SID – dead stock February 28, 2011

Track Listing

1. NO LDK
2. Shelter
3. cosmetic
4. Ii Hito
5. Ranbu no Melody (ALBUM MIX)
6. Rain
7. dog run
8. one way
9. 2-gatsu
10. Wife
11. sleep
12. Sympathy

1. NO LDK

SID opens up the album quite nicely with NO LDK.  I still love whenever they tested out the sort of danceish side to their music and NO LDK kind of takes off on it, but it’s not as evident like “Utahime”.  I love Mao’s vocals though as it’s as strong as it has been during the era.  Shinji’s solo also fits a bit…but I don’t know why, but it’s not as strong as it was and it ends the song.  Ok…

2. Shelter

Next up is the album’s shortest track, Shelter.  I’m not really sure what to make it of the song since it has a whole lot of Yuuya for some reason which kind of turned me off, but things quite clear up after a while.  It’s not the most interesting of songs off the album but at leads it’s nice to have more songs right? 

3. cosmetic

As the album’s 4th A-side released in the era, cosmetic stood out for me because it’s not like the rest of the 4 A-sides released in the era.  To me the more jazzy-ish light side of SID stuck out in the song and I loved Mao’s interest within the song.  I have to say, if there’s a song that represents SID’s classyness, I’d go for this song and it even has a solo for both Shinji and bassist Aki.  Fun, fun, song!

4. Ii Hito

Taking it even more slower, Ii Hito actually feels more jazzier than friggin “cosmetic” did.  It doesn’t have SID whippin out hard guitars and J-rock this time which is a sweet thing.  To me, Ii Hito is for the people that really loved “Danro” off the “Ranbu no Melody” single and I will say it’s just as so odd and yet so sweet to listen to.  It’s very abstract of a group like SID, but I love these kind of experiments since most of the time, they get it right!

5. Ranbu no Melody (ALBUM MIX)

I find it funny that Ranbu no Melody (5th A-side) was the only song that got edited for the album.  Even then, the changes are slight as they are only in some instruments, but there’s more prominence of Shinji’s guitar parts for sure so it might make the song better for some of it.  All I care is that it’s the same Bleach song that made me yell ~shizuka ni, shizuka ni~.  I mean that’s so catchy XD

6. Rain

Going from a song that was tied to Bleach to a song from Fullmetal Alchemist, Rain might have been the first song I’ve ever heard from SID, but it’s not the only ballad A-side (sharing with “sleep”).  While it gets into rockin’ SID in the chorus, Rain has since went down a few notches, especially with the amount of songs that were experimental, it made this one seem kind of one-dimensional of a song, but I still like the song since it’s my first SID song.

7. dog run

Back to strange land, dog run is so goofy of a song that it almost makes me want to make SID and oshare-kei band, but they lack the visual freakiness XD.  dog run’s arrangement just screams ikimono-gakari for some reason but I love it since it’s so upbeat and relatively cute for a band that does a whole lot of serious music.  I think they really stuck the odd chord though with Shinji’s solo.  It’s not totally out of place, but it’s something you wouldn’t expect in such a song.  I liked this hahaha.

8. one way

I guess one way is the fastest song off the album huh?  I guess it’s just me but after the last few songs, I feel like this one was the J-rock typical track from SID and while I don’t hate it, it kind of feels like the song was just a stepping stone before they rocked the era with the rest of the A-sides.

9. 2-gatsu

I’m guessing we’re at the low point of the album?  2-gatsu does feel like something different from SID since we really didn’t have a straightforward mid-tempo track from them.  I like the kind of American-like sound I get from this song and Mao’s vocals sound quite controlled moreso than in most of the other tracks.  It’s alright, but nothing too fancy.

10. Wife

Another bizarre song from SID, Wife almost wants to take a latin twist with the way it moved and how quick the song was presented.  I thought it was pretty spiffy of them to that and I love the accordion here as well.  However it’s only 3 seconds longer than the shortest song on the album so that should tell you it’s a quick hitter.  I actually ended up loving this song quite a bit for it’s spastic nature and randomness xD

11. sleep

A ballad after something like “Wife” should be reprimanded for such a rift.  As the era’s 2nd A-side, sleep was kind of the weakest A-side for me in the era.  However, seeing as it was kind of like “Rain” in the arrangement though coming first I’m torn.  I do love Mao’s vocals quite a bit in the song, but at the same time he sounded quite the same in the next A-side.  I need to change my mindset I guess because I think I can enjoy this track more than I am now.

