Chara [Junior Sweet] (Fifth Album)

Miruku
Yasashii Kimochi (Shiawase Version)
Shimashima No Bambi
Atashi No Namae Wa Obaka-San
Time Machine
Katte Ni Kita
Doko Ni Itta N Darou Ano Baka Wa
Watashi Wa Kawaii Hito To Iwareta
Junior Sweet
Hana No Yume
Ai No Kizuna
Setsunai Mono

The album starts off with the down-tempo Miruku. This is one of my all time favorite Chara songs, top five actually. I just really love this song. The arrangement is smooth, the slow twinkle of the drums adding such atmosphere and depth to the song. It makes you think of the wind. I really loved Chara’s vocals in this track, the high, breathless rasp of her voice when she went for those high notes and the low desperation throughout. I mean this song has always come across as very depressing to me, I get such a lonely: ‘i want you, i love you’ vibe from this song. Chara’s vocals and the arrangement expresses that just perfectly. I really love how the song ends, Chara’s vocals in this were just gorgeous and so felt.

The next track on the album is the up and down Yasashii Kimochi (Shiawase Version). I had to listen to this song like four times, because I really couldn’t decide on whether I liked it or not. The arrangement sounded Christmas-y or holiday season-like, what with the bells. I thought the loud banging of the drums was a bit annoying and distracting though, but the bells seems to oddly even it out. Chara’s vocals were up in down, one minutes her vocals are breathy but smooth and then the next its likes she’s trying to break mirrors. I find this song endearing though and it has a bit going for it to keep it interesting, I just wonder how the original version sounds, if there is one.

The next track on the album is the sparkly Shimashima No Bambi. This is a really interesting song, that I’ve never really paid attention to. The arrangement is rather sparkly and gives off a very dreamy atmosphere, I thought it was nice. Chara’s vocals are quite fitting, I mean I really love her voice, when used correctly. The high and breathless rasp of her voice really brought a hazy flow to this song that was rather relaxing. This was a good listen.

The next track on the album is the airy Atashi No Namae Wa Obaka-San. This was a pretty dull song and I was sitting wondering when it was going to end. The arrangement is pretty forgettable, it played like air, seriously. I think I heard some chime like sounds every once in a while, but who knows? Chara’s vocals were quite pathetic in this, I mean her voice sounded so bored most of the time and then when it didn’t sound like she had better things to do, she would go high for some strange reason and her voice would just strain. It was crazy. I mean this song could have played like the previous track, but its just impossible.

The next track on the album is the slow-paced Time Machine. I’ve heard a handful of songs with this title and all have been good so far. This track sounds very familiar, I mean it really does sound like one of her other songs, arrangement and vocal wise. I mean its a slow and rather somber drum piece that it very consistent and from what I heard it doesn’t change pace. Chara’s vocals sounded windy, yes they had that breathless rasp but she really sounded like she was singing in the wind or something. This is a long song, but it doesn’t feel long, but you do notice that its long. I like how it went out.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Katte Ni Kita. This is one of those songs that seem to come out of nowhere, and plays like straight filler. I mean, this song is pretty good so it hardly matters if its filler or not, but it does just seem to pop up out of nowhere. It just plays like a random insert song. The arrangement was pretty basic, but it definitely worked and Chara’s vocals were pretty good, she seemed really into the song, so that made it more enjoyable of a listen.

The next track on the album is the odd Doko Ni Itta N Darou Ano Baka Wa. This is a really odd song as it sounds so different from everything I’ve heard so far on this album. The arrangement is so carefree and seemed so throw-back to perhaps the seventies–I mean this accompanied with Chara’s rather casual and really nice on the ears vocal performance, made me think of driving in my car with the roof down on a mildly sunny day. It gives you this kind of, ‘forever young’ type feeling. Its really nice.

The next track on the album is the somewhat down-tempo Watashi Wa Kawaii Hito To Iwareta. This song is pretty long-winded, but I like it. The arrangement consists of a keyboard which made the song sound very windy and a bit electronica and then there was synth, maybe drums, I’m not really sure. I mean the arrangement is pretty bland, but for some reason it works. Chara’s vocals were decent, though she did sound like she was tired. The chorus makes this song though.

