Ken Hirai [Life is...] (Fifth Album)

Strawberry Sex
REVOLVER
ex-girlfriend
Ring
Come Back
somebody’s girl
I’m so drunk
Missin you ~It will break my heart~
世界で一番君が好き (Sekai de Ichiban Kimi ga Suki, (Am I Your Favorite in the World?)
メモリーズ (Memoriizu, Memories)
LIFE is…
大きな古時計 (Ōkiina Furu Tokei, Great Old Clock)

The album starts off with the rather odd Strawberry Sex. This is definitely one of those songs I’d be embarrassed to have any one, definitely people I know hear me listening to, because it is so ridiculous. This is not a bad song, not in the least, I actually really like the variety and on a good day I can actually tolerate it, but no. The arrangement is a bit funky, I loved the horns, trumpets, saxophones? Whatever, I liked, but it seemed awfully clunky and out of place in a sense. Ken’s vocals were high, like girl high or he had just been kicked in the balls before recording high, I was actually quite speechless. The arrangement seemed pretty solid, but it clashes jarringly with Ken’s high vocals. Then the ’strawberry sex’ of the chorus is just painful. I mean maybe I was expecting this song to be more sexy and less colorful? I don’t know. Its not a bad song, its just not one I too much like by him. Interesting start to the album, though.

The next track on the album is REVOLVER. I don’t get this song, not even a bit, but I like it. I wonder who the guy is talking at the start and end of the track? The arrangement is fitting, the synth making it flow at a nice pace. Ken’s vocals are nice in this as well, not high, but a bit low and rather sexy, I really liked his vocal performance in this. I mean at one point all I kept hearing was, ‘oh my god’ well, I think that’s the line.

The next track on the album is the somewhat catchy ex-girlfriend. I think I have a new favorite song after listening to this. The arrangement is heavy in the rnb and soulful as well, but that’s mostly because of Ken’s really good vocal performance. I mean the high, girl-like tone of his voice was there, but I hardly noticed and the chorus was definitely the high-light, I’m actually humming it as I write this.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Ring. Hmm? I really think this song has grown on me, because I thought it was just really boring when I first listened to it. The arrangement is typically slow and somber, just what you’d expect from a song like this. Ken’s vocal performance was also pretty good, except sometimes he really sounded like he was whining and that sort of brought the song down a notch. This is definitely for those who like there ballads nice and slow.

The next track on the album is the slightly mid-tempo Come Back. I was so close to not liking this track, because Ken’s high girl vocals were nearly intolerable and making me a bit uncomfortable. The arrangement is pretty plain, but interesting in the oddest of ways, it suited the song too. Ken’s vocals like I said were very high and girly, especially during the chorus and it threw me off for a bit and then eventually it just grew on me. Its a pretty catchy song.

The next track on the album somebody’s girl keeps the same pace as the previous. I honestly don’t get where Ken was trying to go with this song: ‘do what you want, somebody’s girl’ is this suppose to be another version of TABOO because I am clearly confused, but not entirely if that makes sense. The arrangement was just like in the previous, plain, but fitting. Ken’s vocals weren’t so high in this, thank goodness and I liked how he sounded a bit aggressive with the mild bass in his voice. The only part I didn’t like was the random chick rap, seemingly thrown into the song.

The next track on the album is the easy-going I’m so drunk. This is quite the fun song, I mean it doesn’t seem fun, but I’ve always thought this to be a rather humorous song and something that Ken can pull off. The arrangement is very quirky and a bit experimental, because it doesn’t sound like his regular rnb, soul, funk or gospel material. It was a bit refreshing to hear the change in pace. Ken’s vocals were cute, but serious and I love when he says: ‘i’m so drunk, i’m so drunk, i’m so drunk’ kawaii!

