Aikawa Nanase [R.U.O.K?!] (Third Mini Album)

FOOLISH 555
R.U.O.K?!
FLY TO RAINBOW RAY
ROCK STAR’s STEADY
RED WHEEL
Snowfall
EVERYBODY GOES

The mini album starts off with the grating FOOLISH 555. Wow, this song is pretty nerve-wracking. I actually think I liked this song when I first gave this mini a listen, now I’m wondering why. I’m not saying its bad, but this is just one of those songs I advise you not to listen to if your head is hurting, it just might split open. The arrangement is hard, chaotic rock, primarily the drums, I didn’t care for it. Aikawa was trying to do too much with her vocals and after a while it was almost like, ‘i get it, you’re a rocker chick and the best at that’ this song isn’t bad and I can see a lot of rock fans really getting into it, me? I really can’t see myself listening to this again and enjoying it, its just too loud and all over the place for me, even for an Aikawa rock tune.

The next track on the mini is R.U.O.K?!. I don’t too much like this song either, but I do like the mild flow of it. The arrangement is like a more tamer version of the previous and it plays in a smooth manner, despite being rock-based. Aikawa’s vocal performance is a lot better this time around, its not great, but its definitely tolerable. I had to listen to this song twice, because I wasn’t sure I liked it the first time, I think it’ll grow on me, especially considering I like how calm is seems, which kind of contradicts the exclamation mark in the title.

The next track brings things up a notch with FLY TO RAINBOW RAY. I’m surprised I like this song, but its pretty fun. The arrangement is rock: drums, bass, guitar, its loud, its consistent and it’ll certainly keep your head banging. Aikawa gives a good an enthusiastic vocal performance, really getting into the song during the chorus. I love when the backing vocals comes in, makes the song almost epic and a really memorable rock tune.

The next track on the album keeps the pace going with ROCK STAR’s STEADY. This is the type of rock I don’t like, because honestly no matter how many times I listen to this, it just doesn’t sound good. The arrangement is typical rock, it sounds like they recorded it in their garage band and I mostly heard the drums. Aikawa’s vocals were pretty much nonsensical, even in Japanese. I guess its safe to say I like this even less than ‘foolish 555′.

The next track on the album is the pseudo-dark RED WHEEL. This song gave me such an ‘black angel’ vibe, especially when she would get to the chorus. I enjoyed this song quite a bit, had the right amount of angsty rock in it to be tolerable. The arrangement is primarily the guitar and its pretty heavy. Aikawa’s vocal performance was top notch, she seemed really into the song. I’ve never really paid attention to this track, but it looks like that’s going to change.

The next track keeps the low-tempo rock tunes coming with Snowfall. I don’t know why I thought this was going to be some sort of down-tempo ballad. Anyways, its more like a rock ballad. The arrangement consists of the drums and the guitar, always a nice combination. Aikawa gave a good vocal performance of course and I like how she sounded so dramatic during the chorus.

The last track on the mini is the up-tempo EVERYBODY GOES. I’m on the fence with this track, because one part of me thinks its a more tamer version of the first track and another part of me finds it endearing. Its your typical loud rock arrangement and though it fits, it seemed to oddly clash with Aikawa’s rather straight-forward vocal performance. I don’t know this song is pretty all right, but its no ‘fly to rainbow ray’ eh, maybe it’ll grow on me.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

Aikawa Nanase’s third mini album R.U.O.K?! was all right, but nothing new. Aikawa went the rock route with this mini as oppose to the two ballad mini’s she came out with before this and I must say for Aikawa to be such a kick-ass rocker chick her down-tempo’s certainly seem to appeal to me more and its not just because I love ballads, its just her ballads seem to speak to me more than her up-tempo rock tunes. I liked the majority of this mini, but the song that stood out the most to me was, ‘fly to rainbow ray’ and as it stands its the only one I remember. R.U.O.K?! played better than a couple of her full-length album releases, so I’m not complaining too much about the typical-ness of it, but I do wish that it would have left more of an impression, like her ballad mini’s did.

