Yuna Ito [miss you] (11th Single)

miss you
BREEEEEZIN!!!!!!!
Urban Mermaid -Bittersweet Movement Blood-I Riddimix-

Yuna Ito’s 11th single starts off with the a-side miss you. This is coming from a huge fan of Yuna’s ballads, this song is boring. I’m almost tempted to spell the word out. I mean I had to listen to this song twice, because I foolishly thought it was all right on the first listen. The arrangement is nice and warm water lapping against the white sand of the shore, but stagnant kind of way. Yuna’s vocals are pretty nice as well, but I can not bring myself to even care. Its like the song has a good premise and a decent flow despite the sluggish-ness of it, but it honestly plays like lukewarm water. This is a pretty forgettable a-side and her weakest of the era (I honestly think I like ‘trust you’ more than this).

The second track on the single is its b-side BREEEEEZIN!!!!!!!. I know I said I’m all for Yuna releasing tracks a bit more up in the tempo, but not if they come out like this. ‘Koi no groovy’ this is not. I’ll admit this played a bit better than the a-side, but it still leaves no impression. I mean the arrangement continues the Hawaiian vibe Yuna was going for, though she made it a bit more festive in a rather dull way and her vocal performance was interesting, though not very engaging and she sounded weak, mostly during the chorus. I was glad to hear this mid-tempo track after the snooze-fest of the a-side, it woke me up, but its still just as forgettable.

The last track on the single is Urban Mermaid -Bittersweet Movement Blood-I Riddimix-. (sigh) I actually liked the remix of ‘miss you’ on the ‘koi no groovy’ single and I actually like the original version of this song; this remix I do not like. Its almost as boring as ‘miss you’.

-GRADE: D
Rating: 1/2 star

Yuna Ito’s 11th single miss you is as boring and dull as everyone said it was. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt, because normally I love stuff other people hate and hate stuff other people like, but they hit the nail on the hammer. This is definitely the worst single of the era, it leaves no impression aside from the nice and light Hawaiian atmosphere and all of the songs are forgettable. At least the cover art is pretty, Yuna looks gorgeous.

Tohoshinki [T] (Third Japanese Album)

TRICK
No?
Purple Line
Forever Love
Summer Dream
Ride on
DARKNESS EYES
Lovin’ you
Rainbow
SHINE
LAST ANGEL (Tohoshinki Version)
CLAP!
Love in the Ice
Forever Love (Acappella Version)
Lovin’ you -Haru’s “deep water” mix-
Together

Song for you
Day Moon ~Harudal~
Beautiful Life (Japanese Version)*
You’re my miracle (Japanese Version)
Kiss Shita Mama, Sayonara

The album starts off with everything including the kitchen sink TRICK. I’ll give this song this its the best start to one of their Japanese albums that I have ever heard, so I give it points for that. The arrangement is pretty much a lot of things, so its almost like where do I start? It holds a lot of variety, but a lot of times it got pretty absurd. I mean they were really trying to be badass with this track and I’m not sure if they succeeded. I would say the chorus (and JaeJoong’s parts) are the best, but what was the chorus? It sounds like they are saying, ‘break a tree’ or ‘break a dream, now’ then I believe its U-Know on the verses and he’s doing some sort of weird talking in rapping in the most emotionless voice I have ever heard. It seems to pop up out of nowhere and it should be cool, but it just comes across as creepy and corny. I believe I only heard ChangMin and YooChun during the chorus and maybe the ad-libs, but that’s it I think. Also, why the hell does Junsu come in singing the hook to ’smooth criminal’? What the heck was the point of that? Its more random than YunHo’s parts! This song isn’t bad, I kind a like it, mostly because it holds so much variety and though its cheesy and all over the place it does manage to hold and keep my attention. It was an exciting start to the album.

The next track on the album gratefully brings the pace down with No?. This is one of my personal favorites and solidifies the fact that Tohoshinki should do more rnb based tracks. This had me thinking longingly of ‘hey girl’ I got so nostalgic. The arrangement is rather nice and smooth, I mean really smooth… wow. The vocal performances were gold, I didn’t have a problem with anyone and even ChangMin blew me away, because he has such a strong voice, that he sometimes doesn’t use correctly and he ends up sounding weird, but his vocal performance in this was really good. The chorus is the high light and JaeJoong’s ad-libs at the end, loved it.

The next track on the album is the up-tempo Purple Line. I don’t like this song and I kind of think I’m the only one. The arrangement is pretty much nothing we haven’t heard from them before, its a bit synth rock in a sense, but I find it hard to describe, because its pretty dark but edgy at the same time. Its a sure fire dance track though, that’s something I’m sure of. The vocal performances were all right for a song like this, but honestly I felt no connection–the verses were pretty uninteresting in my opinion, though the chorus is a bit nice, it just isn’t enough. The only part I really liked was when YooChun says: ‘i want to touch myself’ how hot is that? I don’t understand why people thought that was odd. This song is just underwhelming to me and in truth I wish they’d come out with another track with this vibe similar to ‘choosey lover’ that’s there best Japanese dance track in my opinion.

The next track on the album is its first real ballad Forever Love. I’m a fan of Tohoshinki/DBSK ballads as I’ve stated before, but when this song first came out, I really didn’t care for it and in all truth I still don’t. It does not mean however, that I don’t like the song, because I do. The arrangement is pretty heavy and invokes an air of extreme sadness, so maybe they are talking about a love that is gone but will last forever? The vocal performances were OK, a bit weepy though and not as strong as I would have liked them to be. I recall hearing JaeJoong the most, but that isn’t really a problem, his voice suits songs like this. I liked the end of the song the most. This is a nice ballad, but by no means is it their best.

The next track on the album is the of course summer-y Summer Dream. Its like ’sky’ all over again, except less cheesy. I think. I’ve always liked this song, but it seems as if the novelty has wore off a bit. The arrangement is light and gives off a very summer-y and fun carefree vibe. The vocal performances were all right, but a bit weak. I thought the chorus was the highlight. YunHo’s rap made me cringe and YooChun’s voice sounded a bit too deep during his. I mean I know he has a deep voice, but it was all a bit unsettling. This is a nice song, if not a bit generic.