The next track on the album is the surprisingly good Junior Sweet. I am not a fan of Chara’s title tracks, I’m really not. This one on the other hand is pretty good. The arrangement seemed dated and muffled or maybe its just me? It really suits the atmosphere of the song though and makes everything seem surreal. Chara’s vocals were as breathy and raspy as usual, but tolerably so. I love the, ‘i’ll be there’ parts of the chorus. Oh, this song is long, over six minutes long. I didn’t really notice that fact, not too much anyways.

The next track on the album is the rather sad Hana No Yume. This is a beautiful song and that may seem strange, but while listening to this I literally stopped all activity completely and just listened. The arrangement makes you think of waves lapping against the shore in a haze of black in white, its quite gorgeous. Chara’s vocals were perhaps the best thing about this song, the way her voice went so breathless and melancholy nearly brought tears to my eyes. I was actually amazed by her vocal performance in this, I’m wondering how she managed to make her voice whisper so perfect like. It really sounded like the wind was singing. This is a surprising song that clearly blew me away and it didn’t do much of anything. It could possibly become one of my favorite Chara songs, it just speaks to me in a way songs rarely do.

The second to last track on the album is the half and half Ai No Kizuna. Uh… this song seemed a lot longer than it actually is. I don’t know, I want to like this song but it seems so impossible. I like the arrangement, sounds a bit classical if you want to look at it that way and I found myself focusing on that more than the actual song. Chara’s vocals are wonky, I just didn’t understand what point she was trying to make. Then at the end it all goes to the dogs when she does all this ad-libbing and other stuff that just had me scratching my head. Its not a bad song and maybe with another listen I might actually find myself leaning more towards liking it, but its unlikely–this song just seems to play all over the place, pointlessly.

The last track on the album is the outro Setsunai Mono. This was quite gorgeous especially the piano arrangement, I actually wish she would have stretched this out into a full song–nice ending to the album.

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

Chara’s fifth album Junior Sweet is surprisingly good. I’m really quite surprised at how good this album turned out to be. I was tempted to give it an A, but there you go. I thought Chara did a nice job variety wise with this album, it doesn’t seem very memorable but you’d still find yourself enjoying it on full album play throughs and wondering why you don’t listen to certain songs regularly. ‘Miruku’ is way stand-out I love that song and what a great start to the album, also ‘hana no yume’ which really took me by surprise, that’s definitely one of my new favorites from her. I’ve given this album extra points for having a title track that I could actually tolerate, since I’m not really a fan of Chara’s title tracks. Junior Sweet is a good listen and quite possibly one of her best albums.

Chara [Cherry Cherry] (33rd Single)

Cherry Cherry
Boku no Tomodachi (ぼくのともだち; My Friend)
soshite bokuwa tohoni kureru

Chara’s 33rd single starts off with the a-side Cherry Cherry. I really adore this song, and I’ve already talked about it fully on my review of her honey album. This is a song that you’ll never get tired of, I mean, it sounds very retro, throw-back and makes you feel happy and sad at the same time. Chara’s breathy and raspy vocals fit right in with the whole flow. This is a good song, one of my favorites.

The next track on the single is its b-side Boku no Tomodachi (ぼくのともだち; My Friend). This is a pretty down-tempo track, and one that I wouldn’t have minded hearing on her latest studio album. Its very depressing, like the arrangement sounds like a slow churning wind on a dark and cold night. It gives you that type of feeling. Chara’s vocals are very wistful, the breathy and raspy quality of it just enhances the sheer somberness of the song. It almost seems as if she’s mourning a friends passing and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. This is a good b-side though, I don’t hear many b-sides nowadays that capture my attention so completely.

The last track on the single is its second b-side soshite bokuwa tohoni kureru. This is a good song as well, wow. I get the same feeling from this arrangement that I did with the previous song, just not so depressing or heavy. It seems light, but still carries a sadness throughout it that really can’t be ignored. Chara’s vocals were really emotional in the beginning of the song, I mean you wouldn’t think of it as such because her voice becomes so breathy and raspy, but it just entranced me and when she started ad-libbing with the sighs before going into the chorus, my eyes almost watered. It picks up after that thankfully, and though a bit lighter from thereon its still a pretty wistful track. It made me think of saying good-bye to someone you’ll never see again.

