Kokia [Ai ga Kikoeru (Listen for the Love)] [Fifth Album]

Itsuka Dareka wo Ai Shita Toki (Anthem Version) (いつか誰かを愛した時; Someday When You Love Someone)
Uchuu ga… (宇宙が…; A Universe is…)
Ahiru no Kokoro (アヒルの心; Hope of an Ugly Ducklin’)
Futari no Musume (二人の娘; The Story of Two Daughters)
Kakusei ~open your eyes~ (覚醒; Awakening)
cocoro (Heart)
HUMANITARIAN
so sad so bad
Yasashikusareru to Yasashikunareru Hana (やさしくされるとやさしくなれる花; A Flower Blooming Under Tenderness)
Nukumori (listen for the love) (ぬくもり; Warmth)
why do I sing?
Atatakai Basho (あたたかい場所; Cosy Place)
Remember the Kiss ~World Ver.~
Inori ni mo Nita Utsukushii Sekai (祈りにも似た美しい世界; Music Like a Prayer)

The album starts off with the boring Itsuka Dareka wo Ai Shita Toki (Anthem Version) (いつか誰かを愛した時; Someday When You Love Someone). This song just trickles by, but not like a stream or a friendly tortoise, but like a snail leaving a trail of slime behind it; it’s so boring it becomes unbearable. Kokia does absolutely nothing with her voice but annoy she’s singing almost acappella, because there is no arrangement other than those unimpressive tribal sounds in the background. Kokia does a lot of off-key high notes which really irritates; the song is also way too long to be so boring and as the first track it makes you nearly wary to listen to the rest.

The next track is the acid induced Uchuu ga… (宇宙が…; A Universe is…). It’s one mess of a song. Nothing on this track made a lick of sense. I couldn’t tell where the verses ended and the chorus began, because it seemed like a whole mesh of ad-libs. The arrangement is none existent and plays like air and Kokia’s vocal performance was tragic she sounded like she was at some sort of ceremony and had gotten possessed by the spirit of her ancestors, because her voice hits these weird tones that sound almost alien and absurd. Terrible and forgettable song.

The next track is one of the most ridiculous songs I have ever heard, Ahiru no Kokoro (アヒルの心; Hope of an Ugly Ducklin’). Every time I listen to this album I expect to like this song, because what a touching title an I’m sure the message is very heartwarming, but the approach to the song was done all wrong and it just makes every thing so stupid and pointless. It begins with a quaking duck, which is laughable, then it goes into the song? The arrangement is very basic, very. Kokia’s vocals are even more glaring in this track than they were in the previous I can’t even remember the verses, but the chorus was awful. Kokia does this odd little wail with her voice and it just makes you cringe and wonder why she insists on butchering her voice in this way. This song is just terribly bad.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Futari no Musume (二人の娘; The Story of Two Daughters). The first track on the album so far that I actually like and as the fourth song that is not a good thing. I’ve always liked this song from the first time I listened to this album to now. Its so calm and peaceful and sounds really inspiring. When Kokia sings this it really does sound like the story of two daughters and it’s almost heartbreaking in a sense, especially considering the cracking tones Kokia hits. I believe this is my favorite track.

Kakusei ~open your eyes~ (覚醒; Awakening) the next track is very similar to Itsuka Dareka wo Ai Shita Toki as to where it never goes anywhere and just bores. I’ll admit this is a bit more interesting than the first track, but at the same time it’s anticlimactic even towards the end when Kokia was just barely holding that note it was just embarrassingly unimpressive and had me wishing the song would hurry up an end. Its just so long-winded and after a while just becomes unbearable, because Kokia goes through so many tone changes which seem unnecessary because the arrangement just goes along at the same windy pace.

The next track is the down tempo and entirely too slow cocoro (Heart). I wanted to give this song the benefit of the doubt, because even though Kokia insists on doing that irritating wailing call with her tones its still a pretty decent song when you think about it. However, I really can’t, because it’s entirely too slow-paced to the point of it being impossible. It’s just way too boring and Kokia does absolutely nothing with this song it just keeps going at the same pace throughout, making it just impossibly dull.

Finally we pick up the pace a tad making things a bit more livelier with the next track HUMANITARIAN. After the lag of bad down-tempo songs it was refreshing to hear one a bit more up in the tempo, however, it all falls to the wayside when you catch on to the very basic arrangement and the fact that it seems like Kokia is saying the same thing over and over again like some sort of monotonous loop, the repetitiveness is enough to drive you crazy.

The next track is very similar to the previous track, so sad so bad starts off on a very weird note with Kokia saying what sounded like, ‘is this a creature?’ or something and it’s almost like she’s trying too hard to be spiritual and it comes off as very absurd. The beat is basic just like the previous, but it’s like a constant thrum, then comes the repetitiveness and weird becomes very dull and uninspiring.

We go into the next track which is the very slow and down-tempo Yasashikusareru to Yasashikunareru Hana (やさしくされるとやさしくなれる花; A Flower Blooming Under Tenderness). The vocal performance from Kokia was nice and the arrangement was very slow and though uninteresting it still did it’s part. This is a nice song, but it’s just so long-winded and seems to go on forever. I mean it’s like Kokia was trying to make a point, which was what I perceived by the touching title, but it’s like it never gets to that point and just trickles along at the same pace never going anywhere.

Kokia keeps the down-tempo tracks coming with the rather soothing Nukumori ~aigakikoeru~ (ぬくもり ~aigakikoeru~; Warmth ~Listen for the Love~). Finally, I come across another song I actually like on here the last song being The Story of Two Daughters. This song is very warm and I really like that, because it brings meaning to the ‘warmth’ in the title. Kokia’s vocals are very laid-back almost casual an light. I’m glad she didn’t do a whole mesh of high tones like she’s done for most of these tracks otherwise it would have ruined a good song. Nukumori ~aigakikoeru~ is still not very impressive, but it brings me back to the Kokia I’m used to hearing and it’s a nice listen.

The next track is the underwhelming why do I sing?. A song that is sung entirely in English and not very bad English either. I actually thought I was going to like this song, because the lyrics are very touching such as her saying that music is a gift from God and she believes that he gave her this gift to sing and touch people. The arrangement is that of a piano and though the piano is my favorite musical instrumental the composition in this is very unimpressive. Kokia pauses a lot in this song and I don’t know if it was meant for emotional intensity to let her words soak in or if she was trying too hard, but it dragged this song down and made it dull and impossible.

The next is the very boring and oddly long Atatakai Basho (あたたかい場所; Cosy Place). This song is so grating because it plays like one that you feel will never end and you’re just wishing that it will. Kokia’s vocals seem to drag and that makes this song incredibly dull and an absolute snoozer. The arrangement is somewhat nice, but it plays dryly and in the end like Kokia’s vocal performance offers nothing. This song is forgotten as soon as it ends and I should know, I had to listen to it three times for this review.

The next track is another version of one of my favorite Kokia songs Remember the Kiss ~World Ver.~. I don’t too much like this version Kokia doesn’t really do anything to it to make it stand out or wow. I was expecting a lot more from the ‘world’ version of this, but instead it sounds like every other dull song on this album.

The last track on the album is the semi-all right Inori ni mo Nita Utsukushii Sekai (祈りにも似た美しい世界; Music Like a Prayer). I’ll admit it’s a whole lot better than why do I sing?, but at the same time it’s forgettable. I can’t recall anything and this album ended the way it started: bad.

-GRADE: F
Rating: 1/2 star

Kokia’s fifth album Ai ga Kikoeru (Listen for the Love) is in my opinion her worst album to date. I’m guessing Kokia was going for spiritual and enlightenment with this album, but in the end it came off more as alien and strange. Ai ga Kikoeru is insanely boring, it really blew my mind. I mean these are all new tracks, no single tracks, no b-sides, but all new and fresh material an out of all fifth teen tracks I only cared for two. Kokia does some awful things with her tone that really ruin the majority of the songs on here and all the arrangements were terribly basic making nearly every track on here mediocre and grating. This odd album is nothing unusual for Kokia since this is how she approaches her music. At the same time though she did everything wrong this fifth time around and I’m hoping she never does this again. This album was absolutely terrible and the only song worth listening to is The Story of Two Daughters and that is just sad. I’d recommend this to no one, because not even die-hard Kokia fans would get this album or what Kokia’s intentions were while going into this. However, I’d say this is for the die-hard fans who want to listen to an album that has nothing but new tracks on it and a completely warped and out there take on her music; casual fans I’d say skip this you’d most likely wonder if Kokia was on something, because this album makes NO sense.