*This is an old review, this is the first of a slew of reviews I did before I decided to go on my hiatus. [April 14th, 2009]

Aikawa Nanase [Foxtrot] (Fourth Album)

Second Wind
Bitch
Heat Of The Night
China Rose
THANK U
“7″
Cosmic Love
Gin Iro No Fune
-Gozen2jino koibito-
Sekai Wa Kono Te No Naka Ni
Crying
Jealousy
Hanabi Ga Owaru Koro

The first track on the album is the moody Second Wind. I’ve always thought this to be one of Aikawa’s weakest album openers. I never really found myself paying much attention to it, because nothing about it, not even the chorus seemed to jump out at me. I think its grown on me a bit and I kind a like that quiet intense air it exudes. The arrangement is rock, guitar-based and its certainly fitting. Aikawa’s vocals are good, slow during the verses and she brings the attitude with the chorus. I always get the feeling of a sulking child when I hear this song, though. A nice start to the album.

The next track on the album is the underwhelming Bitch. Every time I see this title I think, this is one song I’m really going to like and I always leave a little disappointed. The arrangement sounds badass, but a bit show tune especially at the end, I mean were those horns and or trumpets I was listening to? Aikawa’s vocals are decent in a sense, but she sounds so juvenile that I can’t really take her seriously. I hate the ‘bitch!’ in the background when she’s singing the chorus it sounds so lame and then at the end when Aikawa says: ‘don’t call me a bitch’ it just brings it all home.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Heat Of The Night. This is definitely one of Aikawa’s best songs and not only that but its in my top ten favorite of hers. I love how the song manages to rock out without going overboard. The pace is neat and consistent; the arrangement is the drums and man ‘whoever’ is playing them so good I could listen to the instrumental alone. Aikawa’s vocals are really controlled in this song as well as good and I love when she says, ‘in the heat of the night!’ this is a great song.

The next track on the album is another one of my favorites, China Rose. Its also one of her best songs. The arrangement is so powerful its one of the best I’ve ever heard. It sounds so tragic and tortured and makes me picture someone frozen, but very beautiful with a black heart. Aikawa’s vocal performance is one of the best and strongest she’s ever given; I still can’t help but be awed and impressed every time I hear it.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo THANK U. This song is pretty weird to me. I mean I am no stranger to Aikawa’s ballads sometimes they are better than her rock songs, but this one just confused me. The arrangement is very slow and it makes me picture someone sitting in a classroom or the airport watching the face clock and wishing that it would hurry up and be the end of the day or time to board. The same goes for Aikawa’s vocals, they weren’t bad, but it was like it was going nowhere. I mean this song isn’t bad, but I just don’t think I care for it. I honestly don’t know though, maybe it’ll grow on me. Hmm? NOTE: All right, I listened to the song over again and have come to the conclusion that I don’t like it. Its boring and seems to have no point to it and to top it off its too long, long enough to make your mind numb.

The next track on the album is the interlude “7″. Aikawa is talking over an arrangement that sounds like space travel. I believe she was counting down to ‘7′ since before the track ended I heard: ’six’, ’seven’.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Cosmic Love. I almost never pay attention to this song when I listen to this album and I’m not sure if I’ve ever liked or disliked it. The arrangement is psychedelic, throw-back to the 70’s peace and love and drugs and stuff. I really like it, also I heard some exotic chimes or cymbals in the beginning which gave it a momentary Middle Eastern flare. Aikawa’s vocals were good, I mean I didn’t too much care for the verses, but I did love her tones during the chorus which is the high light of this whole track.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Gin Iro No Fune. This isn’t an interesting ballad and certainly not one of her best, but its nice in the fact that the sheer quietness of this song is very intense. The arrangement sounds like the calm before the storm, it doesn’t really pop out at you, but it makes for a very absorbing listen, because its hardly noticeable, but you know its there. Aikawa’s vocals were pretty tame she didn’t try to do too much and pretty much kept it at the same pace throughout. It was the right way to go, because I liked what I heard and normally songs like this would either a) bore me to death or b) go completely over my head.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo -Gozen2jino koibito-. I actually expected this song to be more down-tempo. The arrangement sounds like static or that sound a walkie-talkie makes when its receiving transmission. Aikawa’s voice seemed to mimic it and it made me think of Aikawa crouching in the marsh singing into her walkie-talkie. This is a pretty OK song it has a nice chorus, but I’ll make a note not to listen to it when my head hurts, it really brings down the enjoyment value.

