POWER OF MUSIC
Ai wo Utaou (愛を歌おう; Let’s Sing Love)
Sky
Jewelry day
Good Night Baby
For today
Why?
Gold Star
Mahoutsukai no Shiwaza (魔法使いのしわざ; The Magician’s Deeds)
Te wo Tsunagou (手をつなごう; Let’s Hold Hands)
Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu (愛も嘘も真実; Love, Lies and Truth)
CLAP & LOVE*
Kimi ga Iru Kara (君がいるから; Because I Have You)
Okaeri (おかえり; Welcome Home)
Kon’ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete… (今夜も星に抱かれて・・・; Wrapped in the Stars Tonight)
WINDING ROAD (ayaka x Kobukuro (絢香×コブクロ) (bonus track)
I believe (English ver.)(bonus track)
The album starts off with POWER OF MUSIC. This song really sets the mood and really makes you anticipate the rest of the album. The arrangement was pretty country-sounding, but I loved how it incorporated so many different sounds to get you moving a bit. ayaka’s vocals were pretty deep and I liked that, added a lot of flavor to this song, and made it interesting when it would have at first listen come across as very bland. I like how it got kind of party-ish towards the end, it gave you this friendly vibe of everyone you know closely gathered together and just having a good time. This was a nice way to start off the album: ‘power of music,’ good line.
The next track is the country-rock esque Ai wo Utaou (愛を歌おう; Let’s Sing Love). There’s not much I can say about this song really, I didn’t really pay too much attention to this single when it came out, and though this is a good song, I find that I don’t really care for it all that much. The arrangement is pretty typical for a song like this, but its good, though I wouldn’t want to listen too it by itself, it’ll probably give me a headache. ayaka’s vocals are good, as usual, I especially loved her voice during the chorus where it rises. This song can be a bit dull, but I do like it.
The next track on the album is the rather impressive Sky. I did not expect to like this song, but as it stands, its quite good. The arrangement is of course your typical ayaka arrangement but I did love how it came in with the drums and then melted into such a smooth and crisp flow, giving this song a nice airy appeal. ayaka’s vocal performance was really good. I definitely loved it during the chorus, which in my opinion is the best part of this song. This jumps hurdles over the previous track.
The next track on here is the beautiful and absolutely heart-wrenching Jewelry day. Words cannot describe how much I love this song, it always leaves me speechless and so very moved every time I listen to it. I can hardly believe there was a time when I really didn’t care for this song, it seems like a far off dream. The arrangement is one of the most poignant I have ever heard, it sets such a mood of longing and contentment; I had love, but then I lost it, however I do not regret it and am glad that I did love. ayaka’s vocal performance is one of the best I’ve heard from her, and she really pulls this song off. The rise of her tones during the chorus, the melancholy of the verses, the desperation in her aud-libs towards the end. I really love them, they’re so sad. At one point every time I listened to the ‘ooh-ooh’ parts at the end and then the strings of the song going out, I would burst into tears, then it got to the point where my eyes would just water, now I just find myself smiling sadly. This song is so lovely, and filled with such a warmth and hope regarding love. Its such a special song to me, and it’ll always stay close to my heart.
The next track on the album is the acoustic driven Good Night Baby. This is more or less one of those songs I’ll listen too, say I like, never listen to again and then by chance happen to listen to it and wonder why I haven’t been listening to it. The arrangement is very minimal, all I heard were the drums, but it really did its part. ayaka’s vocals were deep and somewhat breathy it was a nice effect. I honestly don’t get this song and for some reason it just seems like its there. It would have played better as an interlude, because the song is very brief and its ends rather abruptly.
The next is the up-tempo For today. This is ayaka’s first digital single and its a pretty damn good one. The arrangement has a lot going on and keeps you interested. ayaka’s vocal performance was really damn good, she really went all out for this song, and reinserted the fact that she can really freaking sing.
The next track on the album is the moving Why?. This is actually the song that got me interested in ayaka’s music. I stumbled across it by chance, because its the ending them for CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-. I remember thinking that they couldn’t have found a more perfect song. The arrangement is so deep and moody, I just love it. It makes you think of storm filled skies, and an emptiness that you can’t really describe. ayaka’s vocal performance in this song is really one of my favorites from her, the sheer depth and amount of emotion she put into the song, especially on the ‘why?’ parts, it just makes this song so very moving. I really loved the bridge as well, ayaka shifted her tone and it was perfect. This is one of my favorites.
The next track is the edgy Gold Star. I did not like this song at first, because it seemed to have nothing to stand on. The arrangement is pretty much rock acoustic with a country flare to it, its basic but it really went well with ayaka’s strong and consistent vocals. This isn’t a song I would listen to often, or even one that I would remember, but its still a pretty decent song.
The next track is the endearing Mahoutsukai no Shiwaza (魔法使いのしわざ; The Magician’s Deeds). This song has a lovely whimsical quality about it that is very nice. The arrangement is a very simple piano arrangement that is just really wonderful, because it just does and really brings a magical feel to the song. ayaka’s vocals were pretty light and somewhat cute, I really did love how she sung this song, her voice coupled with the arrangement gives you such a warm feeling.