12. Sympathy

Closing SID’s sophomore major label album, Sympathy sounds like it should’ve been located more in the middle of the album but it makes for an epic album closer since this is the most energetic song that’s not fully experimental.  Yeah, I love the energy I get from the song and it’s obvious from how the band is workin the song hahaha.  Good closer!

Tracks Recommended

• Ranbu no Melody (ALBUM MIX)
• Ii Hito
• Sympathy
• cosmetic
• dog run

Song of Avoidance

• Shelter

Being as this is my first SID album, I must say I’m impressed with the material we got on here.  I was initially worried that the lack of B-sides meant the album was just going to be either rock (Ranbu no Melody & one way) or a rock/ballad (Rain and sleep) with cosmetic being the wild card.  However, most of the new songs were more experimental than cosmetic and it turned out that I really liked em.  They had some slips, but I still had fun with the album and it turned out great!

Haruka Shimotsuki – Hoshizora Ensemble

Track Listing

1. Kazahane
2. Graffiti
3. Kii te wa Seikenai Uta
4. Midori no Mori no Denshou Uta
5. Kaleidoscope
6. REW
7. Kimi wa Sora, Boku wa Tori
8. Saigo no Michishirube
9. life
10. Shiroi Chizu
11. Sai’ai
12. Kimi to no Tabiji
13. Hoshizora Ensemble

1. Kazahane

Opening the album is the first single of the era, Kazahane.  I swear I still find it surprising she would include this song more or less both this and “life” seeing as this was released in February of 2008 and it’s March of 2011…Whatever, Kazahane sounds really nice still for the short time I’ve listened to the song and I like the slight danceish feel that’s mixed with folk elements.  I did also find myself enjoying Haruka’s vocals still since they’re light and the properties fit well.  Good opening track.

2. Graffiti

Seeing as all the songs on the album have tie-ins to different things, it makes me think this was more of a glorified best-of.  Anyway the first song that’s new (to me at least), Graffiti is a nice twist after “Kazahane” seeing as it’s more of a pop/rock kind of song than before.  It reminds me of uhmmm…K-ON for some reason, but I’m not sure why, but I like this style for Haruka even though her vocals aren’t powerful for this genre.  Cute song though.

3. Kii te wa Seikenai Uta

I’m so overjoyed to see that the B-side from “Saigo no Michishirube” actually made the cut to the album since it was one of my favorites back in 2010.  I still love the creepy and mysterious opening of the song for sure and it continues to show throughout.  While the fact that it comes after “Graffiti” is a bit strange, Kii te wa Seikenai Uta seems to be otherworldly even to be on the album period.  Haruka’s more serious tone and the whispery style is just so off the wall.  It might not fit on the album, but it’s just so amazing of a song.

4. Midori no Mori no Denshou Uta

Like I said, after the last track, we return into Haruka’s safe place with Midori no Mori no Denshou Uta which harkens to the folkish songs she has.  Of course it’s light and has a cute flute melody that plays whenever Haruka isn’t singing.  It’s nice to be honest, but it’s like if you heard her music before this won’t really stand out for you…but still nice.

5. Kaleidoscope

Are we energizing the album up again?  Kaleidoscope seems to go that way since there’s riffs and beats that give the song life.  However, it’s one of her “cuter” songs on the album and I’m not too fond with them because Haruka’s vocals get pitchy and sometimes the arrangement feels poor (like the chorus here).  Sorry, just isn’t the song I like.

6. REW

I don’t know If I really enjoy the back and forth between upbeat songs and ballads to be honest since it kind of breaks pace.  REW is of course another ballad, but somehow doesn’t try to be folkish…just a normal poppy ballad.  While Haruka’s vocals aren’t too amazing here, just gives a good performance with just acoustic guitar, piano, and strings.  Simple track, but sweet to listen to.

7. Kimi wa Sora, Boku wa Tori

Why does this song sound so odd and subdued at the start???  I kind of thought this song was different for the album since it wavers between being upbeat and just something else.  The weird synth and empty verses are a bit strange, but the chorus sounds nice and breezy to listen to.  Still…the verses didn’t need to be so empty >.<

8. Saigo no Michishirube

As the album’s 3rd A-side of the era, Saigo no Michishirube to me has always stood out to me as well because it was more of an interesting mid-tempo kind of song.  It really caught my attention since her vocals were higher pitched, but she actually sounded quite nice to the ears and the arrangement wasn’t poor either.  I think it was the era’s best A-side…I think.

