Hinouchi Emi [ME] (Second Album)

O’kay
Music Of Love (Hinouchi Emi X SOFFet)
Kataomoi
Koi wa RIRURARI
chocolate
Natsukoi (Hinouchi Emi & Ryohei)
GOODIE MEMORIES
Get up!
FIRST DATE
I Love You
Heart feel vacances
Ai Dake ga (愛だけが; Only Love)
interlude~in my dream~
Grow
E・S・C・A・P・E
TWINKLE STAR feat. Hinouchi Emi (SHINE ON ME ver.)

The album starts off with the rather underwhelming O’kay. Hmm? This sounded a lot better on the single and seemed a bit more up in the tempo. I don’t know, the arrangement is rather unimpressive and seems to be a bit watered down. It just gives the impression of a nice party like atmosphere, but for some reason it bores. Emi’s vocals are decent, but they don’t really stand out. This is a pretty weak opening track as I’m guessing it was suppose to start the album out on a fresh and energetic note, but its just incredibly bland and forgettable.

The next track on the album is the nice Music Of Love (Hinouchi Emi X SOFFet). I honestly am not sure if I like this song or not, but I definitely like the flow. The arrangement is a cross between smooth rnb and Jazz and it just really sounds so mellow, laid-back and a bit romantic and dare I say, classical. Emi’s vocals are nice, but just like in the previous track they don’t really stand out. SOFFet, whomever that is was a bit out of place, the harshness of his voice just clashes with the soft sounding arrangement and it turned me off the song a bit. Its nice in a way, but I’m a little on the fence with this track.

The next track on the album is Kataomoi. This was a nice song, but it doesn’t really do much. I like the arrangement, its very carefree and a bit sparkly but its fitting. Emi’s vocals were nice, I really love the way in which she chose to sing this. It gives you a self-assured type of feeling in concerns with love. This song may not be all that stand out, but it gives off a special type of feeling.

The next track on the album is the sparkle-tinkle Koi wa RIRURARI. This has got’s to be one of the most filler-ish songs I have ever heard. I almost couldn’t believe I was hearing it, it was so pointless. The song it short, but it seems to go on for far longer than it should. The most I heard was this tinkle sound, that made the arrangement sound unnaturally sparkly, which just came across as weird to me. Emi’s vocals are decent, but its almost like why is she wasting her time singing such a forgettable tune?

The next track on the album is the half and half chocolate. Hmm? I’m a bit on the fence with this song, seriously. I don’t know, I liked it on the single and then I didn’t too much like it on my first album listen, so I decided to listen to it again and it played better. That’s two to one. The arrangement is pretty simple, not all that engaging, but it does its part, besides being blandly sparkly and forgettable. Emi’s vocals don’t pop out at all, which is a shame. I don’t know, this song really isn’t all that interesting, but I’m inclined to like it. Darn.

The next track on the album is the light Natsukoi (Hinouchi Emi & Ryohei). I don’t know, I just don’t like this song. I do however like the Caribbean-like arrangement, gives the song a very casual and laid-back vibe. Emi’s vocal performance was not good and kind a ruined this all right song for me, I don’t really recall or remember hearing Ryohei and I listened to this track twice.

The next track on the album ups the pace a bit with GOODIE MEMORIES. I’ve already said enough about how much I adore this song on my single review of it, its still a good listen even on the album and its one of my favorite Emi songs.

The next track on the album keeps the up-tempo’s coming with Get up!. I didn’t too much care for this track when I reviewed it on the single, but I know its not a bad song and I like Emi’s vocal performance.