The next track on the album brings the pace down with Missin you ~It will break my heart~. This is one of my new favorites, I’m going to be listening to this song a lot now. Ken returns to his rnb roots and brings us a song that is very similar to Baby Face’s ‘When Can I See You Again’, I mean it really reminded me of my favorite Baby Face song. Ken’s vocals were just so good in this and when he started ad-libbing towards the end and really getting into the song I got such a Boyz II Men vibe. Ah, I want to listen to it again…

The next track on the album is the quirky 世界で一番君が好き (Sekai de Ichiban Kimi ga Suki, (Am I Your Favorite in the World?). I really like what this title translate to, its so cute. This song really surprised me, I actually thought it was going to be pretty down-tempo, but Ken flipped the script on me and made it a bit show tune, I heard nothing but tinkles it was so refreshing. Ken’s vocals were just the love, it was like this whole stop and go type theme and it made me think of ‘dancing in the rain’ or a song from a musical, it just plays like one of those random burst into song, its great and quite different.

The next track on the album is the hit or miss メモリーズ (Memoriizu, Memories). I was really expecting this song to be more down-tempo, so I was a bit disappointed that it was more around the mid-tempo range. That’s not why I dislike the song, I dislike it because it sounds way to much like another one of his songs, just how he chose to sing this it just sounds way familiar and the song I’m thinking about but can’t really name, sounds better. I also don’t really favor Ken’s vocals, they aren’t bad per say, but they really make this song a chore, he seemed pretty bored.

The second to last track on the album is the down-tempo LIFE is…. This is I believe my favorite Ken Hirai song and one of the first I heard of him. The arrangement is a lovely piano melody that really puts you in quite a reflective and somber mood. Ken’s vocals are quite good in this, I love the sheer depth of emotion in his voice and how it rose during the chorus and would sort of fade or break off, it just really always touches me every time I hear this. I mean it really makes you think, ‘life is… what?’ Its a hard question to answer, but in truth life is simply what you make it.

The last track on the album is the chiming 大きな古時計 (Ōkiina Furu Tokei, Great Old Clock). This is another song I like, but I really just find my interest in this waning whenever I hear it. Its sounds like an old nursery rhyme, but I do like the clock sounds throughout. Ken’s vocals were nice as well, though I felt a bit detached from it. I would have liked ‘life is…’ to end the album.

-GRADE: A
Rating: *** stars

Ken Hirai’s fifth album Life is… is such a good album. Its like gaining through losing all over again. I mean I never really paid attention to this album or cared for it and the only song that really mattered to me was Life is…, but this is really a top-notch album from him. I’m fast becoming a fan of his, well an even bigger fan and I really love his solid and genuine approach to rnb, soul, funk, jazz and gospel. The only problem I really had with this album besides Strawberry Sex and Memories is Ken’s often times high girl-like vocals, they honestly rub me the wrong way. I’m glad he kept them a bit under control and they didn’t ruin the tracks too much; I do like his voice, but the girl-ish highness of his vocals sometimes are really off-putting. I also want to give a shout-out to ex-girlfriend and Missing You ~It will be break my heart~, new favorites of mine.

Ken Hirai [gaining through losing] (Fourth Album)

She is!
KISS OF LIFE
L’Amant (The Lover)
Miracles
TUG OF WAR
Merry-Go-Round Highway
TABOO
Sweet Pillow
LOVE OR LUST
World’s End
even if
Gaining Through Losing

The album starts off with the mid-tempo She is!. This is a decent and in a sense good song, but I just don’t like it. The arrangement is very funk-a-delic soul, I thought of Earth, Wind & Fire immediately when it started up. It can be grating, because of the loud blaring sound of the trumpet, but it is a good arrangement and I really didn’t have a problem with it. I did however have a problem with Ken’s vocals, they were really annoying and in the end ruins a potentially good song in my opinion. A decent start to the album, though.

The next track on the album is the light pop and rnb-ish KISS OF LIFE. This is one of the first songs by Ken Hirai that I heard, way back when I was getting introduced to his music. The arrangement is nice, and I like that it has both elements of pop and rnb in it, to keep it both fresh and rhythmic. I really liked the drums. Ken’s voice was pretty high in this song as well, but it fit right in instead of getting on my nerves. This song is really humorous to me, because it plays like a song that shouldn’t be serious but it is.

The next track on the album is the surprising L’Amant (The Lover). I really enjoyed this song. Honestly, when I first listened to this I thought it was annoying, but I’m so glad I gave it a second listen. The arrangement is definitely the highlight, its so lovely and romantic. Ken’s vocals were so whiny, not in a bad way though, I just think Ken’s voice sounds like that, but it really went so well with this song. I mean, ‘I want to be your lover?’ Of course, I mean Ken… you’re hot.