The next track on the album is the edgy Ride on. Well, as edgy as a song like this with Tohoshinki singing it can get anyways. I really dislike this song, its just so very lame to me. The arrangement should be neat, but it sounds just so amateurish and I kept thinking about that one episode of Doug where him and Skeeter were running around town singing: ‘beating on a trash can, drumming on a streetlight!’ and I just couldn’t take it serious. I mean do I hear glasses clinking together? I also recall hearing hand clapping or something. It was just a really weak beat. I didn’t care about any of the vocal performances, yes, not even Junsu’s or JaeJoong’s. They just did not sound right to me and I just wanted to turn my ears off every time someone came up to sing. I also hated the ‘oh oh oh’ sounds, I mean it just made the song even lamer. I just can’t see how anyone can take this song seriously, its a clunky mess of forgettable-ness.

The next track on the album is the thrilling DARKNESS EYES. I always get the feeling that this song should have been featured in a movie, a suspense thriller or one of those dark action movies, it just gives me that vibe. This is a really good song and arguably the stand-out track on this album. The arrangement is pretty intense and dark and gives you the feeling of a thousand things happening at one time. Its really engaging and creates a rather exciting atmosphere. I loved the vocal performances, they went so well with this song: ‘darkness on my eyes’ what does that mean? I don’t even care, I liked it. I even liked the rap that was thrown in there, the breathy way in which it was spoken was appropriate and it didn’t sound lame in the least. Ah, this is a good song.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Lovin’ you. Its another ‘forever love’ only a bit more interesting. I like this a lot more than ‘forever love’ mostly because its less of a wangst-fest, but even so they both still manage to play the same. This song bores me a little, but I still like it enough to want to listen to it every once in a while. The arrangement is a bit sparkly and wistful, but not to the point that it weighs you down with grief or exasperates you. I heard JaeJoong more than anyone else, and I didn’t really have a problem with that because his voice suits ballads more than anything. Junsu sounded a bit too breathy, but good. I’m glad he didn’t overdue it much, like he tends to do. I didn’t have a problem with the other three either, and found that I really enjoyed ChangMin’s parts. The chorus was a bit annoying, but I like it anyways. This is a nice song, on occasion.

The next track on the album is the poppy Rainbow. This song is pure pop candy, I’m serious. However, it doesn’t make my teeth rot or make me cringe at the sheer cheesiness of it. The arrangement is sparkly and like I said before, pure pop. Its rather nice on the ears though. I once again recall hearing JaeJoong’s voice more than anyone else’s, but he certainly sounded sweet and a bit sad, though that could be just me. I mean this song despite how cute it may sound, it seems to play awfully wistfully to me. I like it though, its a nice listen.

The next track on the album is SHINE. I think… this song has grown on me. I use to dislike it as much as ‘ride on’ but I don’t know, it sounded pretty decent this time around. They’ve done nothing new or original with the arrangement, because it sounds nearly as sparkly as ‘rainbow’ sounded, just not so sugar sweet. JaeJoong must have been the main vocalist, because I honestly heard no one but him and I listened to this song twice. I liked his voice in this though, I don’t know, JaeJoong’s voice is better suited for ballads, but he did a good job with this. I tried to find a reason to keep on disliking it, but ‘it sounds like all their other songs like this’ is a pretty weak argument.

The next track on the album is LAST ANGEL (Tohoshinki Version). I didn’t too much like the one with Kuu so I was wondering if I was going to like this, I mean I admit to double-taking when I saw this on the track list, but I certainly wasn’t surprised that they had decided to take their hand at it. Its pretty much the same song, just Kumi-less. I really like this, I don’t know, it just all sounded so sexy to me and I just really enjoyed listening to them take on this song. The beat as well as the music is very infectious and I believe that this song is really growing on me.

The next track on the album is the loud CLAP!. This track is like ten different kinds of annoying. I mean I don’t know what it is about Tohoshinki and their up-tempo tracks, but they’re always so hit or miss and mostly miss. The arrangement sounds like a whole bunch of clapping, surprise, surprise. It gets irritating an old after a while. Then the vocal performances were I don’t even know, I only recall hearing Junsu and well Junsu is cut out for power ballads but this, not so much so, it just kind a sounded like he was yelling. Ah, let’s not forget the tired ‘oh oh oh oh oh oh!’ shouts throughout. Yeah… I’ll pass on this track.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Love in the Ice. This song honestly blew me away when I first heard it and for the life of me I could not stop listening to it. The arrangement is very engaging the way it starts out with the chimes, that sound like sparkles and then goes into the piano piece, its pure love. It really reflects the title. I love the vocal performances, especially at the very start of the song. I always thought that was YooChun, but I believe its JaeJoong. The only thing I don’t like is when everyone starts breaking down in the bridge, its just bad and very all over the place–the English mixed with the Japanese was just not good and they clashed something awful. Otherwise this is a good track and always a nice listen.

The next track on the album is Forever Love (Acappella Version). I never really enjoy Tohoshinki’s acappella tracks, they always come across as very weak to me. This one was pretty boring.

The second to last track on the album is Lovin’ you -Haru’s “deep water” mix-. I actually really like this remix, its actually better than the original in my opinion. They have more bass in their voices, so they sound less whiny and the arrangement sounds less annoying. I’d take this over the original any day, surprise, surprise.

The last track on the album is the bonus Together. I really did not like this song when it first came out, I thought it was just one of the most pointless and cheesiest songs I had ever heard. It was further enhanced by the video which creeped me out, I mean the video was freaky. I think its grown on me, though I don’t listen to it at all really. I like the marching band sound of the arrangement and how nice their vocals sound. This is a pretty cute song. It ends the album happy on a rather happy and content note.

-GRADE: B-
Rating: ** stars

Disk II opens with the down-tempo Song for you. This was my least favorite song off their triple a-side single and it still is. I find that I can only recall liking this song once, every other time after that I disliked it. Its boring. The arrangement seems a bit weird to me as it sounds very light and a bit sparkly and I’m wondering if they were trying to go for a somber atmosphere or one of love, possibly the latter. The vocal performances I honestly can’t comment on them, because I literally only heard JaeJoong and I didn’t too much like his vocal performance, because it sounded really tired to me. They have way better down-tempo tracks than this. This is a hit or miss song, but its pretty forgettable to me.

The next track on the second disk is Day Moon ~Harudal~. They have a song called ‘harudal’ so I’m wondering if this is some sort of remake of that song, I haven’t heard it in a while, but I do believe I like that one more. This track is pretty all right, I’m inclined to like it despite it offering nothing much but the typical Tohoshinki ballad fare. The arrangement was nice. The vocal performances, I heard JaeJoong the most, but the others sung too, though I don’t recall hearing Junsu. The vocal performances, especially JaeJoong’s were a little weak, he sounded a bit tired to me and I mean a: ‘he needs to sleep’ type tired. This song is all right, I think given a few more listens it’ll grow on me, since it does have a nice sound.