Koda Kumi [Affection] (First Album)

Atomic Energy
Trust Your Love
Go Together
Your Song
Feel Me
COLOR OF SOUL
Best friend of mine
My Dream
So Into You
Till Morning Comes feat VERBAL
Come Back
Take Back
Can’t Lose
Walk

The album opens with the intro track, Atomic Energy. It has a lot going for it, consisting of beats and taps and jingles, but it’s all very basic. Koda comes in does some off key aud-libs, and then the song ends on a very familiar note. Not a very good way to open the album.

The first full length song on the album is the somewhat up-tempo, Trust Your Love. It not a very interesting song, despite how catchy it is. It’s starts off with a sort of twinkle beat that carries on throughout the song, and makes you think of sparkling ice, or diamonds. Koda’s vocal performance isn’t bad, she does strain a bit, mostly during the chorus, but she manages to carry the tune. Trust Your Love can get boring and repetitive after awhile, because it’s very basic, average even, and doesn’t really do much but what’s it suppose to do.

The next track lowers the pace a little but not by much. Go Together is a song by Kuu that has a lot of depth, but it isn’t executed properly. It plays like a love ballad, but is not slow enough to actually claim that title. The arrangement is pretty basic, and offers nothing, it really brings the song down. Kuu’s vocals are very strained in this, most notably during the chorus, and it’s nearly unbearable. I have a soft spot for this song though, especially since Kuu’s voice sounds very melancholy, and it makes you sympathize with the emotions she is trying to convey in this track.

Kuu slows it down with the next track, Your Song. Her tone in this song is rather deep, almost intimate in a sense and I think that’s what really makes this song shine. I really enjoyed Kuu’s vocal performance, since I did not notice strain as I did in the previous two tracks, and the arrangement was also very light rnb and meshed perfectly. This is one of Kuu’s most underrated ballads, which is a shame, it’s really one of her best.

The next track on the album is the techno-ish, Feel Me. I’m not quite sure what part of me was listening to this song the last time I reviewed this album, but I thought this song was great, and I also thought it was jazzy. It’s not. It’s techno, club-friendly really. The beat has the potential to be addicting, but it’s awfully generic, and fails in that respect. Kuu’s vocal performance was all right, she went with low tones, her voice rising only slightly during the chorus, which prevented straining. It’s an all right track.

The next track is the quirky and somewhat experimental, COLOR OF SOUL. I use to like this song a while back, but listening to it again I can’t help but think it’s terribly annoying. I don’t like the arrangement it’s way too bubbly for a song that I would have thought would be a little more serious, and the background vocals are just awful and distracting. Kuu’s vocals are very strange to me, like her tone heightens for some reason in the chorus, as oppose to how she delivered the verses and it’s just horribly strained and off-key. This song is just terribly annoying and nearly unbearable.

Next up is the album’s first and last interlude, Best friend of mine. I have never liked this interlude, it’s corny, the vocals are bad, the arrangement is tacky and it’s forgettable.

We go into the next track, My Dream which is a really interesting song. I actually thought this was going to be a ballad, but it’s more mid-tempo if it’s anything. The arrangement is very poppish, and dance club friendly, and I thought it suited Kuu’s vocal performance; speaking of vocal performance’s, Kuu’s vocal performance in this track was pretty good, I still noticed some strain, but it’s not really all that noticeable until you get to the bridge–she sings the song mostly in deep tones, and I like that. One of the stand out tracks on the album.

The next track ups the tempo a bit more with the rather generic, So Into You. I’m trying to figure out what made Kuu release this awful song as a single, it’s so generic I really can’t stand it. It’s not even a good kind of generic, like Trust Your Love is. No effort whatsoever went into the arrangement, and it sounds like something my God cousin Tearria would have made for us back when we were in 4ever and there was four of us instead of three. The vocals are horrid. I can cut Kuu some slack, because this was when she had first started out, and I’m sure she couldn’t control her voice like she can now, but really, it’s just ridiculous. This song is all over the place, strained vocals, and off-key-ness abound. This song just fails.

The next track on the album is very stupid in my opinion. Till Morning Comes feat VERBAL is the first and only collaboration track on the album, and it pretty much fails in every sense of the word. Kuu’s vocals are terrible, as she tries way too hard, and for a song like this it’s not even needed. Verbal’s segment on this track was forgettable, and this song just goes over your head, because it ends abruptly and you’re left wondering has to what in the hell you were just listening to, a song, or a bunch of noise?

The next track is the ballad-esque Come Back. This song is pretty hit or miss to be truthful. In a sense Kuu’s lilting vocals may become unbearable, because she doesn’t handle her tones well, despite her going for a deeper approach concerning her voice. The arrangement is pretty basic, but it suits a song like this. I thought the background vocals were nice, a lot better than they were in COLOR OF SOUL. I like this song, it’s not great or different, but it’s all right.

Take Back the next track, I must say, is the best song on this album as well as the stand out track. A lot of people may not agree, or see my point of view, but this is a rather creative song. The arrangement, though generic, is very infectious and danceable, I can really see them playing this song in the club and people just immediately gravitating towards each other, bopping to the catchy beat. Kuu’s vocal performance is her best so far, their is notable strain, but it works, and she really hits the high notes towards the end of the song. I believe the best part about this song is that Kuu let the instrumental shine a lot, especially towards the end as the song was going out, I do think that is why I enjoy this song so much, that and it’s fun to sing.

Kuu really went dance dance revolution with this album. The next track is the somewhat up-tempo but plays more like mid-tempo, Can’t Lose. This song brings me back to My Dream, as the two songs sound very similar to my ears. The arrangement is very, very techno-pop friendly, to the point of being nauseating. There is a little electronica in there as well, especially towards the end where the song is going out. Kuu’s vocals were all right, they actually went well with this song, notable strains and all, but they can wear on the ears after awhile. This is an average track, like basically all the songs on here, but I like it.

The last track on the album is the painful and forgettable, Walk. I actually expected this to be a ballad, but it is more or less what you would call a power ballad. I believe Kuu was going for something powerful and emotionally moving, but her vocal performance leaves you dissatisfied. You’re too busy cringing at her glaringly strained vocals during the chorus, and her abysmal approach concerning her verses that you can’t possibly feel anything but detachment; you know it’s a shame when the background vocals sound better than your own. The arrangement is horribly basic, and your typical melancholy arrangement, it offers nothing. You can’t connect with her on this song, because though she tries hard, it’s just soulless, and in the end leaves you empty and confused.

-GRADE: C
Rating: * star

I believe I’ve cut Koda Kumi’s debut album Affection a lot of slack in the past, and for that I apologize to myself. I’m a huge Koda Kumi fan, that’s a give in, but even so, I’m looking at this from a critic’s point of view, not as a fan. This album is really not good at all. I mean I like my fair share of techno, pop, and electronica; they’re fun, but mostly in shifts. This album is like an advertisement for it, and played like a Dance Dance Revolution soundtrack, instead of someone’s debut album. The arrangements were extremely basic, and offered nothing, but the same tedious techno beats only rehashed. The only arrangement that actually stood out was Take Back, and that was the only song on this album that did. Kuu’s vocals were nearly unbearable. Her and Ayu both had this bad in the beginning of their careers, but this becomes almost a chore with Koda, because she’s an alto, and it’s just painful to have to endure her trying to hit a high note, or going for a light approach concerning her lyrics. It just doesn’t work. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy some of the tracks on here, My Dream is a pretty decent track as well as Go Together, Your Song and Come Back, but even those are awfully mediocre. Affection plays like a generic piece of trash, and it’s no surprise that it wasn’t a hit, it has no variety, and it’s like the same songs play over and over again. It just fails, and I’m glad she broke away from this weak genre, as her sophomore album is much better. Affection is for die-hard Kuu fans only, who can appreciate, somewhat, her earlier sound. Casual fans will just wish they never bothered with it.