The next track on the album is the down-tempo Miracles. I really adored this track, and I really didn’t when I first listened to this. The arrangement is just like in the previous track, its simple and lovely, though less romantic and more somber. Ken’s voice is actually pretty darn good in this, and I hardly even noticed the whine in his voice. I also love the light rnb vibe of it, it really made this song stand-out.

The next track on the album is the soulful TUG OF WAR. This song really surprised me. It started off on a good enough note, but Ken had that whine in his voice that threw me off, luckily the song becomes so good as well as Ken’s vocals that it ceased to even matter. The arrangement had a nice mix of rnb, soul and rock and those meshed together to make one catchy and rhythmic beat. I did enjoy Ken’s vocal performance as the song progressed, he really got into the song, and by the time it finished I was very much so… impressed.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo Merry-Go-Round Highway. This is not a bad song, it just doesn’t sound right to me. The arrangement is pretty interesting and fitting for a song like this, but it just doesn’t sound in tune with Ken’s vocals. I think that’s what ruined this song for me, because its such a good song, and I really did enjoy the chorus, but I couldn’t help but think it just didn’t stay on point. I mean I don’t know if it was the music or Ken’s vocal’s, but it just sounded odd to me.

The next track on the album is the illicit TABOO. I say illicit because he is talking about desiring his best-friends girlfriend, how its wrong, but also how they’re meant to be. Thus the name, because we all know that’s a no-no. The arrangement is a bit mild, but sensual. I really liked it. Ken’s vocals were a bit high, but he worked it to his advantage. This is a good song.

The next track on the album is the surprisingly good Sweet Pillow. I honestly don’t think I paid any sort of attention to this song when I first listened to it, but its actually quite the sweet track. The arrangement in the beginning sounded so old school rnb-ish, and like a song… maybe from the Isley Brothers, or some old school group’s song that I can’t quite put my finger on. It becomes its own as the song progresses, but still stays light and full of soul. I adored Ken’s vocals in this, they really brought such a warmth to this song. I mean, ‘you’re still my sweet pillow’ sounds silly, but its actually really nice.

The next track on the album is the somewhat mid-tempo LOVE OR LUST. Oh, wow what is Ken Hirai doing to me? He is making me like songs I wouldn’t normally like. I was so certain I wasn’t going to like this song, because the beat sounded very Namie Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi back when they first started out-ish, just with an rnb twist and Ken’s vocals were really doing nothing for me in the beginning, and I thought the high way he say, ‘love or lust’ was really stupid. As the song progressed however, everything seemed to come together so nice like. This is a really good song, and I love how he goes out ad-libbing.

The next track on the album is the smooth World’s End. I really loved how this song started out with the piano arrangement from Teddy Pendergrass’ A Song For You, which is one of my favorite songs of all time. It becomes its own after that and stays mellow, smooth and just so lovely on the ears. Ken’s vocals were wonderful, he definitely made a song that could have been boring because of the slow pace of it, not boring at all. This song has a lot of soul and is a good listen.

The second to last track on the album is the rather dull even if. I had to listen to this song twice, just to make sure that I didn’t like it. This song is really impossible. The arrangement is nice in a sense, but slow and lank to the point that I hardly noticed or paid attention to it. Ken’s vocals are all right, but its almost as if he’s trying to numb my mind or something, because his vocals are so weirdly paced in this song. Its like you’re literally waiting for him to get on with it! This is a song with a lot of potential, I actually enjoyed the last part of the song (maybe because it was the end), but I really just can’t be bothered with it.

The last track on the album is the inspirational Gaining Through Losing. I had a feeling this song was going to go this route and I’m really glad it did. The arrangement was of course very Gospel-influenced, which was very appropriate and welcome. Ken’s vocals were good as well, they still have that high whiny quality to it, but you hardly notice because you’re so absorbed in the song and the message he is trying to convey. I really loved the choir in the background, they brought such charm and personality to this song: ‘now I understand the meaning of sunshine after rain…’ sometimes you really need to hear songs like this just to remind you that life is hard, but you’ll be just fine as long as you believe in yourself.