The next track on the album is Beautiful Life (Japanese Version). This is one of my favorite DBSK songs so I wasn’t too enthused to find that they had translated it to Japanese, but this version is actually really good.

The second to last track is You’re my miracle (Japanese Version). This is a nice translated version of their original Korean song of the same name, but I find that I don’t too much care for it.

The last track on the album is the heart-stopping Kiss Shita Mama, Sayonara. I am speechless, I mean Tohoshinki simply blew me away with this emotional ballad. I mean this is quite possibly the most depressing song I have ever heard by them. I seriously had to get myself under control, because they were making my heart race and my eyes kind of water, especially with the whole: ‘lonely people’ its just so real. The vocal performances accompanied by the silent piano was so felt, I mean wow. This is one of their best vocal performances ever, every member brought their a-game, but I must give a shout out to ChangMin and most definitely JaeJoong… JaeJoong, woah… when he said: ’sayonara’ at the end I almost started clapping, but then I had to catch myself. This is one of the best tracks in their entire discography, I really hate that its so underrated.

-GRADE: B-
Rating: ** stars

Tohoshinki’s third Japanese album T was very half and half to me. Their Japanese album Heart, Mind and Soul was a disaster, but their second Japanese album Five In The Black they seemed to have gotten it at least somewhat right, so I had only high hopes for T. I was a bit disappointed. I think what ultimately ruins this album is the fact that they tried to do too much with it; we have pop, rock, rnb…etc. all these different types of genres and there seems to be no balance. It was like they recorded a few dozen tracks, picked their favorites and slapped them on the album. I mean not to say I didn’t enjoy this album, because in all truth there were a few stand-out tracks on here, most notably: No and DARKNESS EYES, so I’m not saying the album was a complete failure, but I am saying it could have been a lot better than this, especially considering how much they’ve improved. T is an all right album, but like the previous two it just pales in comparison to their Korean albums.

In concerns to the second disk, I really didn’t see much of a point to it. They could have put ‘a song for you’ and ‘kiss shita mama, sayonara’ on the album and left off the ‘forever love’ acappella and the ‘loving you’ remix, those are better suited for singles anyways. ‘Day moon’ is practically a remake of an original song and the other two are simply their Korean songs translated to Japanese, so yes, the second disk was a bit pointless.

Shinhwa [Only One] (Third Album)

Intro
I Wanna Be
Only One
All Your Dreams
First Love
Jam #1
Never Come to Me
Change
Vortex
White Night
Cyber Love
Soul
나의 가족들에게 (To My Family)
너의 곁에서 (Wedding March)

The album starts off with the Intro. I don’t really know what to say about it, but rest assured it made no sense and played rather pointlessly.

The next track on the album is the confused I Wanna Be. I say that because the song doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, it shifts so freaking much. I mean there’s talk singing in which it sounds like they’re debating, then there’s Hyesung I believe singing what sounds like the hook, then rapping. The arrangement isn’t spared either, because one minute its hard-hitting and the next its soft and rather romantic. I like the dynamic’s, though the song can become a bit tiring.

The next track on the album is the somewhat mid-tempo Only One. This song is all right, but its not a song I would listen to. The arrangement sounds pretty grungy and dark, which kind a suits the atmosphere of the song. The vocals were decent, though like the previous track they switched up a bit and though it wasn’t hard to follow up with this time around, I still found myself disinterested.

The next track on the album is the dark All Your Dreams. This song has always confused me, mostly because the first time I heard it, it was through the video, which yeah, made no sense to me. The arrangement is pretty dramatic for a song like this, but its fitting. The vocal performances were nice. I mean there was a lot of emotion and feeling in the singing parts and then a lot of edge and depth in the non singing parts. I’d call this track a guilty pleasure of mine.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo First Love. This is a rather sweet song from them that I never listen to. The arrangement is appropriately mood-setting and angst-y. There vocal performances were good as well, definitely loved the harmonization during the chorus’ and when, I don’t know Eric…Andy? One of them would start softly talking really quickly, I honestly love when they do that. I also think this is one of those songs by them I use to hear when I’d go an look them up on youtube and I’d always wonder what the title was.

The next track on the album brings the pace back up with Jam #1. I’m going to go half in half with this, because I like it, but its not a song I would voluntarily listen to. The arrangement is pretty edgy and seemed like a cross between rnb and rock. The vocal performances were relegated to chorus’, but I heard a bit of aggressive talk-singing and rapping and well Shinhwa pulls such things off like nobody else. I always love how genuinely energetic and engaging there up-tempo’s are.

The next track on the album brings things to around mid-tempo with Never Come to Me. The title is rather interesting. I’m on the fence with this song, because I don’t really like how short it is, but I do like the flow and the vocal performances, even the non-singing performances, because like I said before Shinhwa just does those so well. The arrangement isn’t anything to write home about, but its fitting. This song was all right, I just wish they would have stretched it out a bit more, maybe four minutes instead of three. It just seemed to end.

The next track on the album ups the pace just a tad with Change. This seemed a lot longer than it actually is. The arrangement seemed very airy pop to me, it was pretty forgettable. Shinhwa sounded way to boyband-ish for my taste, even if I did like the chorus. I didn’t too much go for the talk/rap segment either. This song is OK in its own right, but I wouldn’t listen to it again.

The next track on the album is the wonky Vortex. I’ll admit this song does give off an vortex type of feeling, but it seems to be so many uninteresting things going on I hardly really care for that aspect. The arrangement is pretty much a whole bunch of sound effects swishing around or whatever and then Shinhwa are talking, singing, rapping whatever I don’t know, I long stopped paying attention to this track. Its a mess. This is the result of trying to do too much, just because you think it’ll sound cool.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo White Night. I don’t too much like this song, but its all right. The arrangement is pretty watered down and simple, made me think of N’Sync’s ‘this i promise you’ and speaking of boy bands, Shinhwa just dripped them in this track, I kept thinking of the Backstreet Boys, minus the oddly off-key and sloppy harmonization that made them sound a lot more annoying than they should of. The saxophone solo was pretty out of nowhere, but I kind a liked it. This is probably one of their weakest ballads, but I like the flow.

