REVIEWS: I'm doing reviews a little differently from now on. I really enjoyed the more in depth reviews I did last week so from now on I'll just write very small reviews for most of the releases and then go to more effort and detail for my favourite releases of each week. I've also changed the rating system to an 'out of 10' score which gives me more room. I was finding everything rating as a B, B- or B+ beforehand lol. Anyway, onto the reviews!
Kurage, Nagareboshi Otsuka Ai
Otsuka Ai's 5th anniversary is celebrated by this beautiful ballad. Kurage, Nagareboshi is a lovely, little tune but it isn't anything new from Ai and it's very similar to some more impressive tracks she has had in the past. That being said, fans of Otsuka Ai will probably adore this song and it is a nice nod to her previous styles for an anniversary track.
Rating: 7/10
Kaze no Tegami alan
Kaze no Tegami is alan's 3rd elements single, this time representing the air/wind. Once again alan gets a great budget producing a very professional and radio friendly track. I'm not really certain why she isn't more popular. The song isn't bad but it borders on bland in some parts. I also don't think it represents the element as well as her previous two singles.
Rating: 6.5/10
Glass Skin Dir en grey
Glass Skin is a very original, interesting track from Dir en grey. For a more thorough review check out rockerica's blog. I can't say I'm as enthusiastic about the track as she is, though she seems to be a fan. I do give props to the originality and experimentation. It isn't something I'd generally listen to though, but it is good.
Rating: 7/10
Aka to Kuro no MATADORA / I LOVE YOU wo Sagashiteru GLAY
Aka to Kuro no MATADORA is a Spanish inspired, mid tempo rock track. It has some nice strings throughout and an impressive amount of layers. The chorus is particularly good and very catchy. I'd advise you to check out this track, it is quite good for those who enjoy adult-contemporary rock. Unfortunately the other A-side on this single didn't impress me at all and thus the single isn't a single of the week.
Rating: 7.5/10
I LOVE YOU wo Sagashiteru is a rock ballad. Now I've also reviewed UVERworld's Koishikute (another I Love You rock ballad) below as one of my singles of the week. This I LOVE YOU doesn't even come close, sorry. It's emotional in the chorus but the arrangement and melody is bland and forgettable. The vocals aren't all that flash either.
Rating: 5.5/10
Single/s of the Week
Tsuzuku Sekai Nakagawa Shouko
The song starts out with a REALLY beautiful melody. I've read some comments from people who don't think it fits well with the song but I do adore songs which have a very delicate opening and then burst out into rock. Tsuzuku Sekai does this really well and the rock beat is equally awesome.
OK... the verse comes along and we have to handle that hurdle that is Shouko's voice. Personally, I don't find it good at all. I always have a problem when I listen to original songs and the singer still sounds very pitchy and out of tune. This is one of those songs.
On the plus side, there's no doubt Shouko is giving it her all, especially in the chorus. She is able to convey emotion well through her vocals which is great but I'm left feeling that with a better singer this song could have been a real hit. For me, while the voice wasn't great I was able to get past it, kudos to the actual song arrangement for that.
I really like the chorus on this track, as I mentioned Shouko gives it her all and it is generally pretty catchy and opens with a bang. The verses are very good as well with a somewhat moody aspect while the pre-chorus has a nice tempo change to bridge towards the chorus effectively.
The really winner here is the instrumental which is pretty awesome imo. The whole song has a beautiful pop feel with an edgy rock sound. There are two instrumental solos about 3/4 through and at the end. Both fit in well with the song and don't feel intrusive at all. Originality wise, they aren't groundbreaking but they are enjoyable. Perhaps one quip is that the 3/4 solo could easily be excluded, Shouko offers nothing during the instrumental and it kind of just stops and the song continues, but lots of songs do that I guess. It didn't really bother me.
The bridge is a little too similar to the rest of the song but has a nice ending leading onto the final chorus. This is followed by another rock instrumental and then the beautiful melody we heard at the opening, to close it out.
This song has a few things wrong with it: It isn't very original and Shouko seems out of her league with her singing but that doesn't matter much when I generally just enjoy the track. Sometimes you can analyse a song to death and find many faults but still enjoy it. This is one of those songs for me. It has a high energy which is maintained throughout, I really enjoy the opening and closing melodies and the rocky edginess of the song. It's a good track.
Rating: 7.5/10
Koishikute UVERworld
UVERworld have been around since 2005 but I honestly having paid too much attention to them (purely because I've only recently been getting into a lot of new artists). I don't know much about them; I'm kind of going into this review blind but when I heard Koishikute I was pleasantly surprised. This single is their 11th and is a stunning rock-ballad.
Koishikute is beautiful right from the beginning with a sweet orchestral string opening over piano which leads onto a very stripped back, honest acoustic verse.
Can I just say TAKUYA's voice is awesome?! It is perhaps one of my favourite male Japanese vocals that I've heard. He has a unique, emotionally driven sound. I really love the little breaks in his voice leading off certain notes. I’m not sure if they’d be as effective in other songs but in this song it adds that emotion that propels Koishikute to another level. He definitely gives it his all and is very talented.
Naturally the stripped back verses are beautiful with TAKUYA's vocals leading onto a bridge which is similarly simple and wonderful with a lovely high note at the end. We then head into the rocky chorus which is pretty incredible. The emotion of the lyrics is conveyed not only through TAKUYA's intensified vocals but also the rocky music. The chorus is somewhat catchy which is good for a ballad (Yuna Ito's Miss You did this well too).
We then head back to the simple verse which is similar to the first however a marching drum beat is introduced to the pre-chorus this time around which is a wonderful addition.
The second chorus then leads onto the bridge which is played over a really awesome guitar solo and drum beat and then drops back to a beautifully simple piano tune. The bridge is actually quite long, it's almost like a 3rd chorus and has many different levels which is creative and keeps interest.
The final set of choruses are much more intensified with a lot of vocalisation from TAKUYA and a beautiful closing note. The songs finishes up with a similar guitar/drum beat as was seen in the bridge, some great work from the other members of UVERworld.
All in all, I'm very impressed. Koishikute is a perfect ballad: creative, original and not at all boring. The catchy rock chorus keeps you hooked throughout while the verses move you. I can't speak more highly of the vocals; They suit this emotionally driven song perfectly. The build in the song is flawless, with nice additions of the drum beat in the second pre-chorus and the different instrumentals throughout the bridge.
I’ve been harping on about TAKUYA’s vocals but a lot of credit goes to the other band members. The instrumental is incredible. The song's message of saying goodbye to a loved one resonates throughout. It’s quite touching.
Rating: 8.5/10
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