Rina Aiuchi – Kimi to no Deai ~good bye my days~ October 16, 2008

Track Listing

1. Kimi to no Deai ~good bye my days~
2. Simple
3. Will you dance?   Performed by INTER-D (Limited Only)
4. Kimi to no Deai ~good bye my days -instrumental-
5. Simple -instrumental-

1. Kimi to no Deai ~good bye my days~

There’s something different hearing this and comparing it with her past works.  It’s like she combined the rock sounds she was enforcing the last few albums and then mxing in the pop sounds from “Mint”.  I kinf of found the song attracting even though it’s nothing new.  Rina sounds pretty nice though I’m still unsure about the whole rock thing.  Still, it’s been a while since we’ve heard a good A-side from Rina.

2. Simple

I kind of knew that this track would’ve been a ballad which doesn’t surprise me at the least.  After a while it changes into a soft pop song that suited way better for Rina’s vocals.  I actually quite like this track as well.  Sadly, against her other ballad-like tracks this would be quite the underdog of the bunch.

3. Will you dance?   Performed by INTER-D

Another track that’s “performed” by INTER-D?  Well, I did enjoy what they did with “Harmony” but this was a pretty odd track.  I mean it’s pretty jazzy and there’s a lot of interesting synth moments.  Rina though sounds very airy and different from what I usually hear and she’s also using a lot of English which caught me off guard.  The worst thing though is the rapper…it just didn’t fit with everything else the song was doing.

 

 

Rina kicks off the era with a pretty awkward single.  Kimi to no Deai provides to combine her past stuff as one which worked out somewhat in a good way.  Simple was what is a “simple” ballad even though it was an alright track when not comparing to other tracks.  Worst song on the single was Will you dance hands down just because it didn’t really sound like Rina at alland the rapper ruined it.

Ai Otsuka – Frienger October 16, 2008

 

Track Listing

1. Frienger
2. Amai Kimochi Maru Kajiri
3. Frienger (Instrumental)
4. Amai Kimochi Maru Kajiri (Instrumental)

1. Frienger

I think we needed an upbeat track to start the era off.  Frienger does sound different from her pop/rock tracks and I guess it’s something new, but I felt the song was lacking any interest mainly in the chorus.  It’s definitly not too fond of the track, but I guess it’s nice once in a while to listen to Ai go through.

2. Amai Kimochi Maru Kajiri

I’m suprised that this song was just as bland and boring if not more than “Frienger”.  It just lacked any interest and the chorus kind of sounds bad from here.  The thing I liked about it was its calm and smooth atmosphere.  Though it didn’t save the song.

 

 

Ai’s first single for the era was pretty boring if you ask me.  I mean Frienger is faster than Amai Kimochi Maru Kajiri, but they both lacked a lot of needed support to be really good.  I hope she doesn’t screw this era up.