9. life

The next two tracks I could’ve lived without since they’re both B-sides.  First one coming off of “Kazahane”, life just felt too long for me since it’s a near 6 minute ballad.  As much as I loved that it carried the oriental kind of feeling from it’s A-side, life just didn’t use it for its potential nor Haruka was sounding that good here. 

10. Shiroi Chizu

Yeah, while I’d say I disliked it when it was released back in 2009, Shiroi Chizu actually stood out on the album because of the accordion that was placed in the song…and somehow sounded much more better after hearing “life” before it.  It still feels like it’s too long…but it’s only a little over 4 minutes in length…hmmm. 

11. Sai’ai

Sai’ai’s opening with the growling guitars and heavy sound was totally a mindfuck XD.  I love how it just stops and continues with only Haruka, piano, and drums…it’s like why would you even do that to a song?  It’s a bit strange though the chorus brings back the heavy guitars and loud drums.  It’s kind of a weird thing to hear…would’ve liked it more without the guitars IMO.

12. Kimi to no Tabiji

As the era’s 2nd A-side, Kimi to no Tabiji once again takes me to a different place since it’s like upbeat, but doesn’t overlay it like other songs of hers.  It’s cute and peppy and I feel like I can listen to this track over and over.  One of the few pop songs that I can love ^_^

13. Hoshizora Ensemble

As the album’s only truly new song, the title track closes the album quite graciously.  While Haruka’s vocals are a bit more stable here, there’s much better mid-tempo songs found on the album and this one doesn’t exactly stand out to me for the time being so I’m just going to pass this up.  I did like the arrangement though I will say that.

Tracks Recommended

• Kii te wa Seikenai Uta
• Kazahane
• Saigo no Michishirube
• REW
• Kimi to no Tabiji

Song of Avoidance

• Kaleidoscope

To me, Haruka really went mainstream with this album.  It is classified as her 4th studio album, but I feel that with the fact that this is the first album to really include A-sides and B-sides and it was interesting and not like “Griotte no Nemuri Hime” (which was a story album sort of), Hoshizora Ensemble was alright.  However, I wonder why she omitted “break time”…so weird.  Otherwise the singles’ tracks overtook the “new” songs quite easily.  Wonder what’s next…

Junko Akimoto – Sono Hana wa… ~Kawaranai~

Track Listing

1. Sono Hana wa… ~Kawaranai~
2. Kakurenbo
3. Sono Hana wa… ~Kawaranai~ (Orignal Karaoke)
4. Sono Hana wa… ~Kawaranai~ (Ippanyou Karaoke)
5. Kakurenbo (Original Karaoke)

1. Sono Hana wa… ~Kawaranai~

Sono Hana wa… sounds really pretty to me for some reason, but it also sounds nothing like her previous A-sides since it sounds live-ish and more flowing as well.  Her vocals really seem to stand out in the song as hse gives a pretty sweet performance.  I love the stringwork and beautiful piano melody that mixes up with shimasen and other instruments later on in the song.  It’s dramatic, but pretty sweet ^_^.

2. Kakurenbo

For the B-side, Kakurenbo adds in electric guitar to the mix and for the most part the song seems to be more lighter in style and mood, almost having an entirely different feel.  Even the added harmonica gave the mood an interesting twist.  I actually like this kind of upbeat and fun nature of the song. 

WAY TO RELEASE QUIETLY EH?  Anyways, Junko’s 2nd single of the era turned out nice in my opinion.  I like the ballad that represents the A-side quite nicely and it was a lot more moving than previous works (questionable against “Ai no Mama de…” though.  Kakurenbo though is probably her best B-side yet with the fun instrumental and fun atmosphere it gave off.  Album time?

Koda Kumi – Dejavu February 26, 2011

Track Listing

1. Prologue to Dejavu
2. POP DIVA
3. Lollipop
4. Okay
5. Aitakute
6. Passing By
7. AT THE WEEK END
8. Interlude to Dejavu
9. Melting
10. Hey baby!
11. Choi Tashi Life
12. Anata Dake ga
13. Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.
14. Bambi
15. I Don’t Love You !??