-GRADE: A+
Rating: *** stars

Chara’s 33rd single Cherry Cherry was quite the good single, seriously. Cherry Cherry is an old-fashioned sounding song that never gets old, not to me anyways. Boku no Tomodachi is quite the depressing little down-tempo track, but it plays so good and soshite bokuwa tohoni kureru continues the down-tempo and ends the single on a good and memorable note. Chara’s been around for a long time, but she is honestly one of those artists that just gets better with time.

Chara [honey] (Tenth Album)

Sumire (Intro)
TROPHY (Album Version)
Labrador
Cherry Cherry
Ai wo Oboeru (愛を憶える; Remember Love)
Marmalade
Boku no Koto wo Shitte (ボクのことを知って; Know Me)
Aoi Kakera (青いかけら; Blue Fragments)
Soshite, Boku ga Todokanai (そして、僕が届かない; And, I’m Unreachable)
Amai Tsurai (甘い辛い; Sweet & Spicy)
Nakidashisou. (泣きだしそう。; Apparently I’m Crying)
MAHA
call me

The album starts off with the intro Sumire (Intro). A whole bunch of breathy, yell singing. No.

The next track on the album is the drug-induced haze TROPHY (Album Version). I have a love hate relationship with this song. When I listened to it on the single (which I’m not going to review) I really disliked it. Then when I listened to this album for the first time, I still disliked this song. Now, I find that I somewhat hesitantly like it. The arrangement is pretty simple, all I heard was a piano, which sounded like someone was pounding down on the same key over and over. It was very consistent and though it can become annoying it never did. Chara’s vocals were breathy, but strangely not as annoying once you get into the song. I think I liked all those breathless high notes she kept hitting at the end of the chorus’. The way her voice would echo and fade out. I’ve always loved that in songs. The song comes across like a dream, induced by drugs and everything is just so hazy and out of focus. Its crazy. Once you sit down and actually listen to this song and take it all in, its not all that bad. Its actually pretty listenable.

The next track is the sort a down sort a mid-tempo Labrador (ラブラドール). I’m actually surprised that I liked this song. Its pretty interesting. The beat is a bit quiet, but it has enough going for it to keep you interested and it stays consistent. I thought Chara’s vocals were good as well, she used her strange and raspy tones to her advantage, and really brought variety to this song. I found that I really enjoyed the chorus. This was a surprisingly good song.

The next track on the album is the slightly up-tempo Cherry Cherry. This song sounds so throw-back, like throwback right to the sixties. It just has a old time feel to it that is really appealing. The arrangement is very lively, I actually heard something that sounded like bells or ring chimes, and the song is pretty up beat and danceable. I liked Chara’s vocals in this, they were still breathy and raspy, but she brought a lot of personality to this song, especially during the chorus. I don’t know if its just me, but despite the happy-go-lucky like nature of this song, it in a sense comes across as rather sad to me. Hmm? I think its just me.

The next track is the slightly mid-tempo Ai wo Oboeru (愛を憶える; Remember Love). This song starts off on a rather majestic note, and then once it gets into the song it sort of loses it. Its not a very interesting song, the arrangement is simple but oddly repetitive and Chara’s vocals are of course breathy and raspy, but kind of bland. Despite the fact that this song has a lot more going against it, than for it, I still find myself liking it a bit. Its not a bad song, just one I wouldn’t listen too often.

The next track is the train-wreck Marmalade. I really don’t know what I just listened too, and I listened to this song TWICE. The arrangement is very cluttered, but I think that its because of Chara’s breathy, raspy and nearly unintelligible vocal performance which makes everything about this song seem incredibly high. Its like she’s forcing the song on you, and its almost enough to make your ears pop and bleed. Its like impossible. I can’t really understand this song because Chara chose to sing it in such a ridiculously high rasp of a whisper, and its all just so annoying. This song had the potential to be a pretty decent track, but Chara’s vocals just ruin it.

The next track is the down-tempo Boku no Koto wo Shitte (ボクのことを知って; Know Me). This song sounds different on here than it did on the single, and plays much slower, and not in a good way like the one on the single, but in a very boring and draggy type way. I thought the arrangement was nice, and wispy? Chara’s vocals were breathy and raspy, but not in an annoying way, but in just the right way to make this song less of a chore. I think I like the single version more, though I don’t think there’s a difference. It just sounds like there is.