-GRADE: A
Rating: *** stars

Ken Hirai’s fourth album gaining through losing really blew me away with how genuinely good it is. I’ve never really liked this album, and until this review I’ve never really took the time to actually appreciate the tracks for what they are. This album seems very soulful to me, so I was surprised to read that it won an award for best rock album, but whatever. I liked the majority of the songs on this album, and that’s always a good sign. The songs on this album won’t appeal to most, but it definitely appealed to me. gaining through losing is one of Ken’s best album’s, and so far a personal favorite of mine.

Ken Hirai [FAKIN' POP] (Seventh Album)

POP STAR
Kimi wa Su.te.ki♡ (君はス・テ・キ♡; You’re Won.der.ful)
Kimi no Suki na Toko (君の好きなとこ; The Place You Like)
Canvas
Pain
fake star
UPSET
Utsukushii Hito (美しい人; Beautiful One)
Elegy
Twenty! Twenty! Twenty!
Bye My Melody
Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo
Shashin (写真; Photo)

The album starts off with the oddly infectious, POP STAR. I wanted to die when this song first came out, I’m like: ‘What is Ken thinking? He’s rnb, not pop’, I refused to like this song. I like this song. I really do, it’s so catchy, and I think that has something to do with the arrangement which is just really bizarre, because it’s almost cute in a sense. Ken’s vocal performance really suited this song I thought, he went with light tones, and that made the song really stand out, especially when he would sing the line, ‘I wanna be a pop star’. This track is really funny to me, because Ken Hirai as an actual pop star is just hilarious, but it WORKS.

The next track on the album is the warped, Kimi wa Su.te.ki♡ (君はス・テ・キ♡; You’re Won.der.ful). When this song first started, I literally had to double take, I have never heard anything this out there from Ken Hirai, because he normally sticks to a very straight forward approach when it comes to his vocals. I mean the speed of this song is crazy, and Ken Hirai’s sort of warp speed vocal performance was almost unbearable, since his voice was so high it sounded girlish. The arrangement is very, how do I put it? Futuristic. I can picture the video for this being very cyborg-futuristic-like. I don’t like this song, I think it’s terrible and annoying.

The next track is a song by Ken Hirai that I absolutely adore, Kimi no Suki na Toko (君の好きなとこ; The Place You Like). I’m not sure how I stumbled upon the video to this, but I think it was when I was looking for Ken Hirai videos one day, and I just fell in love with not only the lovely song, but the simple and very touching video. Kimi no Suki na Toko is just such a simple song, everything about it is just so slow-paced, from Ken’s vocals to the wonderful arrangement. It’s got this whole go at your own pace vibe to it, and it’s just one of those rare tracks that reaches your heart and puts a smile on your face.

Ken slows it way down with the next track, Canvas. As where Kimi no Suki na Toko was light and whimsical, Canvas is more serious and in-depth. It’s incredibly slow-paced, and the vocal performance is what I’m used to when it comes to Ken Hirai. It’s not so light that he sounds like a girl or too deep to make it seem like he’s trying too hard to be masculine, but somewhere in the middle. This song can come off as really boring, because there really isn’t any variety in it, and it keeps the same pace and tone throughout; but Ken puts a lot in this song, it’s really deep and in it’s own way incredibly memorable.

The next track continues along the down-tempo route with, Pain. A song that went completely over my head. Unlike Canvas that had the right amount of serious atmosphere and depth, Pain just comes off as too serious and trying entirely too hard. I felt absolutely nothing but boredom and disinterest while listening to this song, not even Ken’s intense vocal performance could save it from forgettable-ness. I however did like the, ‘I’ll never escape this pain’ at the very end.

The next track on the album, fake star is like a different take on POP STAR and I have to admit I like this one a lot more. The tone in this song is very light, and catchy, but it’s almost like he’s going against the previous song in this, like when he says, ‘he’s a pop star, but he’s a fake star’ it’s really clever. I love Ken’s vocals in this track a lot more than in POP STAR because they don’t sound so high, but just right. This song is really rather cute, and a lot more enjoyable.