1. Prologue to Dejavu

Just like most of the more recent albums Kuu’s done, we get an introduction to the album and Prologue to Dejavu sounds pretty nice since there’s marching drums and some ad-libbing before ~why wont you come with me to my dejavu~ is repeated about 4 times before closing out.  It sounds like it could be eventually turned into a full song, but who knows with how Kuu does things nowadays.

2. POP DIVA

As the last A-side released in the era, POP DIVA I guess makes the dirtier songs come first on the album and I don’t mind since there weren’t many on the album to begin with.  I still get “Like A G6″ vibes from the song, but Kuu in the chorus really changes the mood, but her vocals kind of goes in the dumper.  I do like it sometimes, but other times I find it much more of a harder listen.

3. Lollipop

However, I’ve continued to enjoy this song.  As the lead-in song from “Gossip Candy”, Lollipop is also quite drenched in Kuu’s sexyness and hornyness that it just reminds me why I fell for Kuu in the first place with lines like ~lick my lollipop~.  While the slight Arabian feel gives it a nice touch, it’s lighter and not as forced as previous songs in the same arranging area.  Still…does anyone really believe she’s saying ~I dodged a bullet, bullet”?  I still dont think so hahahah!

4. Okay

Getting into some new tracks from the album, Okay feels like something I’ve heard from a K-pop group and while I love the slower arrangement here, it feels like it needs an energy boost.  I just get interlude vibes that was stretched too far.  I feel bored after a while and just want to have a different song come up.  “No Way” did a much better job.

5. Aitakute

Slowing down even more for our next song, Aitakute, I wasn’t sure what we were going to end up getting and oddly enough I find myself surprised that it’s more of a nod to Kuu’s early stuff.  By the way, Kuu’s sultry vocals really suited the song and I liked that she gave us a lil bit of a nostalgic track here.

6. Passing By

Another ballad?  I wasn’t expecting another song that was going to remind me of “No Way”, but I actually felt for this one quite a bit because I loved the strings that were used here.  Though I will question the male vocals that remind me of Akon….what the hell happened there eh?  Otherwise this is one of Kuu’s better ballads in recent times.

7. AT THE WEEK END

After having some ballads passing us by, it was time to get back into some hard songs and AT THE WEEK END is definitely one of the album’s more harder songs.  I love the pounding beat and Kuu’s vocals here as well.  It feels really good, but, I feel like I can fall for “UNIVERSE” and “Driving” more than this, but I don’t know why.  I’m pretty unsure where I really stand with the song.

8. Interlude to Dejavu

Hey, we get an interlude!  When was the last time we had that eh?  Anyways, it sounds so creepy at first and once again like the “Epilogue to Dejavu” the marching drums are present and Kuu’s Engrish makes a full-blown return and it really makes me wonder if she actually isn’t learning anything in the language XD  It’s alright, but it doesn’t really set things up for the second half of the album.

9. Melting

While it was rumored to have been the B-side to “POP DIVA”, Melting I guess was changed or just they didn’t have that in mind to begin with.  Anyways, after the interlude, the mood of the album changes into a more poppier side which is a side we don’t get a whole lot of but it’s nice.  Melting is a nice change since the song is cute and with the synth/acoustic guitar mix, it’s a nice and fluffy song to listen to.  Kuu sounds like how she does in most of her cutesy type songs, but I don’t know if it was done well here…but I like the arrangement.

10. Hey baby!

As the lone digital single release (and it’s her second overall), Hey baby! was used in Crayon Shin-chan.  Of course knowing that very hilarious and disturbing show, Hey baby! had to be just as a bit bizarre and I love this song for some reason.  While people prefer “AT THE WEEK END”, I much prefer this song since it’s got punch and has a fun atmosphere going on.  The thing though that’s bothersome is the fact that it’s really short…2:35?  SERIOUSLY?!?

11. Choi Tashi Life

Wow, this song reminds me of Mario Kart for some reason…but with lyrics.  I think it’s the fact of the sparkly atmosphere and peppy feel is what makes me think of like Rainbow Road for some reason XD.  I think Kuu scored points with this song since it’s cute, but not overbearing.  I kind of liked this song quite a bit!

12. Anata Dake ga

So reversing the 2nd single’s A-side around on the album, we get Anata Dake ga first.  To me it feels refreshing after the poppy songs and since it’s a ballad, I still was impressed with this song more than “Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.”.  There’s still something that’s quite sweet and innocent about this song that makes me want to come back to it.

13. Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.