The next track on the album is the up-tempo Cyber Love. The title was forewarning enough, I knew I was in for a ride. The arrangement is pretty tech influenced and gave me such a gay club vibe it was almost amazing. I mean I kept picturing half naked guys dancing sensually up against each other underneath the strobe lights and just to kick that vision up a notch I also kept thinking of Queer As Folk: ‘this is definitely something they’d play in that club they frequent’. The vocal performances were mostly the guys scream-singing, which was appropriate, but quite annoying at the same time. This song isn’t bad, its actually pretty entertaining, but I can’t see myself ever fully enjoying this enough to just listen to it.

The next track on the album is the mix between down and mid-tempo Soul. I’m not sure where Shinwha was going with this track, but something definitely got lost in translation. The arrangement is pretty fitting, though stagnant and definitely typical. I actually had to listen to it again, because I had completely forgotten it once the song ended. The vocal performances were pretty off-key and I didn’t really like the talk/rap part that was thrown in there. This is a pretty forgettable and borderline bad song.

The next track on the album is the cute-sy 나의 가족들에게 (To My Family). I guess this is suppose to be a joyful track, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. I’m not sure who it was who was talking in English in the beginning, but whomever sounded so falsely cheery that it was scary. The arrangement is like a more tame version of ‘eusha eusha’ because it just seems so kidz bop and elementary and their vocal performances certainly reflect that. I was expecting this song to be a lot more serious and emotionally felt, especially for a track entitled ‘to my family’, instead I got something a bit too contrived and immature for my taste.

The last track on the album is the dull 너의 곁에서 (Wedding March). Its strange that they have a song called ‘wedding march’ as later they title one of their albums ‘wedding’. This song is flat and boring and one of the most forgettable tracks to leave an album on I have ever heard. The arrangement is weak and the traditional wedding song they cliche-ly threw in there was tacky. The vocal performances were decent I guess, but I hardly cared for them, since I was too busy not paying attention to this track. This song was just boring and a very weak album closer.

-GRADE: C
Rating: * star

Shinhwa’s third album Only One was a pretty forgettable and somewhat messy album, which is crazy seeing as how I enjoyed their fourth album a whole lot more. The only songs on here that I really care to remember are ‘all your dreams’ and ‘first love’ the others I liked are only good for listens in passing and the rest are forgettable. I also didn’t too much like their vocals this time around, or the average hastily slapped together beats. It just seemed like a rush job to me. I don’t know, I give them credit for trying to be different, by incorporating a lot of experimental and futuristic sounds into this album, but I think they could have done so much better than this, because if I wasn’t confused I was bored and that’s no good. Only One is one of those albums that you listen to once and only once.

Two-Mix [Before the Ignition] (19th Single)

Before the Ignition
Do that Dance
At the End of Journey

Two-Mix’s 19th single starts off with the a-side Before the Ignition. This track really just jumps out at you, its almost refreshing. The arrangement has a bit of variety and definitely reflects the title, because it really makes you feel like you’re swooping through the clouds. Minami’s vocal performance was good, I quite like her voice. This was a nice a-side, though in truth its one of those songs that just fade into the background.

The next track on the single is its first b-side Do that Dance. This song starts out a bit slow and then towards the middle an end it seems to mimic the a-side in pace. The arrangement is light synth, it was pretty mysterious in the beginning, gave me a Detective Conan vibe and then it got kind of dance dance techno towards the end. Minami’s vocal performance was nice for the most part, but it got a bit grating as the song went along and she fell into that early Ayu, early Namie phase in regards to the highness of her tones. This is an all right track, but it does tend to drag a little after a while.

The last track on the single is its second b-side At the End of Journey. This plays like an alternate version of the a-side and I must say it certainly leaves more of an impression, despite being so plain. The arrangement is typical really, its pretty fast paced, like it never lets up and that keeps the interest level high. Minami’s vocal performance was pretty strong, in a weak sort of way. I like how she was definitely into the track, mostly during the chorus, that really made me pay attention to this, because my attention was certainly waning at the beginning, but it pulled itself together and became a nice and somewhat exciting listen.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

Two-Mix’s 19th single Before the Ignition was pretty good. I mean its there last, since they haven’t released a single since ‘03, so if this is there last official single than it was a pretty good single to leave things off on. I just like how refreshing the a-side and third b-side sound, I mean they aren’t overtly interesting and they don’t stand out, but they still manage to be enjoyable. The first b-side is like the odd one out, but I still found that I liked it. Though nothing new or different, it was still a pretty nice listen.

Shimatani Hitomi [Heart & Symphony] (Fifth Album)

Sky High
Falco
真昼の月 (Mahiru no Tsuki; midday moon)
沙羅双樹 (Sara Souju; sal tree)
Salvia
Garnet Moon
Mona Lisa
kokoro (heart)
Mermaid
太陽神 (Taiyou Shin; sun god)
voice
フレーム (Frame)
Viola (crossover version)

The album starts off with the exhilarating Sky High. I’ve always thought this was a great song and with the exception of Flare Shimatani always manages to start her albums off with a bang. This song is quite refreshing and gives you such a high feeling of flying through the sky, or free falling. The arrangement is classical laced with techno and the result was rather flashy and engaging, because I paid attention to it more than Shimatani. Ah, Shimatani’s vocal performance was nice, no complaints there, I definitely loved it when her voice seemed to fade as she got into it, it always leaves an impression when artists do that. This was such a good start to the album.

The next track on the album is the somewhat suspenseful Falco. I say that because this is the type of song that should make your blood rush and your heart race, but it never quite manages it. The arrangement sounds like whooshing air, I’m serious. I’d say it should be the theme to a game series, but I’ll regulate it to some sort of fantasy anime, since ’sky high’ sounds more like a game theme. Its an all right arrangement, it just doesn’t leave much of an impression. Shimatani’s vocal performance was decent, but I recall hearing it mostly during the chorus, which was suppose to sound climactic, but I wasn’t moved. I don’t know, this isn’t a bad song, but it could have been so much more, it tries, but doesn’t quite succeed. I did like the chorus though (maybe it’ll grow on me).

The next track on the album slows things down with 真昼の月 (Mahiru no Tsuki; midday moon). Ah, what a gorgeous song. It made me think of Maaya’s ‘afternoon repose’ as it just moves through you and makes you smile. The piano arrangement is lovely and the added sparkle sounds were a nice touch. Shimatani’s vocals are beautiful in this, so warm and full of love. I just really enjoyed listening to this, its like ‘take me home’ all over again.