Ken Hirai [FAKIN' POP] (Seventh Album)

POP STAR
Kimi wa Su.te.ki♡ (君はス・テ・キ♡; You’re Won.der.ful)
Kimi no Suki na Toko (君の好きなとこ; The Place You Like)
Canvas
Pain
fake star
UPSET
Utsukushii Hito (美しい人; Beautiful One)
Elegy
Twenty! Twenty! Twenty!
Bye My Melody
Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo
Shashin (写真; Photo)

The album starts off with the oddly infectious, POP STAR. I wanted to die when this song first came out, I’m like: ‘What is Ken thinking? He’s rnb, not pop’, I refused to like this song. I like this song. I really do, it’s so catchy, and I think that has something to do with the arrangement which is just really bizarre, because it’s almost cute in a sense. Ken’s vocal performance really suited this song I thought, he went with light tones, and that made the song really stand out, especially when he would sing the line, ‘I wanna be a pop star’. This track is really funny to me, because Ken Hirai as an actual pop star is just hilarious, but it WORKS.

The next track on the album is the warped, Kimi wa Su.te.ki♡ (君はス・テ・キ♡; You’re Won.der.ful). When this song first started, I literally had to double take, I have never heard anything this out there from Ken Hirai, because he normally sticks to a very straight forward approach when it comes to his vocals. I mean the speed of this song is crazy, and Ken Hirai’s sort of warp speed vocal performance was almost unbearable, since his voice was so high it sounded girlish. The arrangement is very, how do I put it? Futuristic. I can picture the video for this being very cyborg-futuristic-like. I don’t like this song, I think it’s terrible and annoying.

The next track is a song by Ken Hirai that I absolutely adore, Kimi no Suki na Toko (君の好きなとこ; The Place You Like). I’m not sure how I stumbled upon the video to this, but I think it was when I was looking for Ken Hirai videos one day, and I just fell in love with not only the lovely song, but the simple and very touching video. Kimi no Suki na Toko is just such a simple song, everything about it is just so slow-paced, from Ken’s vocals to the wonderful arrangement. It’s got this whole go at your own pace vibe to it, and it’s just one of those rare tracks that reaches your heart and puts a smile on your face.

Ken slows it way down with the next track, Canvas. As where Kimi no Suki na Toko was light and whimsical, Canvas is more serious and in-depth. It’s incredibly slow-paced, and the vocal performance is what I’m used to when it comes to Ken Hirai. It’s not so light that he sounds like a girl or too deep to make it seem like he’s trying too hard to be masculine, but somewhere in the middle. This song can come off as really boring, because there really isn’t any variety in it, and it keeps the same pace and tone throughout; but Ken puts a lot in this song, it’s really deep and in it’s own way incredibly memorable.

The next track continues along the down-tempo route with, Pain. A song that went completely over my head. Unlike Canvas that had the right amount of serious atmosphere and depth, Pain just comes off as too serious and trying entirely too hard. I felt absolutely nothing but boredom and disinterest while listening to this song, not even Ken’s intense vocal performance could save it from forgettable-ness. I however did like the, ‘I’ll never escape this pain’ at the very end.

The next track on the album, fake star is like a different take on POP STAR and I have to admit I like this one a lot more. The tone in this song is very light, and catchy, but it’s almost like he’s going against the previous song in this, like when he says, ‘he’s a pop star, but he’s a fake star’ it’s really clever. I love Ken’s vocals in this track a lot more than in POP STAR because they don’t sound so high, but just right. This song is really rather cute, and a lot more enjoyable.

Ken gets a little quirky with the next track, UPSET. Ken Hirai has some pretty weird songs, and this is definitely one of them. I mean he can take a song with such a simple title, and make it absolutely ridiculous. That is what he does with UPSET. It’s almost like a more up-tempo version of Pain, but a bit worse. I’ll cut it some slack, the arrangement is pretty sweet, since it has a lot going for it instrument-wise, and it definitely keeps your attention. It’s really Big Band and Swing style, back in the 30’s, and it’s really cool. Plus I really liked Ken’s vocals because he sung the verses mostly with a little attitude, the chorus however he drops the edge and starts singing in light tones and that not only ruins the chorus for me, but the song as well. I thought the, ‘I’m so upset’ at the end was really random as well.

The next is a weepy little down-tempo ballad track, that I really dislike. Utsukushii Hito (美しい人; Beautiful One), is just boring in every sense of the word. There is no arrangement really, just a lilting piano playing sadly in the background, and Ken Hirai’s own wilted vocal performance. It’s not all that bad, I’m sure a few people will appreciate it’s charm, for it is a touching song, but for the rest of us, it’ll most likely put you to sleep.

The next track is the rather powerful Elegy. This song is very reminiscent of Canvas, they both have the same vibe to me. I really liked Ken Hirai’s vocal performance in this song, but a lot of the time, (the most glaring thing about this song and it really brought the enjoyment value down with this track) is that it’s so long-winded, and seems to go on longer than it should. Also we get back to the trying too hard, which is what brought Pain down in the end. The arrangement is very atmospheric and dark and I thought that suited the song. Elegy is a great track, but it’s one of those songs you’ll easily tire of, since it tries to do too much.

The next track is a mix between mid and up tempo, in my opinion. Twenty! Twenty! Twenty! is a fun song, I’d have to admit. It’s not the kind of song I would go for, the arrangement is way too airy, but it’s warm. Ken’s vocals weren’t anything spectacular, but it was almost like he was having fun with this song especially during the, ‘twenty! twenty! twenty!’ part of the chorus and I think that’s all that matters. This song is rather metro-sexual, but I don’t care, I think I’m one of the few people who wishes he actually was gay, or would step out the closet already.

The next track on the album is so forgettable I really can’t stand it. By My Melody, is just an amazingly boring and forgettable song that goes clear over your head, no matter how many times you listen to it. I actually can’t recall anything from the song; verses, chorus, vocals, arrangement, nothing! and I listened to this song twice! It’s just album fodder, and I wonder why it was included at all.

The second to last track on the album has an absurdly long title. Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (いつか離れる日が来ても; If Some Day a Day Comes Where I’m Separated from You) is honestly one of the most boring-est songs I have ever heard. The title is rather sweet, and it starts out nice enough, and then Ken starts singing, in the most boring tone he can possibly muster. It was almost like listening to someone tell you something who is completely uninterested in the conversation you are having. How pointless is that? It really felt as if Ken Hirai himself was bored with this song, and wanted to convey that by singing in the same tone, throughout the whole song. Amazing. I can not believe he actually released this bore-fest as a single, who bought this?

The last track on the album is the smoothly down-tempo, Shashin (写真; Photo). I read on a blog a while back that this song was written from a picture he had saw of his father, and really how touching is that? The song is quite emotionally moving, Ken’s vocal performance sounded almost painfully sad, and heartbreaking. It really made you connect with the song and Ken Hirai’s feelings concerning his dad, a wonderful song to end the album on. It really stays with you.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

I have to admit my positive feelings towards Ken Hirai’s latest studio album, FAKIN’ POP has diminished quite a bit, but even so, it’s still a solid album. I thought the whole contrast between POP STAR and fake star was really clever, and honestly only Ken Hirai can pull something like that off. I really enjoyed the down-tempo Kimi no Suki na Toko, which is officially one of my all time favorite Ken Hirai songs; Canvas is an incredible and very intense song, that showcases some nice vocals from Ken, as well as Elegy which would have been even better had he not tried so hard to top Canvas. Twenty! Twenty! Twenty! is a fun song, and the album ends beautifully on Shashin. The rest of the songs however are either painfully bad, painfully average, or painfully boring. FAKIN’ POP has a nice metro-pop feel to it, but he also stays true to his rnb roots, and I admire that. I don’t want him to ever become an actual pop star, it doesn’t suit him, but for satire’s sake? I can accept it.