However, I still am pretty bored with the primary A-side Suki de, Suki de, Suki de. because it feels like some bland ballad when put against the other songs that are classified as such.  I still feel that it’s more suited for Ayu more than Kuu since I keep imagining her singing this song.  I just don’t feel much for this song and to me was the worst A-side of the era.

14. Bambi

Well the last song that was titled Bambi made me laugh so hardcore (Diggy-MO’ track).  Following along the other cute tracks on the album, Bambi has more of a pop/rock kind of sound which is interesting nonetheless.  It’s quite random at this point of the album, but I guess it’s an interesting twist.

15. I Don’t Love You !??

Wow, no ballad to close out the album?  I really like that the song sounds a bit more chiller and yet cool to listen to.  I like the synths the run around the song since it makes things quite catchy and fun for me to listen to.  I will say, it might not have stood out on her other albums, but it does here in a good way.

Tracks Recommended

• Choi Tashi Life
• Lollipop
• Hey baby!
• Passing By
• Anata Dake ga

Song of Avoidance

• Suki de, Suki de, Suki de.

In a way, Kuu took less jumps on this album than she did in “UNIVERSE” and “TRICK” which might disappoint people in the long run, but going down safety land actually might have gotten her somewhere since it’s her lightest album at least IMO.  I don’t think she really got amazingly epic with this release, but it’s an alright album, just not her best.

GENERATION 5: 076-100: Gettin’ better!

So, with 3 posts left, there’s a bit of PKMN left to shoot through so let’s get to it!

076: Zorua, 077: Zoroark

Zorua and Zoroark represent many things in the Generation.  First off, they were the first two PKMN that was shown off and started the 5th, the first Dark type event PKMN, and the first Event PKMN that’s found in the middle of the Unova Pokedex.  It’s sad though that the only way to really get em (without hacking) is with a special Celebi, but I guess it’s worth it for the mindgame of Zoroark’s ability, Illusion.  Special, but not really. 

078: Minccino, 079: Cinccino

When we first learned of Minccino’s existance, who would’ve guessed it would’ve ended up with an evolution of its own?  While I think Cinccino is kind of a lame evolution, it makes sense and it does evolve through the Light Stone which hasn’t been seen in a while.  They’re cute I admit, but they look like weaker PKMN in the long run.

080: Gothita, 081: Gothorita, 082: Gothitelle

So we have our next version exclusives once again starting with the PKMN in Black.  Now we learned of Gothitelle first and I was actually predicting that it was going to be a Dark type because of it’s primary coloring to be black for the most part.  Well we got jacked and it was told that it was a pure Psychic type.  I would’ve lived with a Dark/Psychic type…but could that game breaking???  I don’t know, but it looks like it’s a female-only line…but there’s male ones and makes me question wouldn’t the name change too? like Gothito, Gothorino, and w/e man is in French for the last one.

083: Solosis, 084: Duosion, 085: Reuniclus

For White, we get the Reuniclus line and I was also surprised that like the Gothitelle line, they are also Psychic type.  I wanted this line to be Psychic/Ghost because of the fact that it’s an ectoplasmic PKMN and it would’ve made perfect sense.  However, this line is probably my favorite of the Generation and has potential to by pass my favorite PKMN, Misdreavus.  Still I can’t think but whoever was thinking of type-casting both the Reuniclus line and Gothitelle line fucked up xD

086: Ducklett, 087: Swanna

Since, Ducklett and Swanna are both Water/Flying they kind of parallel as the Wingull/Pelipper of the Generation and it’s not a bad choice since I kind of like the ugly duckling to beautiful swan shtick going here…but Ducklett somehow is still cuter in an odd way.  However, you don’t evolve it by maxing it’s beauty (like Feebas and Milotic) which is a godsend hahaha.  It actually evolves regularly!

088: Vanillite, 089: Vanillish, 090: Vanilluxe

Finally we get some new Ice types!  The Vanilluxe line is another one of those bizarre ideas (like the Garbodor line), but this one plays off of both an ice cream cone and icicles!  I really think Vanillite is uber cute and it seems like it’ll be a good line to counter Dragons hopefully.  I do think the line does kind of remind me of Koffing and Weezing and the like xD

091: Deerling, 092: Sawsbuck

I will agree to say that Stantler was just not enough and I’m happy we got Deerling and Sawsbuck.  They stand out for two reasons.  First off is their typing is all to their own which is Normal/Grass which might be good or bad…depends on the player.  The other thing is that they change throughout the game surprisingly.  When the season changes, the PKMN changes as well…only aesthetically, not like the case of Burmy and Wormadam. 