The next track on the album continues the slow pace with 沙羅双樹 (Sara Souju; sal tree). I have no clue what a ’sal tree’ is. This track is just as gorgeous as the last, but sounds a bit more ancient. The arrangement is rather quiet in simple, it doesn’t flow out at you, but moves through you, so its felt. Shimatani’s vocals were very soft and placating and it was just a nice vocal performance all around. This is another good down-tempo track from her.

The next track on the album is the light Salvia. I actually had to listen to this song twice, because it didn’t really do anything for me the first time. The second time it played a bit better. The arrangement is rather gorgeous, it sounds like a traditional flute and makes me think of Fushigi Yuugi and cold nights. Shimatani’s vocals are a bit heartbreaking to me, but I think that’s because of her tone and because despite how calming this song is, it does give off an adept feeling of longing and loneliness.

The next track on the album brings the pace back up with Garnet Moon. The title is quite pretty, though it does make me vaguely think of Princess Garnet from Final Fantasy IX. Its like a different more up-tempo version of the previous. The arrangement sounds like something you’d here in an arcade, only with a lot more class. Shimatani has done better vocal performances, but it was decent. This track isn’t really all that interesting, but maybe it’ll grow on me.

The next track on the album is Mona Lisa. This song plays a bit like ‘garnet moon’ and ’salvia’ combined. The arrangement is pretty dramatic at the start and somewhat throughout and it kind a made me think of horse back riding ala LOTR’s style. Shimatani’s vocals are good, as usual. Hmm? This song didn’t turn out quite like I expected it to, because it caught my attention, but didn’t really succeed in engaging me. I still like it though and I feel as if it will grow on me.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo kokoro (heart). You can toss this into the typical ballad pile, but its a rather nice one either way. The arrangement is a simple and elegant piano and violin piece that made me think of the Disney instrumentals. Shimatani’s vocal performance was soft and lovely and definitely kept the pace of the track at a serene flow. This song doesn’t stand out and she has way better ballads than this, but I liked it for what it was.

The next track on the album brings the pace back up with Mermaid. This is a pretty dramatic and somewhat dark song. The arrangement at the beginning is some truly Transylvania type organ music and then she goes right into the beat, which manages to keep a creepy Halloween type vibe throughout especially with all the ghostly ‘oh’ing’. Shimatani’s vocal performance was pretty much on point; pretty hard-hitting. I think I expected this song to be more flowing, but I like the twist and how it invokes an atmosphere of dark water crashing against a foreboding and rocky cliff. This also makes me think of Vampire Knight.

The next track on the album is 太陽神 (Taiyou Shin; sun god). I don’t know, with a title that translates to ’sun god’ I think I just expected more. The song isn’t bad, but it just doesn’t really stand out much at all. The arrangement sounds a bit techno, or bass-driven, but I like the freshness of it. Shimatani’s vocal performance was also nice. I guess I liked the flow of it, but there’s not much to say in regards to it as it doesn’t sound any different from ’salvia’, ‘garnet moon’ or even ‘mona lisa’.

The next track on the album brings on the ambiance with voice. This song gives off such an atmosphere of fantasy. The arrangement is pretty sweet, I really liked how folk and Irish and mildly epic it sounded. It also gave me the impression of a woman dancing barefoot wearing a flowing white dress. Shimatani’s vocals are gorgeous, because they always are, even so I liked the arrangement more. This track would have been perfect as the intro to a fantasy anime movie, or movie in general.

The next track on the album is the inspirational sounding フレーム (Frame). This played like the obligatory thank-you song and its pretty refreshing as it doesn’t sound like anything I haven’t heard before, but it has enough going for it to keep it interesting. The arrangement was nice, though it did play like one of those insert scenes to a climactic part in a movie. Shimatani’s vocal performance was good as well, she seemed really into the song, I especially loved when she would say: ‘arigatou’ Hmm? This track does seem to fade, but its likable and would have been a good ending to the album.

The last track on the album is the bonus Viola (crossover version). This song played a lot smoother than I thought it would and so I will assume that the original is a tad bit quicker than this in pace. The arrangement is rather simple, but fitting, I mean it doesn’t particularly jump out and grab your attention like most of her arrangements, but its a decent listen. Shimatani gave a nice and rather safe vocal performance. This track is pretty mild and mellow compared to the original, but they both offer pretty much the same in quality.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

Shimatani Hitomi’s fifth album Heart & Symphony was pretty good, but pretty safe at the same time. Its almost like you’ve heard it all on ‘love letter’ so by the time you get to this the novelty has worn off. That doesn’t mean that this isn’t a good album, if you ignore ‘flare’ Shimatani does not have a bad album and they always have enough variety going for them to keep you interested. I enjoyed the more down-tempo tracks more than say the up or the mid-tempo’s, because its just something about Shimatani’s voice that makes them sound so good. I would have to say she does her more up-tempo tracks a lot more justice and that’s the sound I would like to hear from her more often than not, but on this album with the exception of ’sky high’ they all just seemed to bleed into each other and sound the same. I mean I honestly expected ‘falco’, ‘garnet moon’, ‘mona lisa’ and most definitely ‘mermaid’ to play a bit better than they did and be a lot more memorable than they were. Heart & Symphony is a nice listen, but its her most safest and average album since ‘papillion’.

Tommy Heavenly6 [PAPERMOON] (9th Single)

PAPERMOON
Ruby Shoes

Tommy Heavenly6’s 9th single starts off with the a-side PAPERMOON. I didn’t like this song when I first listened to it and now on the single, I still don’t like it. I’m not a fan of Tommy’s heavenly persona, but I do like a handful of her tracks, this on the other hand does nothing to differentiate itself from what I’ve already heard from her and better. The arrangement is a pretty typical punk rock arrangement, slightly interesting, more interesting than the song and at certain points gave me a Visual Kei vibe. Tommy’s vocal performance is nothing to write home about as she sounded like she was struggling with this track the entire time and I kept thinking, ‘why?’ as this song asks for nothing. It also seems a lot longer than its over four minutes running time. This is a pretty average and forgettable a-side from Tommy.

The next track on the single is its b-side Ruby Shoes. This is even more underwhelming than the a-side. Typical punk rock arrangement and Tommy giving a decent, though better than the previous track vocal performance. I don’t know, for this song to be so short it certainly gets uninteresting fast, I stopped paying attention a quarter of the ways through.

-GRADE: D
Rating: * star

Tommy Heavenly6’s 9th single PAPERMOON was one forgettable single. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like either song, despite liking there song titles. I don’t know, both ‘papermoon’ and ‘ruby shoes’ seem so subpar compared to what I’ve already heard from this persona.