The next track is the rock-ish Aoi Kakera (青いかけら; Blue Fragments). This song really surprised me, I don’t think I really paid attention to this song when I first listened to this, but its a rather nice song. The arrangement is minimal, dominant guitar, minimal piano (I think?) and Chara’s vocals are slow, and though of course they’re raspy and breathy it goes so perfectly with this song. Its really smooth, laid-back and mellow. It has a sort of acoustic vibe about it that is appealing, and makes you feel down and up at the same time. The chorus is the highlight.

The next track on the album is the mellow Soshite, Boku ga Todokanai (そして、僕が届かない; And, I’m Unreachable). This is a pretty smooth song, not that that’s a strange thing coming from Chara, but I hardly noticed her breathy and raspy tones and that was a relief. The arrangement was just very laid-back, and serene. I really enjoyed it, as well as Chara’s vocals which were nice, and un-hurried. She didn’t go overboard with the tones, so that they overwhelmed you. I really liked the whole flow of this song, especially considering I didn’t like this song when I first listened to this album. I also really like the title.

The next song is the slightly irritating Amai Tsurai (甘い辛い; Sweet & Spicy). It starts off on a good note, I mean the sweeping orchestral-like arrangement was very Christmas-y. Then the song starts and Chara’s starts singing in the most annoying way possible. Her tone is very loud, and it all seemed very pointless. The song isn’t all bad, the nice arrangement actually makes it listenable in a sense, but Chara’s oddly loud vocals just really ruin this song and makes it a bit impossible.

The next track on the album is the miss-mashed Nakidashisou. (泣きだしそう。; Apparently I’m Crying). This song is very strange, as it plays like its all over the place, but its really quite consistent. The arrangement is pretty neat, it has a lot of variety, and sounds like an Island beat. Chara’s vocals were decent, they were low, breathy and raspy of course, rising a bit during the chorus which got repetitive and after awhile it felt like it was looping because I heard her at one point saying the same thing over and over. I do like this song though, and I didn’t before.

The second to last track on the album is the mad annoying MAHA. I went into this song with no expectations, and came out still thinking this song is as stupid now as it was then. The arrangement is minimal, just a simple piano melody, and that is the only reason why this song is worth listening too. Chara’s vocals are really weird, her voice is really deep or throaty for some reason and it makes the breathy rasp of her voice sound almost scary. Then when she starts saying, ‘MAHA’ it reminded me of that episode of the Amanda Show when she had that bloody doll and could only say ‘MAHA!’ it sounded so retarded. This song is just fail.

The last track on the album is the interesting call me. It started off on a weird note. Chara said something I couldn’t understand and then, ’step into [the] new me’ It nearly ruined the song for me. Luckily it gets better. The arrangement is pretty nice, it plays very smoothly in the background, not overwhelming or becoming distracting, its really nice. I liked Chara’s vocals in this song, they were soft during the verses and then got assertive during the chorus, most notably the ‘call me!’ part of the chorus. I also liked the random bit of English thrown in. This is a nice song, and a pretty good album closer.

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

Chara’s tenth album honey is actually a lot better this time around than it was when I first listened to it. I actually really hated this album when I first heard it, but I guess it was because I had been so impressed with her previous album Union that this one just could not compare. I actually liked the majority of the tracks on here, which is crazy because I barely liked any when I first listened to this. TROPHY the album version sounds a lot better than the single version. Labrador is even better this time around, because when I first listened to this I liked it, but I didn’t really care for it. Cherry Cherry is just such a fun, throw-back type of song and Ai wo Oboeru, Boku no Koto wo Shitte, Aoi Kakera, Soshite, Boku ga Todokanai, Nakidashisou. and call me are a lot better this time around then they were when I first gave this album a listen. Marmalade and MAHA were just really bad and played like filler, especially MAHA. The fact that they both start with a M is no coincidence either. The intro was purposeless. Chara really knows how to make some unique, interesting and creative songs, and mostly because her voice is so unique, interesting and creative. I’m glad I gave this album another listen, its actually quite good.