The next track is the down-tempo, mid-tempo Te wo Tsunagou (手をつなごう; Let’s Hold Hands). This song really reminds me of another version of Jewelry day. When this song first starts off, it just seems so beautiful to me that I want to cry for some reason, even if this song does not particularly make me sad. I thought the arrangement was nice, but it made me think of walking alone on a windy day. ayaka’s vocals were great, especially during the chorus, and this one part where her voice just rose and she really got into the song, it was just love. I adore the ‘do-do, do-do…’ parts towards the end.
The next track is the rather annoying Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu (愛も嘘も真実; Love, Lies and Truth). My like for this song has instantly turned to dislike, and it may never revert itself. This is not a bad song, I’m sure a lot of people will find themselves jamming to this, I am not one of those people. The arrangement is pretty jarring and sudden, and the whole effect is very impossible. ayaka’s vocals are strong but they are really all over the place, and it makes her sound crazy in a sense. This song is quite capable of giving me a headache, which sucks because its really not a bad song. NOTE: This song as grown on me as well, ayaka was certainly jamming during the chorus.
The next track is the quirky CLAP & LOVE. I use to really detest this song, because I didn’t think it was just bad, I thought it was awful. The whole concept of it was just really annoying to me. I still don’t really like this song, but it has grown on me. The arrangement is pretty engaging and I love the clapping in the background, it stayed very consistent and didn’t detract from the song. ayaka’s vocal performance was pretty good, she put a lot of emphasis in her voice and that really made this song stand out and somewhat catch my attention. I’m still wary of this track, but I am starting to like it.
The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Kimi ga Iru Kara (君がいるから; Because I Have You). What a lovely song. ayaka has such an inspiring voice. Its like a whole different take on Hikki, and she can take songs that wouldn’t ordinarily appeal to you sung by someone else and just make them work. The arrangement was really just gorgeous, and gave off such a warmth that just makes you smile. ayaka’s vocals are just perfect in this song, it makes everything feel so real. I mean looking at the title, and that coupled with the nice arrangement and ayaka’s heartfelt vocals, it can really bring tears to your eyes; like a, ‘because i have you, i’ll always be happy,’ type of song. It makes you sad, but a happy type of sad.
The second to last track is the supposed to be emotionally-moving Okaeri (おかえり; Welcome Home). This is a nice song, it really is, but it just comes across as so very long-winded to me and a bit bland. I think the only stand-out thing about this song is ayaka’s vocals during the chorus, because that seems to be the only time this song showed some personality, that in the way the song went out. NOTE: This song has grown on me, I guess, I no longer dislike it.
The last track on the album is the beautiful ballad Kon’ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete… (今夜も星に抱かれて・・・; Wrapped in the Stars Tonight). This is such a gorgeous song. It makes me think of those that have passed, whom I miss dearly and know are now stars in the sky. The arrangement is sweeping in a simple way. ayaka’s vocal are very wistful and longing, but holds such a quiet strength that is admirable. This is a song you can play over and over and never get tired of. It plays like a dream, and was a lovely way to close the album.
That isn’t the end of the album of course, because ayaka decides to tack on two bonus tracks. The first being the hit collaboration between her and Kobukuro, WINDING ROAD. I do not like this song, in fact I LOATHE it and that is all I will say.
The last bonus track is the English version of my favorite ayaka song, I believe. It was all right, but I just don’t like the translated version. It doesn’t hold the depth or emotion of the Japanese version and is very lukewarm in comparison.
-GRADE: A
Rating: *** stars
ayaka’s second album Sing to the Sky is about two steps up from her previous album, and gives me high hopes for her third. She had some really kick ass tracks on this and I found myself loving nearly every song on this album, and quite possibly even changing my mind about a certain song that I at one point loathed, that song being CLAP & LOVE. The arrangements were a lot less lukewarm and watered down and more arresting and engaging, making you want to pay attention to the songs as to where in the previous album it felt like you were forced too. POWER OF MUSIC was a much better opening, and its a song I can see myself listening to over and over. The up-tempo tracks on the album were really quite good, as ayaka displayed a power and strength to her voice that was strangely absent in her debut: Ai wo Utaou, For today, Gold Star, Why? and CLAP & LOVE really brought out that powerhouse inside of her. Of course those weren’t the only songs that showed her sheer vocal prowess: Sky, Mahoutsukai no Shiwaza, Kimi ga Iru Kara, Kon’ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete… and lets not forget one of the best and most beautiful ballads I have ever heard, Jewelry day. Despite me liking the majority of the songs on this album, there were a few I didn’t like: Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu and Okaeri standing out the most because I at one point really enjoyed those two songs, now they just simply annoy me. I will never like WINDING ROAD and it will always surprise me that people do. I thought the two bonus tracks were pretty pointless as well, she should have just included WINDING ROAD as a part of the album and put the English version of I believe on a single, leaving the album out on a contented note with Kon’ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete…. Sing to the Sky was really quite the good album, and I find that I’m not surprised by that fact. I hope her third album is even better.
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