Se7en [Must Listen] (Second Korean Album)

열정(Passion)
욕심(Greed)
Honey I Know
2Nite
두걸음(Two Steps) (Feat. Perry)
문신 (Tattoo)
Se7en’s Love
I Just Know (interlude)
알아 (I Know)
오기 (Error) (Feat. Masta Wu)
Wishy Washy
Christmas With You
듣고 싶지 않은 말 (What I Don’t Want to Hear)
You’re My Everything
Real Love Story (Feat. Wheesung & Taebin)

The album starts off with the up-tempo 열정 (Passion). This is one of the first Se7en songs I ever heard and though it sounds oddly dated its still such a fun listen. The arrangement is so catchy and I’m sure when it first came out back in ‘04 it was a hot dance track. Se7en has some good vocals, so I of course loved it in this, especially during the chorus where the song just shines. I also liked the little breakdown part, even if it was a little cheesy. This is an addicting and colorful track and a good start to the album.

The next track on the album slows the pace down with 욕심(Greed). I have never really paid attention to this track, but its pretty good. Its not a ballad, but its certainly down-tempo, a bit heavy and piano-driven which was nice. Se7en’s vocals are quite good in this, I love the emphasis he puts in on certain parts, brings a lot of character to the song and shows that he was really into it, without overdoing it. Ah, its a pretty deep song if you choose to look at it that way.

The next track on the album is Honey I Know. Wow, I honestly didn’t expect this track to go the way it did. Its heavy on the rnb and the arrangement isn’t anything I haven’t heard before, but its very sensual and appropriate. Se7en’s vocal performance was quite good and I really loved it when he broke down during the bridge, I was quite impressed, he displayed some strong vocals.

The next track on the album ups the pace a tad with 2Nite. This is definitely one of those songs you either like or don’t like, I like it even if it does tend to drag and plays like five minutes instead of four. The arrangement is typical and though snap and clap beats get so tiring, its oddly fitting in this song. Se7en gave a good vocal performance. This song is all right, but the chorus stands out.

The next track on the album is the brief 두걸음(Two Steps) (Feat. Perry). This is a pretty simple song. The arrangement is typical, though its nice and not as rnb as it could have been, a bit light, reminded me of J. Holiday or Trey Songz. Se7en’s vocals were pretty mild, but I liked his vocal performance and Perry’s rap was short and sweet, as it should have been.

The next track on the album is the smooth 문신 (Tattoo). This is a pretty simple rnb tune as well, but one I like a bit more than the previous. I never really paid attention to this song, but its a pretty nice slow jam from Se7en (I try not to think of Jordan Sparks song of the same name which I like… unwillingly). I love Se7en’s rather calm and soothing vocal performance, it really does give you the impression of a love that stays burned into your heart like a tattoo, long after that person is gone.

The next track on the album is the short Se7en’s Love. I’m very fond of this song, despite its under three minutes running time. The arrangement is simple rnb, which was nice and Se7en’s vocals were love, as they were very warm. I mean it was a bit typical how a song called ’se7en’s love’ has him counting up to seven, but it was bearable and I always enjoy listening to this.

The next track on the album is I Just Know (interlude). A rather nice piano piece plays and then Se7en starts talking in uncertain Engrish and ends it with: ‘i just know’

The next track on the album seems to be an continuation of the interlude, 알아 (I Know). This track doesn’t stand out much, but its a pretty nice down-tempo ballad from Se7en. The arrangement isn’t exactly rnb, but its pretty smooth and mellow and a tad sparkly. Se7en’s vocal performance was very warm. This is a really charming song, I liked it.

The next track on the album ups the pace a tad with 오기 (Error) (Feat. Masta Wu). I’m honestly rather surprised I liked this song. The arrangement is somewhat mid-tempo and your typical rnb fare, but fitting. Se7en’s vocals are mild, but good and went well with the whole flow of the song. I don’t recall hearing Master Wu… this is one of those tracks you like just because you like the sound of it, there really isn’t any other reason.

The next track on the album is the rather surprising Wishy Washy. This is one track that stands out, because its clever in a very typical way. It sounds like the late 90’s early millennium rnb and I got such a Next vibe from Se7en. The arrangement does nothing new, or anything at all, but its catchy in a very indirect way. Se7en’s vocals were also pretty tame, which was appropriate. This is such a catchy, somewhat mid-tempo track, I really like this *repeat*.

The next track on the album is the soft Christmas With You. Its ‘attack of the random Christmas song’ alert and this album was released in July of ‘04. Um, I didn’t think I was going to like this when I first heard it, though I have a tendency to somewhat go for original Christmas songs. This was nice, it really was. I just adored the light Christmas-y arrangement and Se7en’s sweet vocal performance, especially the: ‘Christmas with you’ parts.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo 듣고 싶지 않은 말 (What I Don’t Want to Hear). This is your typical down-tempo rnb crooner, with an angsty and somewhat dramatic arrangement and a pretty strong vocal performance from Se7en.

The second to last track on the album is the cute You’re My Everything. I don’t mean cute as in actually cute, just figuratively. This is a play off the, ‘you are everything and everything is you’ I thought it was clever and loved his use of hip-hop and rnb, it made the song a lot more engaging than it would have been. And even though its a bit on the cheesy side, I still found it a somewhat enjoyable listen.

The last track on the album is the infectious Real Love Story (Feat. Wheesung & Taebin). I love this song and I believe this was the first Se7en song I ever heard. Ah, I love how this song has three of my favorite K-poppers in it, especially Taebin, it really makes me miss 1tym. The arrangement is rnb and pop and oh so catchy, that and the chorus. I loved Se7en’s soft vocals and Wheesung’s strong blowing every one else out the water vocals and I’ve always love Taebin’s rap voice, its crazy because he raps so well, but he can sing pretty well on top of that, which is a rare feat. I never get tired of this track, its one of those songs that just makes you happy for no reason every time you hear it.

-GRADE: A
Rating: *** stars

Se7en’s second album Must Listen was really good and no I’m not being bias because its predominantly rnb, but it really is a good and rather quiet album; I think its his best yet, even better than his first album Just Listen in that’s the Se7en album I’m the most fond of. I like the casual approach he took this second time around, it doesn’t sound as immature as his first album or as wannabe as his third album, it sounds just right. I mean it isn’t a stand-out album, but for what it is its pretty nice and definitely a must listen; every single song on here was pretty darn good and I haven’t liked every track on an album since Bennie K.’s Essence. I’d recommend this album to anyone wanting to get into Se7en’s music, I really hope he puts out a fifth album soon (and gives this U.S. debut crap a rest).