The next track on the album ups the pace a bit more with Sekai Wa Kono Te No Naka Ni. This is an all right song, but I don’t think I too much care for it. The arrangement is rock, pure and true, it has a nice flow I guess, but it is a bit messy and grating especially when its given time to shine. Aikawa’s vocals were tame and assertive all at once and I did enjoy how she ripped the verses so quick like, but went for a mild approach with the chorus. This is a decent song, but its not really my cup of tea I couldn’t see myself listening to this again and enjoying it.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Crying. This is hands down one of Aikawa’s best ballads, its quite touching. The arrangement is rather gentle and made me think of water cupped in your hands. Aikawa’s vocal performance was on point and I loved how fragile and somewhat broken she sounded. This is definitely a good listen, Aikawa surely knows how to deliver some good ballads.

The second to last track on the album is one of my favorites, Jealousy. This is one of the first songs I heard by Aikawa and one of the first video’s I’d seen of hers. Though it was so long ago I still remember how cheesy the video was, but how great the song is. The arrangement is very chaotic and screechy in a sense and makes you think of tumbling into madness, seriously. Aikawa gave a good vocal performance, but only the chorus really stood out most notably the ‘jealousy!’ parts. This song is a little underwhelming in a sense, but still one of her best songs.

The last track on the album is the heart-breaking Hanabi Ga Owaru Koro. Oh, this song is really gorgeous. The arrangement is so minimal you hardly even notice its there, in fact all I heard was the saxophone which played like melancholy in the background every so often. It was such a nice touch. Aikawa’s vocals were so sad in the sense that it felt like she was trying to sing this song and hold back tears at the same time, I mean that’s the impression I got. Absolutely lovely ballad, is there a ballad from Aikawa that I don’t like?

This album also comes with two bonus lives, those being: Sweet Emotion and BUB.

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

Aikawa Nanase’s fourth album Foxtrot is pretty good and a thousand times better than her previous album Crimson. This album had three of her best and most well-known songs: Heat Of The Night, China Rose and Jealousy. The album started out on a good note and ended on an even better one, plus the down-tempo songs on here were really just good and I’m glad she featured more this time around, because they were so absent on her previous album. I mean she’s a J-rock chick first and I have no problem with that, but its OK to show a much softer side of yourself every one in a while and it warms my heart to know that Aikawa really has no problem doing just that. Foxtrot was good, but its not her best album. Ah, I really wish she would release some new material.

Aikawa Nanase [PRISM] (1st Digital Single)

PRISM

This is Aikawa Nanase’s first digital single PRISM. When I found out that she was finally coming out with some new material, I was ecstatic and then a bit disappointed when I found out that it was just a digital single instead of a full blown single. The arrangement has a bit of a techno flare, but its appealing in an anime insert song kind of way. I mean you could picture this song coming on in a club, with all the different colored lights flashing and everybody just dancing. Aikawa’s vocal performance was pretty decent, though it just for some reason sounded weird to me. I did like her energy and how her voice seemed to fade into the music during the chorus. I’m not too impressed with this song, its nothing I haven’t already heard from her, to be truthful. This song wasn’t bad though so I won’t complain. I mean its SOMETHING from her and I’d rather have one lone digital single than nothing at all.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

Aikawa Nanase [Crimson] (Third Album)

Oooo
Nostalgia
Sayonara Wo Kikasete
眠れない夜 (Nemurenai Yoru)
Night Wave
Bad Girls
Fragile
Velvet Moon
たまんない瞬間 (Tamannai Shunkan)
彼女と私の事情 (Kanojo to Watashi no Jijou)
優しいうた (Yasashii Uta)

The album starts off rather loudly with Oooo. I actually couldn’t stand this song when I first heard it, but upon this umpteenth listen I think its finally managed to grow on me. Its your typical head banging tune with a loud bass blaring everything and Aikawa crooning oh so wonderfully into the mic. Its a nice song to just cut loose to at a party when you’re drunk off your ass and just want to flail around a bit.