The next track on the album is the cool FIRST DATE. Ah, this song is really cute. I wasn’t so much into it in the beginning and then gradually I found myself somewhat enjoying the song. The light piano arrangement is really fitting and sounds rather clever, it doesn’t do much, but it manages to play so well. Emi’s vocals are nice, though she didn’t do much with it either: ‘first date with my babay’

The next track on the album is the down-tempo I Love You. This is my favorite b-side from Emi and quite possibly my favorite song from her as well. I don’t know if I too much like this song on the album, I mean it plays nice of course, its a great track and one of the most emotionally moving songs I have ever heard, plus Emi’s vocals as well as the fitting arrangement were top-notch and definitely conveyed that feeling of loving someone, no matter what. It just doesn’t seem to fit in (especially coming after the high school-ish ‘first date’) as it seems so mature compared to the songs I’ve heard so far, including ‘kataomoi’ and ‘goodie memories’.

The next track on the album is the warm Heart feel vacances. Oh, wow… what a nice song. I really wasn’t expecting it to go this way, but I am very pleased. The arrangement sounds so sad, but a ‘i’m going to get over this, eventually’ type sadness, so it leaves you with a somewhat hopeful feeling. Emi’s vocals are quite lovely in this, I just adored her vocal performance and this song. Ah, my new favorite track, I’m going to be listening to this a lot.

The next track on the album is the soothing Ai Dake ga (愛だけが; Only Love). This song seems to fit in a bit more than ‘i love you’ even more so since it comes right after the mellow ‘heart feel vacances’. This song is still such a good listen, I just love the emotion and feeling in Emi’s vocals.

The next track on the album is interlude~in my dream~. A simple piano melody and Emi ad-libbing ‘yeah’. Its nice, but rather pointless.

The next track on the album is the emotional Grow. I’m almost speechless, I was just not expecting to hear a song like this, with that amount of vocal prowess. I mean its no Hikki, Misia, Lena Park, but it was like she put her heart in soul into this song and it was so felt. I love the somber piano playing smoothly and longingly in the background, it was really nice. Just like ‘heart feel vacances’ this is definitely one of my new favorites from her.

The second to last track on the album jarringly ups the pace with E・S・C・A・P・E. I really don’t like how this came after ‘grow’ not a very good transition. I still don’t too much like this track, but it have a nice flow and the chorus is pretty engaging. On a more humorous note you could make up some good dance moves to this song.

The last track on the album is the surprising TWINKLE STAR feat. Hinouchi Emi (SHINE ON ME ver.). I don’t even want to say how many times I listened to this song, way too many times. The first listen I was pretty underwhelmed, I thought it sounded a bit awkward, arrangement wise, because Emi’s vocals were decent. As the song progresses the arrangement seems to even itself out and this becomes a nice little listen. I’m not sure why it feat. Emi when the only person I heard was her. The arrangement might I add sounds very disco, tech, synthy–its rather charming.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

Hinouchi Emi’s second album ME is definitely better than her debut, but I’m still left a little underwhelmed with it. I mean its not a bad album, I guess it stems from the fact that I was expecting more, especially since her singles were so strong following up to this, most notably: GOODIE MEMORIES and Ai Dake ga. I mean I was waiting forever for this album and in the end it was another Umbrella good, but not nearly as good as I thought it would be. The stand-out track is I Love You, I’m sorry but that is such a great song. The follow-ups would be: FIRST DATE, Ai Dake ga and Grow. The most surprising and my favorite behind ‘i love you’ off the album is the rather lovely Heart feel vacances. The rest are either all right or forgettable, yes even Kataomoi. ME like I said before is like a thousand steps up from the abysmal Dramatiques, but like with melody. I’m waiting to be wowed by her.

Hinouchi Emi [GOODIE MEMORIES] (6th Single)

GOODIE MEMORIES
E・S・C・A・P・E
Get Up!

Hinouchi Emi’s 6th single starts off with the a-side GOODIE MEMORIES. This song really made me pay attention to Emi and actually take her seriously. Dramatiques was such a throwaway album that I had lost a bit of hope in her, but when I heard this song, I couldn’t help but smile a little. I knew she had it in her to come out with some good, stand out material. The arrangement is so lively in a mellow kind a way, with the heavy use of rnb and synth you can just picture an intimate gathering of friends holding colorful drinks, swaying slightly, laughing, talking and just having an all around good time. Emi’s vocals are quite good and the chorus is the definite high light, its really engaging and fills you with a very warm and youthful type of feeling. This song is so old-school sounding and makes me feel so nostalgic that sometimes when I listen to this, I find myself feeling incredibly sad, but somewhat happy at the same time.

