is nice but then it gets all chaotic at the end which ruins it.
The transition into blossom is kind of sloppy, too. I can’t really say much about this song except it’s like a much calmer version of MOON. I just remember Ayu fanboys being angry over the PV because it features Jejung from Tohoshinki and not her. XD
Ugh…Thank U could have been good except for one big problem. “LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~~” The adlibbing that pretty much takes up half of the the song is TERRIBLE! The music is nice and has a pleasant dance vibe but the vocals are just so bad. Can I just have an instrumental version instead?
I loooove Sweet Season. It’s such a heartwarming song. I really liked the organic band arrangement and you can thank legendary singer/songwriter Noriyuki Makihara for that. The chorus is really catchy, too.
The final interlude is titled overture and it’s probably the most appropriate out of the three. I say that because it takes the album into a completely different direction. I like to call it the ~epic ballad phase~.
The next three tracks are indeed grandiose and feature sweeping orchestral arrangements. do it again is notable for its English phrases that she repeats and repeats and repeats. The dramatic buildup that appears inbetween these English segments are pretty good though.
November isn’t as orchestral but features strong percussion and light electric guitar riffs. There are some random instruments too that I can’t quite put my finger on but they don’t detract from anything.
To me, Virgin Road is the official album closer and it does a good job in doing that. The arrangement is very well done and I really liked the strings. Now let’s cover the bonus tracks!
Depending on the version, you get either get the studio version or a live version of SEVEN DAYS WAR (originally the B-side on the crossroad single) as a bonus track. It’s a cover of the TK NETWORK song but in a calmer, ballad format. The studio version is nice but the live…I’ll just say it’s rough. However, it is indeed LIVE and Hamasaki sounds all emotional and stuff since it was one of the final performances of that concert…I think. You can’t blame her for that I guess.
All right! I’m not the huge Ayu fan that I used to be but honestly, this album has given me a little more faith in her. In terms of music, Love songs is great and features some of the best arrangements I have heard from her. It was an even bigger shock to me when I discovered that Tetsuya Komuro was behind most of the material (minus the interludes, the only songs that he didn’t compose were MOON, blossom, and Sweet Season). I know I’m super late on that fact. XD It’s just that when I think of Tetsuya Komuro, I imagine outdated 90s Jpop and cheap sounding dance tunes. The big thing that I noticed about the album is that it mainly focuses on pop songs and ballads instead of the overwrought rock material she’s been churning out in the past couple of years.
Pros: Musically, it’s one of her best albums. You can’t go wrong there.
Cons: The vocals on certain songs could have been better. She either sounds good or she doesn’t. Trust me on that, bbz.
BASICALLY…put in a love song, Ayu! A step up over Rock’n'Roll Circus.
Overall Rating
4 stars
Tracklisting
1. Love song
2. crossroad
3. MOON
4. sending mail
5. Last angel
6. insomnia
7. Like a doll
8. Aria
9. blossom
10. Thank U
11. Sweet Season
12. overture
13. do it again
14. November
15. Virgin Road
16. SEVEN DAYS WAR [CD only & regular press CD+DVD bonus track]
SEVEN DAYS WAR (Live at Yoyogi on Oct.11.2010)
[CD+DVD/micro SD+USB first press bonus track]
Note: My favorite tracks are highlighted in blue!
UPDATE -Still alive but that’s pretty much it-
March 13, 2011 at 9:17 AM | Posted in ~Blog Updates & Announcements | 2 CommentsBleh! I’m almost done with tech school (I’ll be home on leave on Friday) and I can’t wait to start listening to some new music. Things are going to get busy again once I get to my first base but I’ll have more computer time at least. There’s going to be a lot to listen to as well…so many new albums came out recently!
Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that I’m doing good and I’ll be back to reviewing eventually. I’m also sending my regards to all the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I hope everyone there is safe and sound. :)
-Lex
I’m back! However…
February 6, 2011 at 3:05 AM | Posted in ~Blog Updates & Announcements | 8 CommentsHey everyone! I graduated basic military training at the end January and here I am at tech school. So that’s Airman Lex from now on. ;D Just kidding.