093: Emolga

I guess Zapdos was feeling lonesome being the only Electric/Flying type around for four Generations, but as we turned onto the 5th, we get two more.  Emolga is the rodent of the Generation and while it stands out because of it’s dual type, Emolga is still one of the cutest PKMN of the Generation and I loved the fact they made it based off of flying squirrels! 

094: Karrablast, 095: Escavalier

Let’s start with Karrablast.  The name feels like another case of similar names with Carracosta. (Remember 4th Gen with Gastrodon and Bastiodon?)  Second, it looks like another one of Volbeat, Illumise, and Kricketot clones.  It’s just wacky for a Bug type to have those odd things about it, but it gets odder when it turns into the Bug/Steel Escavalier.  The only way to get it is through trade, but YOU HAVE TO TRADE IT SPECIFICALLY with someone who owns a Shelmet.  What you get is an evolution on both side, but that is because they traded each others armor as well. It’s a cool idea, and both are in both games so it makes it somewhat easier as well…just get another DS if you want Escavalier.

096: Foongus, 097: Amoonguss

Since Shroomish and Breloom weren’t enough, we get a new set of Mushroom PKMN with Foongus and Amoonguss (say both of them, it makes a weird phrase XD).  Even though they are replacing those two, they’re more like Voltorb and Electrode because of the fact that their designs have Pokeball symbols on it.  It’s good that we have at least a new Grass/Poison type…but there’s better IMO.

098: Frillish, 099: Jellicent

As you can see with Frillish and Jellicent, they are the only PKMN (besides Unfezant) to have gender differences in the Generation.  Also replacing Tentacool and Tentacruel for the time being this brings a lot of interest to me.  Anyways, if you catch the male, it’ll be blue and pink for female Frillish and Jellicents. Also I find the Water/Ghost typing to be very interesting and makes me wonder how they’ll turn out in the metagame.

100: Alomomola

Closing the post out is the 100th PKMN in the Unova Pokedex, Alomomola (oh hey, palindrome!) is probably the most controversial PKMN that has been talked and talked the entire Gen so far (you can add Bouffalant to this as well) because of how Alomomola looks.  It’s so much like an evolution to Luvdisc that it’s so uncanny.  The fact that whoever decided to make this one a standalone must not have remembered it or just really wanted to fuck with people’s minds.  I still can’t get the fact that it isn’t an evolution, but I guess it is just for Heart Scales.

 

HEY NEXT TIME, 101-124….more interesting PKMN coming up YO!!!

AYUSE KOZUE – Cry For You/Kimi no Sei ~u knocked my heart~

Track Listing

1. Cry For You
2. Kimi no Sei ~u knocked my heart~
3. Cry For You (Inst)

1. Cry For You

It’s been a while since we’ve seen something new from AYUSE, but Cry For You brings us back the R&B sound in full from from AYUSE’s previous delve into some electro songs.  While I’m not keen on these kind of songs, I like AYUSE’s vocals in this song and it works with the piano, strings, and beats.  I do like that’s it’s a bit more mid-tempo than I would’ve expected, so it’s great to listen to. 

2. Kimi no Sei ~u knocked my heart~

As for the other A-side, Kimi no Sei actually keeps up the same way as “Cry For You” with being an R&B styled kind of song.  I do think things are standing out a whole lot moreso than the previous song, but at the same time…it’s smoother?  Not sure, but I do enjoy this song quite a bit more…but it’s not as good as her previous singles in the last era.

 

 

 

Since AYUSE isn’t on the Toy’s Factory label anymore and I think this was an indies release, Cry For You/Kimi no Sei ~u knocked my heart~ isn’t a bad release and it keeps true to her style, but I feel like she needs to experiment again.  Though I wonder what label she’s on…and if it’s indies or not….hmmmm.

SDN48 – GAGAGA

Track Listing

1. GAGAGA
2. Kodoku na Runner
3. Eros no Trigger (Undergirls A)
4. Sado e Wataru (Undergirls B)
5. GAGAGA (off vocal)
6. Kodoku na Runner (off vocal)
7. Eros no Trigger (off vocal)
8. Sado e Wataru (off vocal)

1. GAGAGA

I guess I should’ve known that SDN48 was actually going to cater to my kind of sound I like.  Being classified as being adult and having a sexier image than AKB48, I really like SDN for what they are since the song pretty much a dance track with a sexy atmosphere.  I will say that it definitely doesn’t feel like there’s many girls present, but the whispery vocals could hide that fact very well so.  It’s cute and sexy melded together and was a pretty epic track to debut with.