Wonder Girls [Nobody] (2nd Single)

Intro
Nobody
I Tried
Saying I Love You
Nobody (Rainstone Remix)

Wonder Girls 2nd single starts off with Intro. An orchestral chorus of the song. Nice.

The next track on the single is its a-side Nobody. I love this song, but to be truthful I’ve always thought the original was slow, this is my first time hearing the up-tempo version and I must say its addictive, no wonder there’s so many versions and covers of this track. The arrangement is quick and a sort of consistent snap and clap beat, that surprisingly never got old or annoying and it does make you think of either the 30’s or the 60’s. The vocal performances from of course Sunye and YeEun were nice, but SoHee’s voice is so weak that no matter how brief her parts are you always know its her. Yubin has a nice and rather harsh rap voice, I liked how she took the song out. I prefer the more down-tempo ‘nobody’ but this is quite good as well and I love how you can dance to it, it makes its an enjoyable as well as fun listen.

The next track on the single is its first b-side I Tried. This is no ‘this time’, but it gave me that vibe, especially when it first started off. The arrangement is a sort of sad tinkle like melody that was rather nice. The vocal performances were pretty good, rather stable and I liked that. The song was also pretty emotional, which I liked as well. The Wonder Girls has some pretty nice down-tempo tracks, but that could be because they specialize in rnb and I’m bias, or they’re just good at down-tempo ballads.

The next track on the album is its second b-side Saying I Love You. Its interesting how if you put this in the last track together its: ‘i tried saying i love you’ this is also a really nice ballad from the Wonder Girls. The arrangement isn’t as engaging or emotionally moving as the last, but its a pretty nice sad tune and went with the flow. I did think the vocal performances this time around were slightly better and a bit more emotionally felt. Though that high note that I believe Sunye hit was a little off. This is another nice, yet simple track.

The last track on the single is Nobody (Rainstone Remix). This is a more slower version of the original and I’m use to the down-tempo version, but not this one. It wasn’t bad per say, just boring.

-GRADE: B+
Rating: ** stars

The Wonder Girls 2nd single Nobody was a pretty good single. I really like the original version of ‘nobody’ even if the more down-tempo is more appealing to me. The two down-tempo ballads tracks were also nice, because the Wonder Girl’s honestly do know how to deliver some good one’s. I didn’t really like the remix of ‘nobody’ it was just too slow and boring.

Salyu [Landmark] (First Album)

Landmark
I Am
VALON-1
Niji no saki
Peaty
Taion
UEE
Dramatic Irony
Dialogue
Suisei
Pop

The album starts off with the insistent Landmark. I’m not sure, but this song really makes me think of a lonely travel, I just really got that feeling while listening to it. The arrangement is driven by the drums, the constant beat and pace of it was very consistent to the point that I found myself focusing on it more than Salyu’s vocal performance. Salyu’s vocal performance was pretty good, really liked all those high notes, mostly during the chorus. The song is long, and after a while it felt long, because I was kind a wondering when it was going to end, that made the song a bit long-winded and tiring. Its still a good track though, and a nice start to the album.

The next track on the album is the exhausting I Am. This song really made me tired. I’m on the fence with this track, but I think I like it because its not a bad song, not really. The arrangement consists mostly of synth and the drums, and I love the whole dark and somewhat conflicted atmosphere it arouses. Salyu’s vocal performance was decent, it went with the flow, but after a while it becomes a bit dull and I found it hard to stay focused on the song. This is an all right track, but for one that isn’t really all that long, it certainly felt like it was.

The next track is the down-tempo VALON-1. I don’t know, maybe its just me, but listening to this song made me think of those old black and white silent movies, yeah. This is a nice and rather calm song. The arrangement seems simple, yet a bit classical at the same time. I love the play of piano and drums, it brought such mood to this song. Salyu’s vocals were just as nice, adding such depth to the song and really making it stand out quite a bit. The song is long, but as where the other two tracks nearly put me in a stupor, this song was soothing, with a nice little undercurrent of sadness… and longing.

The next track on the album continues the slew of down-tempo’s with Niji no saki. This is another nice and rather calming track, that manages to play like a smooth dream whilst not lulling me to sleep in the process. The arrangement is rather simple, but its quite effective. Salyu’s slow and somewhat husky vocals gave me such an alternate Rie Fu vibe, as to where she can really pull off the slow tunes such as this.

The next track on the album is the rather bleak Peaty. The title is pretty odd, but the song is good. The arrangement is pretty natural, with a bit of soft rock thrown in there to spice things up, fitting. Salyu’s vocal performance was a bit different, as she has a lot more bass and edge is her tones and that made this song stand out a little.

The next track on the album is the empty Taion. This is a rather odd song, but it is very effective. The arrangement is pretty lucid, and gives you this feeling of floating absently through nothingness. Salyu’s vocals seem to mimic it, as she sounds very airy and it gives you such a feeling of high that is both strange and pleasant at the same time.

The next track on the album is UEE. This song is just as interesting as the title. It took me a short minute to get into it, but once I caught on to the flow, I was pretty much sold. The arrangement is pretty non existent, its there, but the drums play in such a smooth in mellow way that its hardly noticeable, which was nice. Salyu’s vocals were pretty sweet, I just love how she sang this in such a ‘i don’t give a care’ fashion, it really made me pay attention to it. This track doesn’t do much, but I definitely like the unhurried pace of it.

The next track on the album is the somewhat down-tempo Dramatic Irony. This song is pretty vague, that’s the impression I got. It makes me think of a slow and ponderous day. The arrangement is pretty simple and fitting, it doesn’t do much but what it should, though its still a nice listen. I liked the semi drawl to Salyu’s vocals, it reminded me of another version of her vocals in the previous track, she seemed more into this, but it was still a very laid-back vocal performance. This track doesn’t stand out, but its a nice listen overall.

The next track on the album is Dialogue. The title is rather plain, but the song seems very conflicting. The arrangement is pretty mellow and makes me think of the desert. Salyu’s vocal performance was pretty tame during the verses and then she really got into it during the chorus and the ways she sang it really brought on feelings of desperation. This isn’t a stand-out track, despite the chorus being pretty engaging, but it is a good and interesting listen.