Chara [Boku no Koto wo Shitte (ボクのことを知って; Know Me)] (34th Single)

Boku no Koto wo Shitte (ボクのことを知って; Know Me)
X’mas Spirit
Kiyoshi Kono Yoru (きよしこのよる; This Pure Night)

Chara’s 34th single starts off with the breathy Boku no Koto wo Shitte (ボクのことを知って; Know Me). I don’t really want to go too in-depth with this song, since I’ll be reviewing it on her latest studio album honey shortly, but to make a long story short, this is a pretty nice song, with a decent pace and an all right arrangement. Chara’s vocals get a bit annoying, because she does her trademark ‘breath-singing’ throughout and it makes the song a bit of a chore to get through. I however still managed to somewhat enjoy it.

The next track on the album is the neat X’mas Spirit!. I’m really going to be playing this come December. This is an original Christmas song by Chara, and I must say its a pretty good and catchy one. The song is about mid-tempo and the arrangement really conveys the whole Christmas time feeling, there’s bells in the background and it actually sounds like snow is falling, if snow made a sound and it just gives you this warm Christmas-y feeling deep inside that is very heart-warming. Chara’s vocals are still a bit breathy, but a lot more tolerable in this song than they were in the previous track. I really love the chorus and when Chara shouts out, ‘Christmas time!’ This is a good song to add to my extensive list of Christmas tunes that I am going to play out come Christmas.

The third and last track on this single is the second b-side Kiyoshi Kono Yoru (きよしこのよる; This Pure Night). Chara’s vocals are just crazy breathless and raspy in this song, but instead of that coming off as very annoying it comes across as very decent and works. This is a cover of Silent Night, but Chara changed the title to This Pure Night. I thought she did a good job with this cover, the arrangement was nice, smooth, mellow and incredibly moving and Chara hits this high note towards the end that was actually pretty darn good.

-GRADE: A
Rating: *** stars

Chara’s 34th single Boku no Koto wo Shitte was a good single. Boku no Koto wo Shitte had its problems but it was still a good song. X’mas Spirit! is a fun little song that is sure to get you in the Christmas Spirit and singing along, and Kiyoshi Kono Yoru is a nice somber rendition of Silent Night. All in all, I was very pleased with this single.

Chara [Happy Toy] (Fourth Album)

BABY BABY
Atashi Nande Dakishimetai n’ Darou? (あたしなんで抱きしめたいんだろう?; Why Do I Want to Hold Him, I Wonder?)
Iya (いや; Stop Me)
Papa to Miteita (パパと見ていた; Scene with Dad)
Tsumibukaku Aishite yo (罪深く愛してよ; Love Me Guiltily)
Happy Toy
Mabataki (まばたき; Blink)
Bishonure no (びしょぬれの; Can’t Return from the Sky)
Yumemiru Fujibitai (夢見る富士額; Dreamin Little With)
Hikitomerarenai (ひきとめられない; Can’t Keep You Mine)

The album starts off with the lackluster intro, BABY BABY. Chara has a very unique voice, which I like, because it’s very breathy and different. But with this intro she just went overboard; it’s not the sheer boredom of the intro that’ll make you lose it, it’s Chara’s voice, which after awhile becomes almost too painful to bare. Thank-goodness it’s the intro, but at just over two minutes it’s still TOO long.

The next song is more up-tempo and party-ish. Atashi Nande Dakishimetai n’ Darou? (あたしなんで抱きしめたいんだろう?; Why Do I Want to Hold Him, I Wonder?) is a rather fun song, with an interesting arrangement and vocal performance. This song is really growing on me, which is crazy, because it’s not a song I would normally like.

Iya (いや; Stop Me) is the next track. I really like how this song starts out slow, and then Chara’s voice goes high during the hook. This songs got a nice consistency going for it that just hooks you from the very beginning and doesn’t let go. I’d have to say that this is the album’s stand out track, and the title is very… interesting.

Next is the first real down-tempo track, Papa to Miteita (パパと見ていた; Scene with Dad). It seems to come and go, despite being over six minutes long. However it’s a semi-touching, slow-paced song, that never tries to be more than just that. I also really like how controlled and smooth Chara’s voice is, despite becoming somewhat irritating and high at odd moments. The instrumental was quite whimsical as well as dream-like.