JJ Lin [Cao Cao] (Fourth Album)

Only Told You (Zhī Duì Nǐ Shuō)
Cao Cao
Perfection
Sign Waves
Originally
Eternal Life
Love Yogurt
Metamorphosis
Now That She’s Gone
I’m Not The On You Want
Prince of Pop
Down

The first track on the album is the down-tempo, Only Told You (Zhī Duì Nǐ Shuō). I was always under the impression that this song was called, Sarangheyo, I guess I was mistaken. This is a lovely little ballad, that really showcases JJ’s smooth vocals. The arrangement is really lovely, a nice little twinkly piano like melody that really pulls you into the song, and makes it very sweet and touching.

The next track ups the pace to about mid-tempo. Cao Cao (Cáo Cāo), is a very dark, ambient song, with a lot of edge. Normally I don’t like songs like this, because they do nothing for me, however I do like this. The tone fits JJ, he doesn’t always have to do light rnb or pop songs and I like how the song stays consistent.

Next up is a nice little down-tempo track, that I suppose is the Mandarin version of Down. Perfection (Shú Néng Shēng Qiǎo) is a nice rendition, but I must admit I like the English version more, even if this one is much longer. I really like the arrangement, it’s very calm, and I love JJ’s tone in this, it really made the song touching. It felt like he was talking about how self-aware he was, how he was going to make it, no matter what.

The next track is the mid-tempo, Sign Waves (Bō Jiān Dài). Though I like this song, I find myself a little irked with it. I really feel as if it should have been a little faster, I mean the song stays consistent, I like JJ’s edgy vocals, and the arrangement made everything feel rather exciting–but I kept getting the impression that it should have been an up-tempo track, and that drags the enjoyment down a bit.

The next track, Originally (Yuán Lái) is a rather sweet and touching down-tempo song. I really love JJ’s voice, the tones he make really brings emotion into the lyrics, as well as the rising of the arrangement, which makes this song very heartfelt.

The next track is the down-tempo Eternal Life (Bú Sǐ Zhī Shēn). JJ keeps the down-tempo tracks coming with this one, which is really nice. The arrangement has a very traditional feel to it that really draws you into the song. I also like JJ’s soft vocals, it really gave way to an atmosphere of ‘eternal life’.

Yogurt Yogurt Love (Ài Qíng Yogurt) the next track, is a really cute and simple song. I mean there is nothing overtly interesting about it, but it’s just that JJ’s vocal performance was so childish and light and it brought a nice little charm to this song, as well as the arrangement which would have made a wonderful instrumental.

The pace finally picks back up with the next track, Evolution (Jìn Huà Lùn) . Not that the down-tempo tracks were bad, it’s just good to come up for a little air every once in a while. I liked the whole flow of this song, which is a good thing, because I don’t normally go for songs like this. It has a lot of variety arrangement wise and vocal wise, which keeps the song interesting. I did actually enjoy the song break, and I think this would make for a very intriguing PV.

JJ slows the pace down once again with the next track, Now That She’s Gone. It’s an incredibly slow-paced song, with barely any arrangement and plays like an accapella track. There’s nothing really going for this song that makes it stand out, or even makes it interesting, but JJ’s sincere vocal performance does enough.

The last track on the album is the short, I’m Not the One You Want (Nǐ Yào De Bú Shì Wǒ). The up-tempo-ness of the song really reminds me of this one David Tao song that I can’t remember at the moment. This song just comes and goes, because it’s so short. I think that maybe if it was longer I would have enjoyed it more, since it had the potential to be a really catchy tune. In the end it’s a rather dull way to end the album.

The next track is the nice yet forgettable Prince of Pop. This is an update and I’ve finally gotten around to adding this song to the review, though with how brief it is it should be a bonus just like Down. The arrangement is light and poppy, nice on the ears and JJ gives a good vocal performance, though I can’t help but see this song as pointless.

Ah, but he doesn’t end the album on, I’m Not the One You Want. Instead JJ tacks on the nice, down-tempo and rather mellow Down, a song sung entirely in English, and GOOD English if I must say so myself. There isn’t a hint of an accent. I enjoyed this more than Perfection, since for some reason their just seems to be more emotion and depth; longing and sincerity.

-GRADE: B+
Rating: ** stars

JJ Lin’s fourth album Cao Cao is not a bad album in the least, in fact it’s a pretty good one. I believe that the only problem I had with this album was the length, and the fact that it isn’t as memorable as it should be. JJ’s smooth vocals are good as usual. I like his voice, because it’s the type of voice, just like Faye Wong’s that can pull off simple songs like Eternal Life and Love Yogurt; there was a bit of variety on this, but nothing that jumped out and held your attention. The arrangements were pretty basic with the exception of Evolution which had a lot going for it. JJ Lin continues to stay consistent, and improve, so even if I didn’t like this album this time around as much as I did the first time around, I can cut him some slack. It’s decent, and has a fairly high replay value.

Jay Chou [8 Dimensions] (Third Album)

The Orcs (Ban Shou Ren)
Iron Box of the Island (Ban Dao Tie He)
Secret Signal (An Hao)
Dragon Fist (Long Quan)
Where Is This Train Going? (Huei Cha Do Wei Ki)
Split (Fen Lie)
Grandfather’s Tea (Ye Ye Pao De Cha)
Return to the Past (Hui Dao Guo Qu)
Blacksmith of Milan (Mi Lan De Xian Tie Jiang)
Final Battle (Zui Hou De Zhan Yi)

The album starts off with the up-tempo track, (Ban Shou Ren) The Orcs. It starts off all majestic like, and then goes right into the addicting beat, and catchy chorus. This is a really fun song, and that’s surprising because with a title like, The Orcs, I really thought I was going to hate it.

I really love the next track, (Ban Dao Tie He) Iron Box of the Island. It’s so soothing and sad. I love the sound of the door to a shop opening in the beginning, it almost sounded like someone stepping into memories. I really enjoyed how Jay sung the verses, always keeping his voice consistent. The chorus has to be the best part of the song, because the way Jay sings it is very melancholy, because there is so much longing it in, and it makes you feel what he is saying.

The next track is another down-tempo tune, (An Hao) Secret Signal. The only thing this song has going for it in my opinion is the arrangement, which is just lovely and one of his best. I honestly wish that he would have let it shine more. The vocal performance from Jay wasn’t all that good, in a sense he sounded almost whiny, and as if he was trying too hard to make this song ‘tearjerky’ or touching. The verses are uninteresting, the chorus is dull and drags, and I hated the background verses since they made the song worse! It’s just an unintentionally boring song.

The next track picks up the pace a little, (Long Quan) Dragon Fist. It’s a song that I thought was going to pleasantly surprise me, like The Orcs did, unfortunately this song turned out to be just as garbage as I originally thought it would be.

The next track brings the pace back down. (Huei Cha Do Wei Ki) Where is This Train Going? is a nice little down-tempo song, that has a sweet arrangement, that really gives off this feeling of, ‘going somewhere’. A nice vocal performance from Jay; the verses were consistent and the chorus was interesting. This song shows variety, especially with how his voice drops and rises during the hook.

Jay decides to keep the down-tempo tunes coming with the next track, (Fen Lie) Split. This song reminded me of an even more duller version of Secret Signal. I mean everything from the vocal performance to the arrangement is just so simple and not even a good simple, but a uber boring simple. I mean there’s nothing really stand-outish about this song, and even after listening to it two times, I still retained nothing, it just went over my head.

The next track is one of my all time favorite Jay Chou tracks, (Ye Ye Pao De Cha) Grandfather’s Tea. It’s such a lovely song that just oozes nostalgia. I love the catchy chorus it’s so much fun to sing along too, and the arrangement is just too infectious. I just love this song, what more can I say?