Ken gets a little quirky with the next track, UPSET. Ken Hirai has some pretty weird songs, and this is definitely one of them. I mean he can take a song with such a simple title, and make it absolutely ridiculous. That is what he does with UPSET. It’s almost like a more up-tempo version of Pain, but a bit worse. I’ll cut it some slack, the arrangement is pretty sweet, since it has a lot going for it instrument-wise, and it definitely keeps your attention. It’s really Big Band and Swing style, back in the 30’s, and it’s really cool. Plus I really liked Ken’s vocals because he sung the verses mostly with a little attitude, the chorus however he drops the edge and starts singing in light tones and that not only ruins the chorus for me, but the song as well. I thought the, ‘I’m so upset’ at the end was really random as well.

The next is a weepy little down-tempo ballad track, that I really dislike. Utsukushii Hito (美しい人; Beautiful One), is just boring in every sense of the word. There is no arrangement really, just a lilting piano playing sadly in the background, and Ken Hirai’s own wilted vocal performance. It’s not all that bad, I’m sure a few people will appreciate it’s charm, for it is a touching song, but for the rest of us, it’ll most likely put you to sleep.

The next track is the rather powerful Elegy. This song is very reminiscent of Canvas, they both have the same vibe to me. I really liked Ken Hirai’s vocal performance in this song, but a lot of the time, (the most glaring thing about this song and it really brought the enjoyment value down with this track) is that it’s so long-winded, and seems to go on longer than it should. Also we get back to the trying too hard, which is what brought Pain down in the end. The arrangement is very atmospheric and dark and I thought that suited the song. Elegy is a great track, but it’s one of those songs you’ll easily tire of, since it tries to do too much.

The next track is a mix between mid and up tempo, in my opinion. Twenty! Twenty! Twenty! is a fun song, I’d have to admit. It’s not the kind of song I would go for, the arrangement is way too airy, but it’s warm. Ken’s vocals weren’t anything spectacular, but it was almost like he was having fun with this song especially during the, ‘twenty! twenty! twenty!’ part of the chorus and I think that’s all that matters. This song is rather metro-sexual, but I don’t care, I think I’m one of the few people who wishes he actually was gay, or would step out the closet already.

The next track on the album is so forgettable I really can’t stand it. By My Melody, is just an amazingly boring and forgettable song that goes clear over your head, no matter how many times you listen to it. I actually can’t recall anything from the song; verses, chorus, vocals, arrangement, nothing! and I listened to this song twice! It’s just album fodder, and I wonder why it was included at all.

The second to last track on the album has an absurdly long title. Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (いつか離れる日が来ても; If Some Day a Day Comes Where I’m Separated from You) is honestly one of the most boring-est songs I have ever heard. The title is rather sweet, and it starts out nice enough, and then Ken starts singing, in the most boring tone he can possibly muster. It was almost like listening to someone tell you something who is completely uninterested in the conversation you are having. How pointless is that? It really felt as if Ken Hirai himself was bored with this song, and wanted to convey that by singing in the same tone, throughout the whole song. Amazing. I can not believe he actually released this bore-fest as a single, who bought this?

The last track on the album is the smoothly down-tempo, Shashin (写真; Photo). I read on a blog a while back that this song was written from a picture he had saw of his father, and really how touching is that? The song is quite emotionally moving, Ken’s vocal performance sounded almost painfully sad, and heartbreaking. It really made you connect with the song and Ken Hirai’s feelings concerning his dad, a wonderful song to end the album on. It really stays with you.

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

I have to admit my positive feelings towards Ken Hirai’s latest studio album, FAKIN’ POP has diminished quite a bit, but even so, it’s still a solid album. I thought the whole contrast between POP STAR and fake star was really clever, and honestly only Ken Hirai can pull something like that off. I really enjoyed the down-tempo Kimi no Suki na Toko, which is officially one of my all time favorite Ken Hirai songs; Canvas is an incredible and very intense song, that showcases some nice vocals from Ken, as well as Elegy which would have been even better had he not tried so hard to top Canvas. Twenty! Twenty! Twenty! is a fun song, and the album ends beautifully on Shashin. The rest of the songs however are either painfully bad, painfully average, or painfully boring. FAKIN’ POP has a nice metro-pop feel to it, but he also stays true to his rnb roots, and I admire that. I don’t want him to ever become an actual pop star, it doesn’t suit him, but for satire’s sake? I can accept it.