Unfortunately I haven’t heard any new music since I left in November. I know that’s not even 3 months but this is the Japanese music industry we’re talking about. 3 months equals 3 years. Am I right?
There’s no wi-fi or ethernet here in my dorm so I’m stuck using these government computers at the moment. I’m ready to start reviewing again but that’s the main issue I’m facing right now. I haven’t had much time to go online anyway since I’m currently training for my job and taking classes from 8 to 5. I’m ~projected~ to graduate from school at the end of March.
Once I get internet access on my laptop, I’ll have a lot to catch up on. The first thing that I plan on reviewing is Ayumi Hamasaki’s latest album Love songs as a refresher. The Ayu stans can post comments telling me “how good it is”. lolz In the meantime, I’ll let you guys know if something comes up (and let me know about upcoming Jpop releases!)
-Lex
バイバイ
November 14, 2010 at 10:09 PM | Posted in ~Blog Updates & Announcements | 9 CommentsSee you in 2011!
~Lex
What Did I Miss!? ~2010 Albums Edition~
November 13, 2010 at 6:59 PM | Posted in ~Features! | 7 Comments
Brought to you by JASMINE’s bling bling bling.
I’ll be doing the same thing as yesterday but I’ll try to be even more detailed when I review these albums. Long paragraphs and rambling ahead~
♦ ♦ ♦
YUI – HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN
Released on: July 14
Oricon Chart position: #1
Copies sold: 294,138
Overall Rating: 
Top tracks: to Mother | Parade | GLORIA | Please Stay With Me
YUI’s 4th album proved to be quite the pleasant listen. I was suprised that YUI took a more mellow direction with this album compared to the overly dramatic I LOVED YESTERDAY (which I did not like at all). New songs like Parade, Shake My Heart, and Kiss me together with the opening track to Mother show a softer side of the singer and I was glad she didn’t drown this album full of monotonous songs. There’s still a good amount of upbeat rock songs including A-sides like again and It’s all too much plus her self-cover of a song she wrote for Stereopony (I do it). Overall, I was pleased with the final product and the fact that it’s her most laid back album does not detract anything but shows that YUI can have a little fun with her songwriting.
JASMINE – GOLD
Released on: July 21
Oricon Chart position: #3
Copies sold: 49,914
Overall Rating:
Top tracks: PRIDE | sad to say | Jealous | Bad Girl | Koi
I fucking love this fierce bitch. This is easily one of the best albums of the year and I have officially become a JASMINE stan. Personally, I think GOLD is flawless despite only having 4 new songs (PRIDE, Bad Girl, dear my friend, and Why). Just like alan’s debut album Voice of EARTH, we mostly have older material on here and that’s not a problem when they’re ALL good. sad to say, Koi (恋), This Is Not A Game, and Jealous still sound as good as when they first came out. I also suggest that CLUBBIN’ haters leave this blog right now! </3 This is one of those Jpop albums where I can listen to every track and that’s rare.
Maki Goto - ONE
Released on: July 28
Oricon Chart position: #10
Copies sold: 14,050
Overall Rating: 
Top tracks: Houseki | hanauta
This is Maki Goto’s first release under her own name since leaving Hello!Project. She also transfered from rhythm zone to avex trax after the SWEET BLACK album. This mini-album features 5 tracks and I guess you could say that I was expecting more out of them. After all, it was produced by the great Shinichi Osawa. After multiple listens, all the songs on the mini-album have grown on me with Houseki (宝石) and hanauta (華詩 -hanauta-) being my favorites. Most of the songs have an upbeat electronic vibe to them with the exception of Wagamama (わがまま) which is acoustic based. I have to say that Goto’s vocals never sounded better either.