The next track is the down-tempo, (Hui Dao Guo Qu) Return to the Past. There’s really nothing overtly interesting about this song to be truthful, but it does have a nice vocal performance and arrangement. It’s one of those rare songs I like, because of it’s charm. It is a rather sweet song.

The second to last track on this album is the somewhat underwhelming, (Mi Lan De Xiao Tie Jiang) Blacksmith of Milan. I don’t know, it has a somewhat catchy beat, but I don’t know it all seems to fall flat, because I expected this to be a somewhat serious song, what with a title like Blacksmith of Milan, but instead it just comes off rather childish and forgettable.

The last track on the album is definitely in my top ten favorite Jay Chou songs. (Zui Hou De Zhan Yi) Final Battle, is just a really sad song. I remember the first time I ever listened to this song, I was overcome with so many conflicting emotions, and those emotions and this song inspired me to write my favorite one-shot of all time fold the sky, in tribute to my favorite one-shot, Compos Mentis a Vicious/Gren war one-shot that was tragic and beautiful at the same time. The best part of this song is definitely the musical arrangement, and I really love the way the song ended, it really struck the heart.

-GRADE: B-
Rating: *1/2 stars

Jay Chou’s third album 8 Dimensions was rather brief, and forgettable. Though it wasn’t a bad album, I still felt as if Jay and Fantasy shitted all over it in terms of song quality, vocal prowess and musical arrangement. I guess Jay went for a more simple and basic approach with this album, really delving into human emotions, such as loneliness and separation; but I believe in the attempt a lot of it got lost in translation. Jay Chou’s songs always have such meaningful lyrics, and this album is no exception, but they cease to mean anything if they’re not composed right. I believe that is this album’s downfall. I use to really love this album, rating it among my top favorite Jay Chou albums, but now looking at it from a critic’s point of view instead of a fans, I find myself mostly disappointed with this album and incredibly bored. The stand out tracks are definitly Grandfather’s Tea and Final Battle, but I loved Iron Box of The Island, Where Is This Train Going? and The Orcs as well. I really wish that Split would have played more with the instrumental, because that is the only interesting thing about that song. I hate to say that these tracks are terribly average and mediocre, which is a bad thing because Jay Chou is no Faye Wong or even BoA for that matter, and simple just doesn’t suit him.

Hirahara Ayaka [4tsu no L (4つのL; The Four L's)] (Third Album)

Chikai (誓い; Oath)
Theme of LIVE -interlude-
Circle Game
Reset
I will be with you
Theme of LIFE -interlude-
WILL
Start Line
Theme of LUCK -interlude-*
Hajimari no Kaze (はじまりの風; The Wind of the Beginning)
Aries no Hoshi (アリエスの星; The Star of Aries)
Mirai no Bokura ni (未来の僕らに; The Future of Us)
Eternally
Music
Chikai -Album version- (誓い; Oath) (Bonus Track)

The album starts off with the epic track, Chikai (誓い; Oath). This song brings me back to my favorite Hirahara song, Jupiter. It features an incredible vocal performance from Hirahara; I absolutely adored the chorus and the verses were very engaging as well as the arrangement which was just beautiful and really pulled you into the song. This track is just so majestic, and I really love that. An incredible way to start the album.

The next track is one of four intro’s. Theme of LIVE -interlude- started off with a nice instrumental, that is actually engaging, with nice synth and beeping noises and then Hirahara starts singing. I felt that the singing was a little unnecessary since I preferred the instrumental over it, but I liked her English.

The next track is the mid-tempo, Circle Game. This is a really interesting song, I have to admit. It’s rather slow, and never really get’s above mid-tempo, but it has such an edge to it that makes it an really engaging song. Hirahara’s vocal performance was just great, the verses were assertive and the chorus was light, almost breathy which made for a very interesting contrast. I didn’t so much like the saxophone break, but I did love the aud-libs at the end.

Hirahara slows it down with the next track, Reset. I really enjoyed the whole flow of this song, it sounds a lot like a anime ending theme, or better yet the opening to one of those RPG’s that never gets enough love, but is really good. I thought Hirahara’s vocal performance was good, especially during the chorus, it made me think of water trickling down the stream at night. The arrangement was very atmospheric, and really brought the whole stream water vision to life. NOTE: It actually IS a video game opening, imagine that.

Next is the down-tempo, I will be with you. It’s a song that is very anticlimactic to me for some reason. I mean it’s a nice song, with nice vocals and a nice clear arrangement, but Hirahara doesn’t do anything with it, and it just drags the song down and makes it boring. I mean it’s like she’s trying too hard to make it sound like some sort of melancholy ballad, but it just never quite gets there, and you’re just waiting for it to end.

The next track is the second intro on the album, Theme of LIFE -interlude-. It just consists of an airy, atmospheric instrumental and Hirahara saying, ‘ah…’ in a sort of breathless whisper.

The next track is the down-tempo and rather epic sounding, WILL. It’s an incredibly beautiful and touching song, I’d have to admit. I love the quiet, yet engaging arrangement, which never get’s louder than it should, and Hirahara’s strong vocal performance. While listening to this song, you would really think that it was another Jupiter or Chikai, but it’s in a league all of it’s own; less Majestic, but still just as good.

The next track is very similar to WILL in terms of sounding epic, but never really getting to that point. Start Line is a down-tempo song, that is really just lovely. Hirahara’s vocal performance is really nice, as she goes with light tones and it really compliments the music. The arrangement is very slow and breezy, it also has a peaceful choir-like air to it, that makes it very easy on the ears. The only problem I had with the song was that towards the end it got repetitive, and though I liked the choir in the background it seemed unnecessary; the song went on far longer than it should of, and by the end you’re just wishing it would be over already.

We come to the third interlude on the album, Theme of LUCK -interlude-. This is my favorite interlude so far, and it has Hirahara singing over a basic but fitting piano arrangement. I really wish she would have stretched it out into a full song, because it has the potential to be more than just an interlude.

The next track is a mix between down-tempo and mid-tempo. Hajimari no Kaze (はじまりの風; The Wind of the Beginning), starts off on a quick note, that draws you in to the song, but towards the middle and the end it seems to run out of steam, and Hirahara sings it through in the same tone. I did enjoy this song, the vocal performance, and the arrangement was nice, but when you think about it, it’s a rather weak and forgettable track.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo, Aries no Hoshi (アリエスの星; The Star of Aries). I thought this was a really interesting song, and one that really stands out on this album, because it has a nice jazz and lounge-like feel to it. It’s really mood-setting and calming, something Hirahara excels at.

Mirai no Bokura ni (未来の僕らに; The Future of Us) the next track, follows in the veins of, Hajimari no Kaze in terms of a song that goes nowhere. It tries to be dramatic and touching, but it’s so long-winded you can’t even be bothered to care. Hirahara’s vocals are wonderful as usual, but just like Angela Aki’s, it tends to get boring, especially when you settle on singing the song throughout in the same tone, to an already dull arrangement. It has potential, but this song does nothing for me.

The last interlude track on the album is the uninspiring and dull, Theme of LOVE -interlude-. I actually thought it was going to be the best one, but it’s actually the worst. I would think she was going to talk about love, but instead she goes on about breaking hearts and all kinds of other stuff that makes this a rather pointless interlude.

The next track is the down-tempo, Eternally. Hmm? It’s a nice song, with a nice arrangement and vocal performance, but at the same time it does nothing for me and actually goes over my head. In truth I hate songs that don’t grab my attention, like no matter how hard I try to listen, I always find my mind wandering. It doesn’t scream good song, or even passable song, it screams, boring and forgettable.

The last track on the album is the down-tempo, Music. I always find that I enjoy songs with this title, and this one by Hirahara is no exception. I would classify this as a ballad, but it’s really not. It’s slow-paced, and displays a wonderful and beautifully toned vocal performance from Hirahara, especially during the chorus. I really love the arrangement, which is very calming and sweet. It can be a boring song, since in truth, it never goes anywhere, but even so, it’s a nice listen.

Hirahara opts for a bonus track, that being the album version of Chikai. It’s pretty baseless. It’s good, but I thought the other version was better, this one did nothing for me.