The next track on the album is the similar-sounding Suisei. This track sounds like another version of the previous. I don’t know, this song isn’t really all that interesting, but I still find that I liked it. I guess its because it makes me think of coming across a great epiphany. The arrangement is pretty plain, but I did like Salyu’s vocal performance, just like in the previous she put a lot into the chorus.

The last track on the album is the dreary Pop. This song is pretty pass. I listened to it twice and didn’t really care for it. The arrangement makes me think of a breeze, but its pretty dull at the same time. I thought Salyu’s vocals mimicked the arrangement, because I hardly cared for it. A lot of the time she sounded so nonsensical. This was a calm ending to the album, but an unmemorable one at the same time.

-GRADE: A
Rating: *** stars

Salyu’s first album Landmark was a good album and I’ll admit I kind a had my doubts, but I love the soft flow of her music and the fact that she reminds me of an alternate Rie Fu arrangement wise and an alternate Chihiro vocal wise. I honestly didn’t think I was going to enjoy this album even half as much as I did, but I just loved the whole flow; every song seemed to speak of something, like a journey and it was all rather inspiring and profound. This is the type of album that will most definitely leave you in a ponderous sort of mood. I think I’m well on my way to becoming a fan.

Rurutia [Promised Land] (Third Album)

ハレルヤ (Hallelujah)
neo
アラベスク (Arabesque)
シンシア (Cynthia)
トロイメライ (Träumerei; Fantasy)
ジゼル (Giselle)
流れ星 (Nagareboshi; Shooting Star)
メリー (Merry)
GOLA
月千一夜 (Tsuki Sen’ichiya; One Thousand and One Moonlit Nights)
maururu roa (‘thank you very much’)

The album starts off with the edgy ハレルヤ (Hallelujah). Ah, what can I say, did I really think this song was going to be so hard-hitting? Not really. Rurutia certainly knows how to start her albums off with a bang. The arrangement is pretty gritty, I’d say the best classification is rock and its pretty dark, making one think of storm filled skies. Rurutia’s vocal performance was pretty weak, but I mean weak in a powerful sort of way, well not so powerful, but close enough. I mean she certainly got the point across despite not standing out much. I wonder if this song is religious, though I shouldn’t just come to that conclusion because of the title. This isn’t a song I would listen to, really. I do think it was a good start to the album though.

The next track on the album is the soothing neo. This track is a lot more calming than the previous and much more welcome. The arrangement is mild, it sounds like the wind blowing and I really liked the soft chorus of ‘ah’s’ in the background. Rurutia’s rather weak voice suited this song and she sounded really nice and placating.

The next track on the album is アラベスク (Arabesque). I got such an Arabian vibe from this song, but mostly at the start a ways into it, it seemed to become less Middle Eastern and more cultural. The arrangement sounds very windy and natural, making you think of places like Egypt and Cairo. Rurutia’s vocals were simplistic, but I like how she manipulated her tones to blend into the arrangement, it brought such depth and atmosphere to the song and made it quite the inspiring listen.

The next track on the album keeps the calm pace going with シンシア (Cynthia). This is a song that seems to just pass over you, but it still manages to retain some form of interest. The arrangement is the usual, natural sounds Rurutia is so fond of and her weak, though nice vocals. This song is all right, but I think I like it mostly because of the chorus.

The next track on the album is the brief, but I kind a like it anyways トロイメライ (Träumerei; Fantasy). I think I like this song mostly because of the arrangement which is sparkly and oh-so quietly whimsical on the ears, it left me with a good feeling. I don’t too much care for Rurutia’s vocal performance, but she did a decent job considering. Its not her most stand out track, but its all right, if only for the arrangement.

The next track on the album is the windy ジゼル (Giselle). I’m kind a on the fence with this track, it seems all right from an aesthetic point of view, but I don’t know its a bit long-winded and tiresome. The arrangement is pretty non-existent, a whole bunch of air sounds blended together to make everything sound ethereal, nice, but she should have minest well sung this a capella. I liked her vocal performance even less in this track, it wasn’t bad per say, but it wasn’t particularly interesting either. I don’t know, maybe this track a grow on me.

The next track on the album keeps the same pace going with 流れ星 (Nagareboshi; Shooting Star). This is definitely one of my favorite Japanese words, but this song is pretty underwhelming compared to it. The arrangement is your typical Rurutia ethereal sounds fare and her vocal performance is pretty much how it always is, weak, yet effective. This song does nothing to stand out, or separate itself from anything I haven’t already heard from Rurutia and better, though despite that I still find myself inclined to like it.

The next track on the album is メリー (Merry). This track is a bit better than the previous, but still falls into the same category as it isn’t anything new and gives us what Rurutia always gives us, a nice instrumental and a pretty solid vocal performance.

The next track on the album is the solemn GOLA. This song seems to pass over you like the wind, I mean that’s really the impression I got. There’s nothing different about this song, arrangement wise or vocal wise, but its quite lovely and rather wistful.

The second to last track on the album is the moody 月千一夜 (Tsuki Sen’ichiya; One Thousand and One Moonlit Nights). I really like what this title translates to, gorgeous. This song is pretty different, the arrangement is very trance an dramatic it gave me such an Enigma meets LOTR’s vibe. Rurutia’s vocals were still pretty much the same, though more surreal and controlled. This was a rather intriguing listen.

The last track on the album is maururu roa (‘thank you very much’). The word is interesting, because its an Tahitian word, which means: ‘thank-you very much’ I thought that was pretty neat. This isn’t a song, but mostly ethereal sounds and a drum beat that plays at a constant and almost distracting pace. Rurutia doesn’t sing, really, but says a string of words that I’m not sure are Japanese, maybe she’s saying the title over and over again? It also sounds like she is chanting. A pretty typical Rurutia album closer.

-GRADE: B+
Rating: ** stars

Rurutia’s third album Promised Land is a pretty album, but though a bit better than Meme it suffers from the same thing that album suffered from, being rather unmemorable. It could be because everything about Rurutia seems to fade away, I mean while listening to it, it feels as if you’ll never forget the song, because Rurutia songs tend to leave quite an impression on me; ‘itoshigo yo’ and ‘pavane’ are perfect examples of Rurutia songs that will just stay with me, because they are so incredible, but with these tracks once the tracks fade, it just leaves me. Promised Land was a good album, because Rurutia doesn’t really have a bad album, but this just didn’t leave much of an impact, despite me liking the majority of the album. I’d still recommend it though, its quite the listen, like all Rurutia albums are, if only for the ethereal-ness of them.