Angela Aki – LIFE
Released on: September 8
Oricon Chart position: #5
Copies sold: 44,505
Overall Rating:
Top tracks: Remember Me | Unbreakable | Ai to Bansoukou | Haha Naru Daichi
Angela always has some tricks up her sleeve and keeps things fresh with this album. I think LIFE is better than ANSWER because it’s a bit more exciting and I loved the English tracks. Compared to past albums, this one has SIX English songs so I want to focus on them first. Unbreakable, the bittersweet What Are The Roses For?, and the very amusing Mad Scientist are my favorites because not only do they sound impeccable but the lyrics are catchy. As for the Japanese songs, Ai no Kisetsu (愛の季節) is a weak album opener but at least it gets overshadowed by Kagayaku Hito (輝く人). Remember Me, Ai to Bansoukou (愛と絆創膏), and the epic Haha Naru Daichi (母なる大地) mark the best out of these tracks. Hahu Naru Daichi gets a special mention because it has one of the best opening instrumentals I have ever heard.
the brilliant green – BLACKOUT
Released on: September 15
Oricon Chart position: #16
Copies sold: 8,679
Overall Rating:
Top tracks: BLACKOUT | BLACK DARK NIGHT | Talk to me | LIKE YESTERDAY
About time, guys! This is the band’s first studio album in 8 years. Soooooo…is it good? XD To me, the album is a lot like Tommy heavenly6′s I KILL MY HEART but a million times better. It follows the same heavy grunge style but it’s not boring and the arrangements actually have substance to them. The title track BLACKOUT is a great opener and is followed by more aggressive songs like BLACK DARK NIGHT and I’m sick of this place. The mood changes when Talk to me and Blue Daisy come around, shifting towards the band’s classic alternative sound. The only track that I don’t recommend you listen to is the cover of Blur’s Song 2. I died of laughter every time Tomiko went “WHOO HOO!”.
Anna Tsuchiya – RULE
Released on: September 22
Oricon Chart position: #18
Copies sold: 10,982
Overall Rating:
Top tracks: She Hates Me | Atashi | Believe in Love | Voice of butterfly
I thought Anna was done experimenting after NUDY SHOW! but it looks like she has found some musical styles that work next to her normal rock sound. Some of the tracks on RULE feature quirky jazz / big band arrangements. Boushoku-kei Danshi!! (暴食系男子!!), MY BATTLE, and GUN! GUN! LOVE! are filled with lots of brass and drums. She also mixes electric guitars and synth in Human Clay and JUDGE but you still get a lot of aggressive straightforward rock songs like She Hates Me, Atashi, and GUILTY. I also have to say that the album’s 2 ballads Believe in Love and Voice of butterfly are pretty good.
Younha – Hitotsu Sora no Shita
Released on: September 22
Oricon Chart position: #169
Copies sold: Are you sure you want to know?
Overall Rating:
Top tracks: Kaze | Suki Nanda | Soratomo ~Sora wo Miagete | Complicated
Best cover art of the year! This is Younha’s 2nd Japanese studio album and it pales in comparison to her Korean works. Personally, Hitotsu Sora no Shita is probably her weakest release thus far. This is a very laid back album and features mostly mid-tempo acoustic tracks. The only 2 songs that really stood out were Complicated and Kioku (記憶), the Japanese version of Gieog from her Someday album. If you also compare this album to Go! Younha (her first Japanese album), it’s not as good either. I was hoping for more bright piano tunes to be honest.
JUJU – Request
Released on: September 29
Oricon Chart position: #1
Copies sold: 374,183
Overall Rating:
Top tracks: There will be love there -Ai no Aru Basho- | WILL | Last Kiss | First Love
The little cover album that could. ♥ Yes bbz, Request is a COVER ALBUM and it’s snatching the wigs off all of your J-divas! I became a JUJU fan after listening to her self-titled album earlier this year and when I found out about some of the songs she was going to cover, I was estatic. All of the songs were originally perfomed by female vocalists, a lot of them being ~modern classics~. There’s jazzy renditions of MISIA’s Tsutsumi Komu You ni… (つつみ込むように・・・), Namie Amuro’s Don’t wanna cry, Mika Nakashima’s WILL, and Utada Hikaru’s First Love just to name a few. And because I want to piss off you Shiina Ringo fans, her cover of Gips (ギブス) is WAAAAY better than the original. BWAHAHAHA.