-GRADE: A-/B+
Rating: **1/2 stars

Hirahara Ayaka’s third album 4tsu no L is pretty good. Hirahara is like Misia, Faye Wong, Utada Hikaru and Angela Aki in terms of their voices being so good I never have a problem with them, but that at the same time can work against them and ruin potentially good songs. I like the whole four L’s theme this album had going for it, it was pretty unique. I thought the interludes were good with the best being the one for LUCK and the worst being that of LOVE, which made no sense. It’s not a terribly interesting album, but she does have some really good songs on here, the best being Chikai. I also loved Circle Game which has a great catchy beat, Reset which sounds like a game opening and Aries no Hoshi which was really interesting. Hirahara has some boring songs, and unfortunately she has more than a couple, which is too many in my opinion. It irks me because they are not bad songs, they are just composed all wrong and seem to leave you hanging instead of wanting more. 4tsu no L is a good album because it does show some variety, but at the same time I doubt anyone but her die-hard fans will really enjoy it, casual listeners will be mostly disinterested.

Hinouchi Emi [Dramatiques] (First Album)

Intro
Trap
hey boy
You said, you did (feat. Hi-D)
Freak
let it be
brand new love
Show Me What You Got
What’s Your Secret?
Crying
World
You were my everything
Magic
Painful
Magic CKB Tune

The album starts off with the intro track, Intro. A nice bit of strings are playing, and then Emi comes in and starts ‘la,la,la’ing’ and it ends, a little abruptly.

The first full length track on the album is the up-tempo, Trap. It’s appealing in a sense, as where the arrangement is very hip and fresh, and maybe if the music had been better it could have been danceable too. This song just goes over your head, because nothing is consistent, and for some reason Emi’s vocals sounded all over the place. Emi’s vocals were good in a sense, but not up to par with how she sings now, and the chorus felt like it should have been catchy, but just falls flat. It’s just a forgettable song.

The next track on the album is the slightly up-tempo, hey boy…. This is actually quite a fun song, and it’s really catchy. I can’t really recall the verses, but it hardly matters because the chorus was enough to snag my attention. It’s not a great song, but I like it because it has that GOODIE MEMORIES vibe to it.

Next up is the somewhat mid-tempo, You said, You did feat. HI-D. A nice little rnb tune, with a sensual twist. I thought that Emi’s vocals were really good, and so were HI-D’s, his voice really meshed well with Emi’s and brought a little ‘Dilemma’ like air to the song. The arrangement was nice and fresh, and the chorus was interesting and somewhat engaging.

Emi picks up the pace with the next track, Freak!. The song starts off promising enough, but then once the instrumental fades and the music begins it all goes downhill. Emi’s vocals aren’t bad, it’s just that the song tries to do too much, and does nothing at all. I figure that this is some sort of women empowering song or something, but it just fails. The arrangement is lame, and when Emi does her little shout-outs they sound pointless. I mean this could have been a nice little up-tempo, dance track, but it just annoys.

The next track is the down-tempo, let it be. I don’t know, maybe I listened to this song with half an ear the first time I listened to this album, because for some reason it sounded better then, now listening to it for the second time, it sounds almost impossible. The arrangement is very basic, to the point of it being non-existent. Emi’s vocal performance is rather odd as well; she chose to go with high tones for this song, and it makes her sound windy for some reason. I still like this track though, it has a quiet charm to it that I admire.

The next track is about mid-tempo, I would say. brand new love is a fun little song, with a catchy and very airy island like beat. It gives you a really carefree feeling of love and it seemed as if Emi was really getting into the song, which bumped up the enjoyment level a little. I thought it started out pretty confusing, and felt that it would ruin the song, but it didn’t. I love Emi’s aud-libs throughout, but I thought the song dragged on for too long.

Next up is the albums first and only interlude track, Show me What You Got. It’s quite aggressive with Emi talking about the ups and downs and struggles in her life, with a little help from Verbal. Nothing memorable.

The next track is the utterly underwhelming, What’s Your Secret?. I knew that this song was going to suck from the minute it started and Mic Banditz started talking/rapping. The arrangement is terrible, it’s like they got some amateur off the street and told him to thrum a guitar all Arabian like, and it just fails. Emi’s vocals take on that irritating high tone again, but unlike in let it be where it worked, it just makes the song even more unbearable, especially since the chorus is so childish, ‘what’s your secret?’ it’s almost embarrassing.

Emi goes down a more mellow road with the next track, Crying. This song started off very softly, which gave me the impression that this was going to be a ballad. In a sense it is, but not entirely. I enjoyed this track, I love the charming arrangement, which sparkles and really carries this song, as opposed to sounding like background noise, distraction or nothing at all. Emi’s vocals were nice, as she didn’t go too high or too low. Definitely one of the best tracks on the album, even if it doesn’t stand out as much as say, hey boy…

The next track is the mid-tempo, World. A song that can get boring pretty fast, and in a sense it certainly does. I’m not sure how a song as fresh sounding, and with Emi’s clear vocal performance can sound so dull, but this song does just that. It’s not a bad song, but it almost seems pointless, like what was the point of putting this on the album since it played like straight filler? I think I would have appreciated this song more if it had been a b-side to her single Magic/World or something, but as a standalone it is just forgettable.

We slow it down with the next track, You were my everything. It’s not a terribly interesting song, and can become tiring after awhile. Even so it still has a nice pace, and a sincere vocal performance from Emi. Along with the somewhat melancholy arrangement, this song really gives forth a feeling of losing love; it’s a nice track.

The pace picks back up with the next track, Magic. This was the first single released by Emi, and listening to it, I’m wondering why she released it as a single. It’s a rather irritating song, with forgettable verses and a chorus that should be catchy but just manages to bore. The arrangement I didn’t like too much either, I look at Emi like I look at May J., and this cutesy arrangement does nothing for the solid rnb tunes of her three post-Dramatiques singles.

The last track on the album is the mid-tempo, Painful. I actually expected this song to be more of a ballad, so I was a little disappointed that it was not, since Emi has absolutely no clear cut ballads on this album. Painful isn’t a bad song. It delivers a nice vocal performance from Emi and though a basic arrangement it works. It’s just not a very memorable song, and not one I’d find myself caring for.

Emi ends the album on the bonus track, Magic CKB Tune . It’s like a Big Band version of the original. It’s boring.

-GRADE: D
Rating: 1/2 star

When I first heard Emi Hinouchi’s debut album Dramatiques I was really disappointed with it. Listening to it again, I am still disappointed. It just fails. All the songs are boring, mediocre trash and not one stands out. I thought Emi did pretty decent vocal wise, and some of the arrangements really fit perfectly with the generic-ness of the music, but at the same time I really wish Emi would have took this more seriously. Out of all the J-Urban women debut albums I have heard, Emi’s is by far the worst. There are actually songs on Emyli’s debut album Flower of Love that I would listen to again and again; ARIA’s debut album Shining owned and May J. blew me away with her debut album Baby Girl. I can not honestly say that any song on this album was good, but there are some that are passable such as: hey boy…, You said, You Did, let it be, brand new love, Crying and You were my everything. This album is only suited for die-hard Emi fans, casual fans will find this album a chore.

Heartsdales [Radioactive] (First Album)

Lights Out (Intro)
WILD
So Tell Me
Ow!
The Questions Remains (Interlude)
That’s Why
Girls Don’t Cry
Baby Shine
Dangerous (Interlude)
Radioactive
Helpless Game
E.S.P.
All Mine
FLY!

The album starts off with the intro track, Lights Out (Intro). It has some sort of repetitive beat playing, and then the sisters start saying ‘radioactive’ in a sort of stage whisper and then Jewel says, ‘let’s do it!’, pretty lame.

The first full track on the album is the up-tempo, WILD. It’s a really fun song and the beat, that is rather simple, but pounds in the background is very fitting and works to keep your attention. Jewel is the better rapper in the duo to me, but Rum delivers as well. I don’t normally go for J-rap, or any kind of Asian rap for that matter, but they are really good. I love Jewel’s rap in the first verse. The chorus is really fun, but it’s the type of chorus that loses it’s appeal fast; still it’s a good track.