The next track on the album is the up-tempo Nostalgia. I actually expected this song to play like a ballad, but as usual Aikawa didn’t go down that route and this song is just as hard-hitting as the previous track. The arrangement is really edgy I’m guessing I heard electric guitar in the beginning; synths, keyboard? I hate not being instrumental savvy, but still the beat was nice and edgy. Aikawa’s vocals were great especially during the chorus when her voice got kind of high, she seemed really into the song throughout. There is a bit of strain or it could be because Aikawa’s voice just sounds like that. Its a typical rock track with bad ass written all over it; I love it.

The next track on the album is the easy-going さよならを聴かせて(Sayonara o Kikasete). I thought this track had such a nice flow about it and played almost like a ballad. I thought the arrangement was very flowing and a welcome relief from the blaring rock of the previous two tracks. Aikawa’s voice was really gorgeous and did this song a lot of justice, they weren’t rushed at all but very fluid and somewhat throaty. It has a very sad vibe to me that I really can’t shake and it makes the song a touch tear-jerky.

The next track is the down-tempo 眠れない夜 (Nemurenai Yoru). This song is absolutely beautiful and the first real ballad on the album. Aikawa does incredible rock songs, but in all truth she does even more so on her ballads always making them so touching and sincere. The arrangement was gorgeous and made me picture water crashing against the shore on a bleak day. Aikawa’s vocals were very slow and wistful and it brought such a longing and melancholy to this track that really pulls at the heart-strings and makes you want to cry or shed a tear. This is my favorite Aikawa Nanase song, its one of those songs that just touches me completely and makes me think: ‘good-night love, go to sleep…’

The next track is the brief interlude Night Wave. It consists of a simple melody slightly pretty but very repetitive; it ends rather abruptly.

The next track is the odd Bad Girls. The previous interlude transitions smoothly into this song, which is a bit experimental sounding to me. The verses are a tad forgettable, but I did like the whole fade out thing during them. The chorus is the highlight of the song where Aikawa shouts out, ‘bad girl!’ its all really endearing. The arrangement is pretty cool, but its very monotonous and never does much but what it should. I enjoyed Aikawa’s vocals. This song is pretty hit or miss, I didn’t like it the last time I listened to this, but I did find myself enjoying it for this review.

The next track on the album is the lank Fragile. While listening to this song I kept getting a chill, like it was suddenly very cold or freezing. The arrangement has a very windy and bleak quality to it that really gave off that atmosphere. Aikawa’s vocals were a bit uninspired and in a sense sounded like she had a cold, because for some reason she sounded a little muffled to me. This song is really boring and just drags on for far longer than it should; the way the song went out as well was a bit blank and awkward.

The next track is the irritating Velvet Moon. I’ve learned long ago that just because you like the title to a song does not mean you are going to like the song. This is a perfect example of that. The arrangement played like static and just managed to annoy me throughout, because it was so chaotic and all over the place, even for a rock song. Aikawa’s vocals were very baseless and it was like she was screaming without actually screaming and it made everything very unoriginal and stale. This song fails.

The next track on the album is the ear-bleed inducing たまんない瞬間 (Tamannai Shunkan). This song is just awful and I thought Velvet Moon was fail. This song seems like some sort of anthem at the opening of a concert where you try and get the crown moving, but it all plays like a drunken speech at some sort of sleazy College party. The arrangement plays like muffled static and Aikawa’s vocals are so bad they are laughable. I don’t know what possessed her to even record this song let alone put it on her album, but there you go.

The up-tempo rock tracks keep coming with 彼女と私の事情 (Kanojo to Watashi no Jijou). This song is not really one that would be all that interesting since the verses are pretty so-so and the arrangement is your typical Aikawa rock arrangement. The chorus is where this song shines, it’s actually quite catchy, engaging and fun and made this song a lot less dull than it could of been.