2. Kodoku na Runner

Though I’m guessing they wanted all the girls to be present for the B-side, Kodoku na Runner sounds a lot more different than the sexier “GAGAGA”.  It still follows the dance genre quite nicely, but this time the singers sound deeper and more woman-ly than the A-side as well which is cool for me.  Still a cool song for sure and lands up there with “GAGAGA”.

3. Eros no Trigger

So I guess SDN also has their own version of the “Undergirls” idea but they split them in half and both have a song to their own.  The first one, Eros no Trigger takes slightly slower feel, but it’s not bad since it does feature piano and strings along with the dance beats to make it a bit more classy.  It’s nice, but the loss of energy is quite obvious, but still not bad.

4. Sado e Wataru

Same thing could be said about Sado e Wataru, but there’s more oomph in the beats and no piano present.  It actually feels like a slower “GAGAGA”, but with slightly better vocals.  That’s all I can gather from this song, but there’s just something missing here.

Wow, for a group that was active since 2008 and it took them til 2010 to finally debut with a single…there’s something going on XD.  GAGAGA actually isn’t a bad single to debut on since the A-side is so catchy and very K-pop like.  Kodoku na Runner is pretty awesome though since it’s got deeper vocals and sounds like a legit song that doesn’t have idol wrapped all over it.  The Undergirls songs are a bit meh, but that’s to be expected at this point hahaha.  Good single overall.

Haruka Shimotsuki – Kazahane

Track Listing

1. Kazahane
2. life
3. Kazahane (off vocal)
4. life (off vocal)

1. Kazahane

As the A-side, Kazahane sounds really pretty with the opening it had with the flutes and such.  As Haruka comes into the song, I feel like I’m taken to an interesting place since it sounds so oriental and mysterious.  I even like the low-lying synths as well giving it even more color already.  I actually enjoy this track right now.

2. life

Being almost as oriental as “Kazahane”, life sounds quite relaxing on the flip side of the coin.  As it is the single’s ballad-type, life feels a little tiresome and boring after a while, but I will say that I like Haruka’s vocals just a tiny a bit more here. 

I can’t believe I passed this up.  Being the first single of the “Hoshizora Ensemble” era…even released before “break time” (which isn’t on the album…ho hum), Kazahane is an interesting single in the least and I liked the anime-ish tones Kazahane has.  life was a little underwhelming, but I can see this on the album now xD

Nami Tamaki – Ready February 25, 2011

Track Listing

1. Girlie Night feat. Girl’s Day
2. Missing You ~Time To Love~ feat. KWANGSOO, JIHYUK, GEONIL (from Choshinsei)
3. My Boy
4. Tsuyogari to ka, Iranai n’ da ne.
5. Just Dance
6. My Style
7. Signal
8. Good-bye

1. Girlie Night feat. Girl’s Day

Opening Nami’s 6th album, we begin things with a collaboration with K-pop group, Girl’s Day who are relatively new to the scene.  Anyways, unlike the last album, things quickly are set in stone with Nami under some pretty cool synths and usage of autotune in some places.  I love the energy of the song and has a lot of catchy hooks for me.  Girl’s Day doesn’t seem to have as much of a role in the song as Nami does, but that’s the point.  Good track to kick things off.

2. Missing You ~Time To Love~ feat. KWANGSOO, JIHYUK, GEONIL (from Choshinsei)

As the only A-side released in the era we get a JPN cover of T-ara’s song next and I feel a little more happier to listen to it than when it was released as a single.  As this is the other collaborative effort on the album, Missing You is still quite an interesting song that gave a twist to Nami’s older dance side.  I still think the pseudo-rapping, Choshinsei, and that very awkward opening are weak parts of the song…but something about the chorus just sounds right!  I’m still overall on the fence, but I’ve grown to slowly enjoy it more.