Chara picks up the pace with the next track, Tsumibukaku Aishite yo (罪深く愛してよ; Love Me Guiltily), which is a nice little song, that felt like a song you would play at a get together among friends. The best part was of course the chorus, which was very fun and catchy, and went perfect with Chara’s unique raspy/breathy voice. Definitely one of the best tracks on the album, and an official Chara favorite along with Iya.

I went into the next track, Happy Toy with no expectations. In truth, with Chara, I don’t normally go for her title tracks, but this one is pretty interesting. The arrangement I like because it plays without being distracting, and lets you focus on Chara’s voice more, which is a plus. I didn’t too much like Chara’s vocal performance, during the chorus it goes high and screechy, and the ‘happy toy’ line nearly ruined the song for me–but looking pass that it’s a good track.

The pace picks up a little with the next track, Mabataki (まばたき; Blink). I’m not really sure how I feel about this song, but it’s leaning more towards dislike. The arrangement is basic, but has a constant thrum that keeps you focused on it, Chara’s vocals are all right at points and then she just decides to overdo it, like in one instant of the song where her voice was just unbearable, thankfully it was brief. Towards the end, the song goes out, and we hear some guy talking; it almost sounds as if he is trying to talk over static and Chara’s aud-libs, and the whole approach just seemed very pointless. Still, this song has something going for it that I like, I think it’s the chorus, which is pretty fun.

It slows down a tad on this next track, Bishonure no (びしょぬれの; Can’t Return from the Sky). I really like the title of this song, and I actually thought it was going to be some sort of smooth ballad similar to Miruku, well it isn’t much of a ballad, and it definitely is not as good as Miruku which is in the top five of my favorite Chara songs. Back on point here, I didn’t like this song. I like the slow approach of it, but at the same time the song seems to drag on pointlessly. The arrangement is so basic, it’s like it’s hardly even there, and all you hear really is Chara’s straining vocals. This is what I disliked most about this song, and is the reason why I can’t tolerate it. Chara’s vocals are near ear-bleed inducing, because she does such irritating things with her tone at such odd times, and it makes this song ridiculous and painful.

The next track is interesting, Yumemiru Fujibitai (夢見る富士額; Dreamin Little With) though the title is a little odd. I liked this song, had a nice airy atmosphere going for it that I enjoyed. I also liked Chara’s vocals, since she didn’t try to overdo it, and thankfully sung the song the way it was suppose to be sung.

Last track on the album is the forgetable Hikitomerarenai (ひきとめられない; Can’t Keep You Mine), which should be titled: ‘can’t keep me interested in this song’. When it first started I was wondering if I was listening to Yumemiru Fujibitai all over again, because it sounded so similar. No, what we get here is an overwhelming arrangement, that sometimes made it hard to hear Chara’s breathy vocals, but then she decides to overdo it and her voice get’s high and erratic, by the end of the song all I could make out was Chara breathing out aud-libs. Not a good album closer, she could have scraped this and ended it on the previous track, because this song won’t be remembered by anyone–because they’ll force themselves to forget it.

GRADE: B-
Rating ** stars

Chara’s fourth album Happy Toy is a pretty decent album, but when compared to her previous album Violet Blue, it’s like a step down for her. Chara is a guilty pleasure of mine, I love how unique her voice is, and she has some incredibly good songs. She’s well-known, but like with my previous reviewies: Aikawa Nanase, ARIA and Bennie K., I don’t really see any reviews of her albums or singles on review sites, which is a shame. One thing that irked me the most about this album, and prevented me from giving it say a B+ or even an A- was how Chara played around with her voice. Chara’s voice is very breathy and raspy, which works for some of her songs, however it doesn’t work all the time, and tracks like Bishonure no and Mabataki certainly proved that. Her erratic vocal performances in some of the tracks, is what nearly or did ruin some potentially good songs, and that didn’t sit right with me. However she does manage to impress with songs like Iya, Tsumibukaku Aishite yo and the first full track Atashi Nande Dakishimetai n’ Darou?. Also I like how it’s so short, but seemed long. I enjoyed this album on a certain level, but it’s not one I would particurly play over fully. It started weak and it ended weak, but it does serve up some goodies inbetween.