BONNIE PINK – Dear Diary
Released on: October 6
Oricon Chart position: #7
Copies sold: 16,346
Overall Rating:
Top tracks: Is This Love? | Home Sweet Home | Many Moons Ago | Nami Nami
Here is another great release from BONNIE PINK! I thought her last album ONE was slightly better but Dear Diary is almost there. Prior to this album, she released two digital singles (Morning Glory and Is This Love?) and the physical single Kite (カイト). There were some songs that I did not care for like Birthday Girl (which sounds just like a ripoff of Catch The Sun) and World Peace but I seriously love the top tracks I listed above. Home Sweet Home is a lovely jazz ballad and Nami Nami (ナミナミ) is really fun and upbeat, making it one of her best ending tracks ever. Limited pressings of the album come with a B-side collection.
Mika Nakashima – STAR
Released on: October 27
Oricon Chart position: #3
Copies sold: 131,074
Overall Rating:
Top tracks: GAME | Over Load | LONELY STAR | SPIRAL
Mika Nakashima once again throws mud into the faces of her fans, but I wasn’t really that surprised. STAR technically only has TWO new songs but once you get past that, this album is really put together quite well. The ballads are placed at the beginning and end while the middle portion is full of nothing but upbeat songs. I think that’s awesome if you ask me. For example, ALWAYS and Ichiban Kirei na Watashi wo (一番綺麗な私を) start off the album while the new song 16, Nagareboshi (流れ星), and the digital single SONG FOR A WISH close it. As for that upbeat portion, it’s great since it has GAME (yeah it’s on here for some reason lol), the hot electropop track LONELY STAR, and SPIRAL. Heck, even CANDY GIRL isn’t that bad anymore.
Other Observations
- Juliet released their 2nd album Real in August with the cover art showing the girls crying. Come on now, it was a good album! XD
- Since Juliet now has a song for every season, they released a freaking mini best-of album of those songs titled Shiki Love -4 SEASONS LOVE BEST-. Only Japan does this, I tell you! XD
- The award for most unnecessary best-of album goes to JYONGRI. The ironically titled JYONGRI BEST TRACKS featured 2 songs and a digital single plus a lot songs from the last 4 singles. It could have easily been a studio album.
- Koda Kumi’s cover album ETERNITY ~Love & Songs~ was not all that bad upon further inspection. It was funny hearing the cover of her little sis misono’s song 0ji Mae no Tsunderella because it was sooooo much better.
- Once again, wyolica went under my radar again and released a new album in September titled Castle of wind. I always forget about them. /bad fan
- Aya Kamiki’s latest mini-album Gloriosa was pretty awesome.
- Desperately trying to hold on to what little relevance she has, Thelma Aoyama released LOVE!2 -THELMA BEST COLLABORATIONS- in late July. Guess what song is on it? Soba ni Iru ne. LOLOLOLOL
- Kaori Mochida’s 2nd solo album NIU was pretty much the same as her debut. Easy listening at its finest but it’s probably not for everyone. One of the songs really hurt my ears though.
- Ken Hirai released a B-side collection to celebrate his 15th anniversary. Long title coming up: Ken Hirai 15th Anniversary c/w Collection ’95-’10 ”Ura Utabaka”.
- Maki Goto’s single collection also had a long title: Goto Maki COMPLETE BEST ALBUM 2001-2007 ~Singles & Rare Tracks~. No explanation needed.
Upcoming Albums
- Mai Kuraki – FUTURE KISS [11/17]
- Aya Matsuura – Click You Link Me (クリックユー リンクミー) [11/24]
- Utada Hikaru – Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.2 [11/24]
- May J. – Believin’… (mini-album) [11/24]
- K – K-BEST [12/1]
- BENI – Jewel [12/8]
- Crystal Kay – Spin The Music [12/8]
- Yuna Ito – LOVE ~Singles Best 2005-2010~ [12/8]
- Ayumi Hamasaki – Love songs [12/22]
- Maki Goto – Gloria (mini-album) [1/12]
- Do As Infinity – EIGHT [1/19]
- May J. – Colors [1/26]
Okay, I’m tired now. lol I’m thinking about what to post for tomorrow (my last day =O). Hmmmm~
Upcoming Review
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