3. My Boy

Since Nami took the album down a specific direction, My Boy feels something like BoA would easily pull off because of the lighter K-pop feel that goes on.  It actually reminds me a whole lot of KARA’s stuff because of the glossy persona the song has.  It’s an interesting kind of song though I will admit…

4. Tsuyogari to ka, Iranai n’ da ne.

After “My Boy”, I was wondering what was coming after on this trek and with Tsuyogari Toka, I found myself really loving the arrangement with the steady rhythm and catchy synth arrangement.  The chorus does seem a bit repetitive, but I love the kind nostalgic feeling I get with this song since it sounds like “Don’t Stay” material.  I think I’m loving this track quite a bit!

5. Just Dance

Changing it up for our next song, it’s not a cover a Lady Gaga’s breakout hit.  Just Dance could have been a quite powerful song for the album, but it oddly falls flat in some of the execution.  Like, I love the verses and bridge…but the chorus feels so….anticlimatic and doesn’t seem to have that punch that it needs to, plus it’s pretty repetitive as choruses in Nami’s career goes.  Kind of just a weaker tune.

6. My Style

If you wanted a kind of darker type of K-pop like track, My Style would fill that quota quite nicely.  I love the attitude of this song a whole lot because it shows a lot of Nami’s personality and while it’s not as epic as “No Way Back”, this song is definitely the best track off the album since her vocals (and English for that matter) sounds better than before.  Just remember, ~she’s just a crazy girl, in a crazy world~.

7. Signal

I guess we get into something that’s a bit like “Just Dance” was the smoother style of K-pop dance music and Signal actually fixes the problems that made said song before sound so lazy and uneventful.  I actually love this track as well since it reminds me of the lighter dance songs she has done back in the day.  I think it’s something that would keep me coming back over and over.

8. Good-bye

Closing the album (rather short right?), Good-bye is another JPN cover of ANOTHER T-ara song.  Oddly enough this song also makes it known that this album was nothing but dance tracks and I’m not surprised since there’s was a lot of them on “STEP”.  Either way, her cover of Good-bye definitely follows like the original, but with JPN instead or Korean.  Sadly, it suffers the repetitive chorus plague and it reminds me of a K-pop take of “Friends!”…damn…

Tracks Recommended

• My Style
• Tsuyogari to ka, Iranai n’ da ne.
• Missing You ~Time To Love~ feat. KWANGSOO, JIHYUK, GEONIL (from Choshinsei)
• Signal

Song of Avoidance

• Just Dance

As this is Nami’s shortest album to date and shortest era as well with just one single preceding the album, I consider Ready more as a conceptual album than a full blown.  The idea of K-pop mixed with Nami sounds great because Nami is one of the best J-pop dancers out there IMHO and this would suit her and for the most part, she saved her ass big time after that disappointing “STEP” album.  I wouldn’t have minded seeing “Romanic ga Tomaranai” making a scene since that was pretty kickass of a song…but what we got out of 8 songs was definitely the upgrade she needed.

SuG – Koakuma Sparkling February 24, 2011

Track Listing

1. Koakuma Sparkling
2. Five Starz ~Gomaime Haiyuu~
3. kanon (Regular Edition only)

1. Koakuma Sparkling

SuG, has so beyond have been surprising with each single and it’s no surprise that Koakuma Sparkling is any different to be honest.  I love the brass-like energy that’s coming from the song mixed in with the band’s guitar-laced riffs.  To me it’s like J-rock meets Idol-pop and Takeru does a great job at being cute in the song and yet keep an edge to the song.  It’s wild and silly and I liked it!

2. Five Starz ~Gomaime Haiyuu~

For the first B-side, Five Starz continues this almost cutesy style but instead of brass at the front, there’s a lot of synths.  I also found it pretty cool that there’s another singer in the song…but I don’t know who it is…after his part, Takeru comes in with a slightly slower part, but jumps back up in the chorus.  It’s even more of an absurd song when compared to the A-side, but it’s not bad at all…just a little different.

3. kanon

Only found on one edition of the single, kanon actually feels like a normal kind of J-rock song and strangely enough, it’s odd for SuG XD.  I do think the keyboards sound really pretty in the song and I love the more serious tone in Takeru’s voice a lot more.  Is it weird that I prefer this song over the rest of the single?

While this is the first single released in the “Thrill Ride Pirates” era, Koakuma Sparkling is just a wacky and strange as the other two singles that came after it.  The almost silly feeling I get with both the A-side and Five Starz is hard to ignore, but it shows personality and I liked that.  However, kanon really popped out of nowhere and impressed me even more when they get serious with the music.  I hope there’s gonna be a few on the album!!!