The last track on the album is the down-tempo 優しいうた (Yasashii Uta). This is a pretty decent song, but at the same time its very boring. The arrangement is pretty lank and dull and has this vibe that can if you’re tired enough lull you right to sleep. Aikawa’s vocals are pretty slow-paced, but they do stay consistent if not a little stagnant and draggy. I thought this was a nice song, but at 6: 22 its entirely too long for a song that doesn’t have a lot of substance.

-GRADE: C-
Rating: * star

Aikawa Nanase’s Third album Crimson is even more mediocre than I had originally thought it was. When I was first getting into her music I actually did like this album, but going back to it I found my interest in this album fading to the point of me just wanting to forget that this is a serious part of her discography. This album offers nothing we haven’t already heard, only she offers it to us in a worst package. The album is way too short for the majority of the songs to be so lackluster; if you’re going to have a ten track album (excluding the interlude) at least put in the effort to make the songs good. The only song on this album that was really worth something was Nemurenai Yoru (and Sayonara o Kikasete and  Nostalgia which were both pretty good songs) and that song alone kept me from giving this album a D. The rest are just passable or forgettable. Crimson is most likely my least favorite Aikawa Nanase album; I was not impressed.

Aikawa Nanase [7 Seven] (Sixth Album)

LIE LIE LIE
R-Shitei
BLUE KNIFE
Renai Taishitsu
BLACK ANGEL
Mokka no Koibito
Dahlia -She Knows Love-
Ai no Uta -Magenta Rain-
Natsu no Hi no Choral
Hi wo Tsukero Baby!!
Toki no Kaze
NIGHT RAINBOW
Shock of Love (Bonus Track)

The album opens with the nice up-tempo and rockish LIE LIE LIE a song I can honestly say I didn’t think I would like; when I first listened to this album I didn’t like it, because I thought it was forgettable, but I think that the best part about this song is the chorus where Aikawa belts out: ‘Do you want to hold me!?’ and then the guitars and the arrangement flare and really back her up and brings this song to it’s full potential. It’s one of her better album openers.

The next track is the acid-trip-esque R-Shitei a song I could not stand when I first listened to this album because I thought it was beyond annoying. I still sort of think so now that I’ve listened to it for the umpteenth time. Usually I don’t mind Aikawa’s wild party like up-tempo rock songs, because they are some of her best, but this one I just can’t decide whether I like it or not. I mean it has grown on me, but one minute I’ll like it and the next I’ll hate it. I think it has something to do with the fact that this song tends to go all over the place to the point where I can’t even bother with it and then I’ll listen and hear potential.

Aikawa slows it down just a little with this next track BLUE KNIFE. A song that I love and hate, but love more than the previous track and hate less than the previous track. Aikawa’s vocals tend to strain during the chorus hardly noticeable at first, but when she begins to repeat it towards the end it becomes glaring. I do love how this song is so atmospheric and makes you picture blue storm filled skies. The arrangement is also really nice and I like how she paused in her singing to give it time to shine.

We pick up the pace again with the head-banging Renai Taishitsu. A song that to me is similar to R-Shitei in the fact that it’s all over the place, but at the same time it’s a bearable kind of all over the place. Aikawa sings this song really fast (with tolerable vocals) which is a bummer, because unless I know Japanese fluently I’ll never be able to sing along to it and that really brings the song down. Still, it’s an OK body moving up-tempo track, though not her best.

Finally we get to one of the best and true gems on this album, Black Angel. This is such a great song and one of my favorite Aikawa tracks. I just love how dark it is and how intense and somewhat depressed Aikawa’s vocals are especially during the. ‘Oh-no, I never!’ parts during the chorus. The arrangement is just perfect for a song of this caliber and that along with Aikawa’s controlled vocals makes this the stand-out track on the album.

Aikawa slows it way down with the first real down-tempo track Mokka no Koibito. A song that at exactly 3:00 minutes is entirely too short to get it’s point across. It’s boring, flat, filler and utterly forgettable.