The next track on the single is its first b-side E・S・C・A・P・E. What an odd choice of spelling? Anyways, this track definitely gives off a party like air, moreso than the previous track. The arrangement isn’t really all that interesting but it flows well and carries the song. Emi’s vocals are nice in this, I don’t too much recall the verses, but the chorus was lively. Ah, this isn’t as stand-out as the a-side, but its a pretty all right b-side.

The last track on the single is its second b-side Get Up!. I’m guessing Emi was aiming for a party single and she certainly succeeded. This is the most lively and up-tempo track yet and at the same time the most forgettable. It has a typical beat (nice use of the drums, cymbals?), but just like with the previous track it carries the song. Emi’s vocals are fine, but they stand out only during the chorus. This track is appealing only because its fun and who doesn’t like to have fun every once in a while?

-GRADE: B+
Rating: ** stars

Hinouchi Emi’s 6th single GOODIE MEMORIES is a somewhat solid single, but as the a-side stands on its own, the two b-sides seem to fall heavily into the realm of cliche. This was a lively single and it was definitely a fun listen, but ‘goodie memories’ is the only memorable track here. The two b-sides are definitely worth a listen, but don’t expect anything too different from them.

Hinouchi Emi [Ai Dake ga (愛だけが; Only Love)] (7th Single)

Ai Dake ga (愛だけが; Only Love)
I Love You
Ai Dake ga (Demo Vers.)

Emi Hinouchi’s 7th single starts off with the down-tempo Ai Dake ga (愛だけが; Only Love). I was a little too geeked to find that Emi had come out with another single, because I really loved GOODIE MEMORIES and O’kay. The arrangement is just really heart-wrenching, the piano, the strings, the fragile power of Emi’s voice. I mean her voice was really quite good in this song. I mean she sings the verses so slow and sorrowfully, the effect really makes you give pause and listen. Then her voice rises during the chorus, and its just so emotional that you can’t help but feel everything that she is feeling. The way she is singing, makes you feel as if she is begging him to come back to her, and its really powerful. Its sad that it got so utterly ignored, this is one incredible and terribly underrated song from her.

The next track on the single is the beautiful I Love You. This song really always makes me sad when I listen to it, but content at the same time. The arrangement is similar to Ai Dake ga but its a lot more emotionally moving. The piano was the main instrument at play, and listening to it really makes me wish that she had added the instrumental to this on the single. Emi’s vocals were really just lovely, I thought her vocal performance was even better in this song. I mean you really connect with her, and it makes your heart just bleed when she sings: ‘I love you… I promise I’ll love you forever.’ it always makes me think she’s saying: ‘I love you, I just love you… I promise I’ll love you forever…’ This song really just breaks my heart. I mean it really makes me think of how much you can love someone, and how that person can just consume your whole being. I do like this song a lot more than the a-side, and its definitely one of my favorites.

The last track on the single is the demo version of Ai Dake ga. I’m really not sure what the point was in adding the demo version, it seemed pretty filler. I mean its a nice demo, but it just really takes up space for seemingly no reason.

-GRADE: A
Rating: *** stars

Emi Hinouchi’s 7th single Ai Dake ga is in my opinion her best single to date, and that’s saying much because its a ballad single. Ai Dake ga was a great a-side, it was a little weak, but it still managed to sway me. I Love You is one of Emi’s best songs, and it really tugs at the strings of the heart, in such a good way. The demo version of Ai Dake ga was good in a demo version sense, but it just seemed so, ‘why is this on here?’ I really wish she would have added the instrumentals to the a and b-sides, that would have made this single even more solid, and it would have most likely gotten an A+ instead of an A.

Hinouchi Emi [Dramatiques] (First Album)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-GRADE: D
Rating: 1/2 star

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