The next track is actually my favorite Heartsdales song and the first one I heard by the group. So Tell Me, was their first single, and it really delivers. The arrangement of the song is really effective, and the vocal performances, especially from Jewel are very good. I always love singing along to this song, since the chorus is very catchy. So Tell Me unfortunately gets old fast, but it’s still a classic.

The next track is the sort of down and mid-tempo, Ow!. I’m not sure how I feel about this song, but I’m leaning more towards a passable track. I mean for a song that I initially thought would go faster, it goes by rather slowly and ends rather abruptly. In truth I like the chorus, it’s pretty interesting, but I think that’s all I like. The verses don’t stick with you and in some cases becomes nearly unintelligible.

This is a rather odd interlude. I believe the next track, The Question Remains (Interlude) samples a Shirley Temple movie????

The next track is the mid-tempo, That’s Why. I think the reason why I like this song, is because in a sense it’s really so in your face. I love the sparkly arrangement, well not sparkly, but it has that atmosphere and it really works. I could barely make out the verses, but I think that was because this song shines clearly in it’s chorus, like mostly all of the Heartsdales songs do. It keeps you interested, long after you would have become bored.

Next is the mid-tempo track, Girls Don’t Cry. This is actually a pretty interesting song, despite it going clear over your head. The verses are forgettable, but like all Heartsdales songs, the chorus shines. It’s not an incredibly engaging or even catchy chorus, but it does it’s part and keeps you interested in an otherwise boring and forgettable song.

The next track picks up the pace a little with, Baby Shine. This is a rather forgettable song; it’s quite annoying, the verses are forgettable and the chorus is almost grating. There are too many things going on in the background, that makes the song nearly impossible. I don’t know it has an appeal to it, but when you think about it the song is just not that good, and after awhile you’re wondering when it’s going to end.

This album is just full of pointless interludes. The second interlude track, Dangerous (Interlude) just plays as filler, very bad filler.

The next track is basically an intro-song, Radioactive. It’s the title track, and it’s incredibly corny. It has this futuristic like beat to it, and throughout you hear these annoying beeping noises. I suppose that there were some verses in this, but all I heard was ‘radioactive’; it’s filler, pure filler fodder.

We pick up the pace a bit with the next track, Helpless Game. It’s a play off of Mika Nakashima’s Helpless Rain song, which it samples. I liked how Mika sung the chorus, but at the same time it seemed misplaced. The verses I thought were nice, in how they were slow-paced, but in truth, though a good song, this cannot compare with Mika’s far superior version.

The next track is the oddly quirky and titled, E.S.P.. In the chorus I’m wondering if they’re supposed to be saying, e.s.p as opposed to the s.p.i that I heard. This track is, I don’t know, it has it’s good moments and it’s bad moments. Good being it’s somewhat fast-paced, as there are a lot of things going on arrangement wise and vocal wise, so it keeps your attention to an extent, plus it’s not a bad song. The bad being that it’s just all over the place, you have the Heartsdales rapping, and then this man who sounds like he has emphysema starts rapping, and the arrangement seems very haphazard and jarring, and you never really know what they’re saying or what’s going on really. All in all those glaring flaws, really bring this song down.

The second to last track is the somewhat mid-tempo, All Mine. This track has a very serious feel to it, that I really enjoy. I thought the arrangement was hard-hitting, the verses were fitting and it was an all around all right track. I love the ‘this world is mine’ part in the chorus.

The last track on the album is the surprisingly interesting, FLY!. I guess I didn’t like this song when I heard it last, or it was that I never paid attention to it, but it’s quite a fun song, and not as bad as I originally thought it was. It’s rather quirky, and has a nice camaraderie feeling about it, that I like.

-GRADE: B+/B
Rating: ** stars

In truth I had a hard time reviewing this album, because I don’t get into rap, and found it hard to rate them vocal wise. Radioactive is the Heartsdales debut album, and the one that I always rate as my favorite among them. I even went as far as to get upset over a review I read, where the blogger completely dissed the album, I thought she was being just a bit too critical towards it. As it is though, I have to look at the album from a professional critics point of view, and not as a fan. Radioactive is not a bad album, and still in my opinion is their best album to date, but at the same time, it’s not as great as I originally thought it was. A lot of the songs are pretty average, with very basic beats, and none of the songs are particularly ground-breaking and they offer nothing besides two sisters who have very good rapping skills for female J-Urban artists. I thought the intro as well as the two interludes were utterly pointless, and pure filler material, as well as the two minute Radioactive which had potential but failed because it didn’t have enough going for it, and was much too childish to take seriously. Of course they have some pretty nice and memorable songs on here, such as: WILD, So Tell Me, Ow!, That’s Why, Girls Don’t Cry and Helpless Game; for any Heartsdales fan this is a must-buy, because it really showcases how skilled they are in rapping, and how unique they were as a duo especially considering that their chorus’ are always so good. As a casual fan, I would still suggest that you pick this up, but I doubt you’ll enjoy it much.

Fly To The Sky [Day by Day] (First Album)

Intro
In My Dream (feat. H.O.T.)
Day by Day
I Don’t Wanna Say Good-bye
Fly To The Sky
Wanna Be With You
Everything…
(Naegen Neomu Yeppeun Geudae) (Beautiful Girl)
(Sarangeul Darmeun Norae) (A Song For Love)
Warning
Love Forever
In My Dream (Extended version)

The album starts off with the intro track, aptly titled, Intro. It’s a pretty lame intro. It’s starts off with some sort of computerized beat, and then Brian starts free styling, he has good English and his rapping skills aren’t bad, but that doesn’t stop this from being weak.

The next track is the rnb infused, somewhat down and mid-tempo, In My Dream, feat. H.O.T. back when they were hot and in demand. I love the beat of this song, it manages to capture your attention without doing much and keeps you interested in the song long after you would have tired of it. The vocals are great from fanny and good from Brian, though I couldn’t make out Brian’s voice. It’s a pretty boring and lank song when you think about it, only the arrangement makes this song worth the effort.

The next track is the title track, Day by Day. It’s very pop sounding, to the point of it being nauseating. I do like this song, the whole vibe of it, gives you this city-like feel, as you walk around looking at sites on a windy, yet hot day. The high note Fanny hits towards the end is really good, and the arrangement is fitting. I don’t know, this song is pretty average, but it’s still a nice listen.

The next track is the somewhat mid-tempo, I Don’t Wanna Say Good-bye. I don’t know, this song is amusing to me and reminds me of that FTTS song where Brian says, ‘I knew you was a hoe the way you got on yo’ knees!’ lolz. Only this one is more tamer, and is them talking about not wanting to say good-bye as oppose to wanting to say good-bye. The arrangement is pretty generic, and poppish, though danceable in a way. The vocal performances are nice and the chorus is catchy.

Next up is the mid-tempo, pop and rnb Fly To The Sky. I’m wondering why they didn’t have this as the title track, since it’s a lot more interesting than Day by Day. This is a rather generic track, but it’s catchy, ‘it’s all right baby’, the vocal performances by Brian and Fanny were pretty good, and the beat though rather cheesy, is infectious.

The next track is the somewhat down-tempo, Wanna be with You. It has a watered down rnb vibe going for it, with a little pop added to make the beat a little more interesting. It’s a very average song, generic in a way, but it does keep your attention. The vocal performances are good for a song like this, and Brian’s little rap segments, though incredibly cheesy fitted right in, and surprisingly didn’t drag the song down.

EVERYTHING… the next track is like an alternate version of I Don’t Wanna Say Good-bye. In this song they are talking about how the girl is a promiscuous cheater, and how everything is over because of that. I like how seemingly fast-paced the song is, even though it doesn’t go slightly above mid-tempo. The vocals are good, mostly during the chorus, which is really catchy. The best part of this song is Brian’s rap, it’s so clever. I mean I’d never take him serious as a rapper, but as opposed to a lot of K-rappers, I can actually tolerate his raps. ‘I knew you was a hoe the way you got on yo’ knees’ lolz.