After the bore-fest that was Mokka no Koibito Aikawa picks it up a tad with the somewhat mid-tempo, Dahlia -She Knows Love-. This is a very unique title. One thing that always draws me into a song is the title if I like the title I’m almost guaranteed to like the song and songs with titles that I like usually become some of my all time favorites. Dahlia -She Knows Love- is no exception. It’s quite a beautiful song and I adore Aikawa’s vocals, because she really gets into the song and I don’t know if it’s just me, but she sounds awfully sad throughout. I’m really glad that she let the instrumental of this song shine, because it’s really gorgeous and gives way to a very gripping nostalgia; definitely one of the best tracks on the album.

Not slowing down and not speeding up either we go into the next track Ai no Uta -Magenta Rain-. With a title like ‘Ai no Uta’ I actually expected it to be another ballad, it wasn’t, per say. The verses are forgettable, but what really makes this song shine is the chorus where Aikawa picks up speed and really drives it home giving an ordinarily ballad-type song a definite rock edge that is both refreshing and appreciated.

Natsu no Hi no Choral the next track really surprised me. I actually thought it was going to be another up-tempo, rock track following in the same vein as R-Shitei and Renai Taishitsu, but to my pleasant surprise it went a little along the lines of BLUE KNIFE and Dahlia ~She Knows Love~. The instrumental arrangement is just beautiful and I love how Aikawa lets her voice fade out during the chorus and the instrumental comes in and shines. It really brings depth and poignancy to this song. I’d have to say out of all the tracks on this album this one pleased me the most.

The next track Hi wo Tsukero Baby!! picks up the pace a bit and leads us towards the end of the album. This is truly a party song. While listening to this (and feeling my mind numb), I could perfectly picture your typical College party with drunk teens flailing all over the place while the band played this and everyone went wild. I sort of get this song, but not really. It’s one of those migraine-inducing songs that I’m not too fond of and I don’t particularly like Aikawa’s vocals or the haphazard musical arrangement, plus I’m not a party girl. This song, though appealing in it’s own way is annoying and oddly repetitive.

The second to last song on the album Toki no Kaze is very odd. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it sounds so misplaced. I found myself hardly paying attention to it and out of all the songs on this album this is the most forgettable one. At least Mokka no Koibito is forgettable in a too short and boring way, but this is forgettable in a, ‘wait, what was I just listening to?’ way.

The last official track on the album is the wonderfully quirky and experimental Night Rainbow. A song in which I wish Aikawa would have ended the album on. This song gives you the feeling of a seedy night life with brightly colored clubs and strip bars all lit up in every color of the rainbow. In a sense the song is rather dreary, but fluorescently colorful at the same time.

Aikawa decides to tack on a bonus track. Normally I hate bonus tracks because they’re unnecessary and completely ruin what could have been a great ending to a great album. In this case Shock of Love ruins. It’s like a different more asinine take on Night Rainbow and I just hate it because it’s so irritating; during the horridly strained vocally challenged chorus I wanted to rip my ears off. This is one of Aikawa’s worst songs, worst arrangements and worst vocal performances EVER.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

I don’t really understand why people never review Aikawa albums or singles she’s the greatest J-Rock chick ever. All the review sites I visit I have never once seen a review for Aikawa. Yes, she has been out of the music scene since ‘06, but that’s no excuse, because a lot of reviewers review old singles in albums from artists like Ayu, Kuu, Hikki and BoA. Aikawa is thankfully making a comeback; I really enjoyed her digital single PRISM and can’t wait for that new single that is rumored to be coming out hopefully this year from her. 7 seven was her last album before she took time off to focus on her family and it was a good way to leave the music world for a while; normally artists disappoint with their latest albums: Shimatani Hitomi’s Flare comes to mind as well as Ayu’s GUILTY and BoA’s The Face just to name a few. Aikawa on the other hand exceeded, because this was world’s above her previous album Purana which I disliked. If Aikawa keeps going along this route I’m sure her seventh album will be even better and I can’t wait.