Fly To The Sky slows it way down with the next track, (Naegen Neomu Yeppeun Geudae) (Beautiful Girl). The first time I heard this song was while watching the video, which I thought on Brian’s side was pretty homo, but even though, I also remembered loving the song and thinking it very touching. I think the song was meant for their fans, and if so, it’s a nice little fan appreciation song. Admittedly the song can get pretty boring, since it’s incredibly slow-paced, and never goes anywhere really, vocal-wise or arrangement wise. Regardless, the vocal performances from both parties were rather nice and the arrangement is quite pretty. It’s a nice listen.

The next track, (Sarangeul Darmeun Norae) (A Song For Love) is down-tempo as well, but ups the pace just a little. This track is in a since, rather boring, and though the vocal performances are good, they do tend to get rather strained throughout, which is rather pathetic considering that (Sarangeul Darmeun Norae) (A Song For Love) is a pretty basic tune. Fly To The Sky have way better ballads than this, but even though, it’s still a good listen, and the arrangement is somewhat pretty.

Next up is the mid-tempo, well somewhat mid-tempo WARNING. I don’t like this song, which is a shame because it has so much potential. It just fails on so many levels, such as the beat being very generic and repetitive; not only that but it’s as if the verses are non-existent because all you hear is, ‘I’ll never let you go, don’t think that you can stray’, and it’s sung in such a bored tone by both parties that you can’t even be bothered with it. WARNING is a rather possessive and somewhat disturbing song, and not even a good kind of possessive and disturbing like Rurutia’s Itoshigo Yo. It just bores.

The second to last song on the album was one I actually thought I was going to like, however Love Forever just fails. I’m not sure if it was because I could barely hear the song, or because there was barely a song to hear, but either way, this song is awful. I’m thinking this is going to be a better version of A Song For Love, but it is the exact opposite, utterly forgettable.

The last track on the album is the pointless bonus track, In My Dream. Only it’s the extended version. Waste.

-GRADE: C
Rating: *1/2 stars

I’ve always liked Fly To The Sky’s debut album Day by Day, but just like with Emyli’s debut, I have to look at this from a professional critic’s perspective and not as a fan. This first album has absolutely nothing to offer but nice vocals, and moderately catchy beats. It’s boring; every song on here and I mean EVERY song is generic or below average. They had a few gems on here such as In My Dream, I Don’t Want To Say Good-bye, Fly To The Sky, EVERYTHING… and Beautiful Girl; in the end though, they offer nothing. I can’t say that this is a memorable album, because it isn’t. I’m not sure if it’s just my computer, or the downloaded tracks, but there was a lot of interference which made listening to some of the tracks impossible, the most glaring of all being the underwhelming Love Forever. Though even without the static, I doubt I would have cared for them otherwise, because even though I did love some of the songs, it’s only because they are catchy and nothing more. Day by Day is an all right albeit forgettable album, but it isn’t bad. I’d recommend this to die hard Fly To The Sky fans, as they’re the only ones who will remember it.

fayray [Craving] (First Album)

in four~Love always,*
太陽のグラヴィティー (Taiyou no Gravity; Gravity of the sun)
NEON TETRA
Daydream Cafe
PURE WHITE
Same night, same face
YURA・YURA～Vibration (Swaying vibration)
UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS
Powder Veil
Craving
Daydream Cafe (DA MIX)

The album starts off with the oddly written intro track, in four~Love always,. It begins with heels clacking and walking along a hard surface, than a piano starts playing a rather beautiful melody. I actually wish she would have extended this instrumental into a full track.

The next track is the up-tempo, 太陽のグラヴィティー (Taiyou no Gravity; Gravity of the sun). It’s sounds so much like an anime theme song, I’m wondering if it is one. It’s incredibly catchy. I love the fast-paced, retro 80’s arrangement, and fayray’s strong, quick and smooth vocals, especially during the chorus. This song blew me away when I first heard it, because I’ve never heard such an up-tempo song from fayray, because she normally takes a mellow route in concern to her music.

fayray doesn’t slow down and keeps the anime theme songs coming with the next track, NEON TETRA. This song is not as interesting nor as catchy as Taiyou no Gravity, but in a way it’s still a good track. The arrangement is rather sparkly, but still holds that 80’s maybe early 90’s sound to it. fayray’s vocals are consistent. The song is pretty forgettable, but it’s not a bad song.

We finally get to the first real down-tempo track on the album, Daydream Cafe. Which is a very accurate name, because that is exactly what it sounds like, it has a very dreamy quality to it that is rather enchanting. I love how smooth, and fantasy like the arrangement is, it plays like a lullaby. fayray’s vocal performance is also very nice and mixes well, to give the song that feeling of being in a daydream cafe.

The next track, PURE WHITE picks up the pace, and the anime theme song vibe that fayray has going for this album. I have to admit, Daydream Cafe was more like a ending theme, but PURE WHITE is like a theme. It has this club vibe about it, I mean it’s literally one of those songs you’d here in a club, and I like that. The vocals are nice as well, consistent, and fayray keeps the pace going. I didn’t like this song when I first heard it, as it sounded very uninteresting and forgettable, but its a nice song and it gives you that feeling of being trapped in a blinding white light.

Ah, this is the fayray that I am accustomed too. The next track is the pretty down-tempo, Same night, same face. This is one of the first songs I ever heard by fayray; it didn’t interest me much, but I thought the whole arrangement of the song was very interesting. It also has a throwback 70’s vibe going for it, that’s pretty intriguing. I like fayray’s vocals, even if they are rather robotic, and all I could make out was, ’same night, same face’ which oddly doesn’t get repetitive.

The next track is the oddly titled, YURA・YURA～Vibration (Swaying vibration). It’s a pretty interesting song, though quite forgettable. I guess the reason why this album sounds so pop nineties, is because it was made in the nineties, though the late nineties, so it’s all rather odd. It does sound like an anime theme song, like most of the songs on here. fayray keeps her vocal performance consistent and interesting, so it makes this average song tolerable, that and the chorus is somewhat catchy.

This next track, UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS is very forgettable. Nothing about this song stands out, and it’s very bland. fayray’s vocal performance is the only thing about this song that is good, even if it did stay at the same pace and never went anywhere. The arrangement is very average, and this sounds like an English dub, like I could picture this song being dubbed in English and being sung, quite horribly by an English seiyuu. It’s also very boring.

The next track is just as boring as the last, and a mix between down and mid-tempo. Powder Veil, has nothing really spectacular or ground-breaking going for it, the arrangement is terribly stagnant, and the vocal performance is almost monotonous, as fayray sings in the same tone, never letting her voice rise or fall. Still, it’s a lot more interesting than UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS.

Next up is the albums title track, Craving. It’s a nice little down-tempo song, that has a nice smooth, and mellow vibe going for it. The arrangement is pretty basic, with a little guitar thrumming throughout (song ends on a guitar solo), and fayray’s vocals were pretty nice as well. It’s a simple song, and I like that.

The last track on the album is a remix of Daydream Cafe. I really don’t see the difference, but it’s a nice remix overall, much slower and smoother than the original. A nice listen.

-GRADE: B-
Rating: **stars

fayray’s first album CRAVING is pretty different from the fayray I know and love. The tone of this album is pretty light and simple, as where the songs that I’ve encountered have a very jazzy, smoky and longing feel to them. As a debut album, it’s not very impressive and despite having a couple nice tracks such as, Taiyou no Gravity and Daydream Cafe; plus those that are passable like PURE WHITE, Same night, same face, and Craving… it’s a painfully forgettable album; mostly because a lot of the songs played like filler, most notably being UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS. I’m really glad that fayray shied away from this genre of music as she got more into her career, because I don’t think I would be a fan of her, if she was still making generic music like this. I mean the album isn’t a complete dud, she does have some nice tracks on here, and even the ones I didn’t so much like are worth a second listen, because fayray’s vocals are really nice. However, I’d only recommended this album to die-hard fayray fans, casual listeners would just be bored with it.