Ayumi Hamasaki – LOVE again February 21, 2013

Track Listing

1. Wake me up
2. Song 4 u
3. Missing
4. SAKURA
5. Melody
6. task’n'bass
7. Bye-bye darling
8. snowy kiss
9. Sweet scar
10. petal
11. glasses
12. untitled for her…story 2
13. Gloria
14. Ivy
15. You & Me

1. Wake me up

I’m happy that Ayu opened the album with Wake me up because honestly, this is my favorite song she released in the era!  It’s just badass and it has this heavy rock sound that I loved when she pulled it off in “Rock’n'Roll Circus” and “GUILTY”.  I mean yeah, she’s still utilizing her new tone and I’m still trying to get used to it, but here it sounds so mature and just so diva-ish that it works!  Yeah, this was just an amazing song to start things…unfortunately knowing the other songs on here that I’ve heard before, this is kind of a GIANT troll of a song haha

2. Song 4 u

As the leading song from “LOVE”, I wasn’t sure if it made sense that it came after “Wake me up” but the song is kind of nostalgic and kind of brought back the Ayu from the olden days.  I still enjoy the song though and Ayu does sound like pre-”Love songs” so that’s a really good sign.  I just like the drama in this song and it moves so good.  One of the cooler songs too!

3. Missing

Of the songs from the “LOVE” mini-album, Missing was the ballad and the song just kind of whizzed by me because while it does have that Ayu-ballad that works, it didn’t do much for me here.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a solid ballad and everything and kept Ayu and a nice sound but this song didn’t fo much for me like the previous two tracks did.

4. SAKURA

FINALLY, we get into the album’s first new track with SAKURA.  It’s no surprise that since it’s a themed song that it would be a ballad.  Sadly, the song is pretty basic for Ayu being a piano/strings ballad so it’s just a bit under for me and this song doesn’t really stand out AT ALL for me.

5. Melody

The last song from “LOVE” makes it appearance here and while “Missing” was a bit of a borefest, I was just confused with Melody.  Like I said on the mini-album review, it sounds like it was going back to the beginning of Ayu’s career, but the song just kind of slipped up.  I will admit that the acoustic guitar is a nice touch an as it continues it does get a bit more memorable.  It actually kind of grew on me while “Missing just kind of fizzled out.  So I found its inclusion to be beneficial.

6. task’n'bass

We run into our first interlude on the album and it’s a bit strange being after “Melody” and all, but considering it’s a task___ interlude, they usually never really fit anywhere.  This is definitely an interesting electro/dubstep interlude but on an album like this, it’s a bit off-putting.  By itself, it’s a really cool and dramatic change of pace and I love the synths and beats here.  Strange placing and strange overall.

7. Bye-bye darling

I have to say though, that my favorite of the new tracks is definitely Bye-bye darling.  I love that the song kind of has that rockin’ edge that some of her past works has and I immediately think of “evolution” and “until that day…” with this song.  It’s not aggressive as like “Wake me up” but for amping the album back up, this did a pretty good job and Ayu just sounds great once again!  Good song.

8. snowy kiss

I think “again” really had the best songs Ayu did in quite a long time, snowy kiss was just something so impressive and cool even if the title screams ballad.  This track has such a great dance beat going for it along with the strings that flowed in and out of the arrangement.  It is slightly long so prepare for that, but this is a good song (even though the remix on “again” is SO MUCH BETTER”).

9. Sweet scar

Once again, I am a little confused on why Sweet scar is after “snowy kiss” but it’s whatever.  This track is another ballad and after the other ballads we’ve heard already on the album, this is kind of just a bit unmemorable for me, but this song kind of ranks lower because I keep thinking the song wants to build up to awesomeness but yet it just DOESN’T.  That’s probably my biggest disappointment at the song, but it’s not too bad, just wish it had a stronger impact.

10. petal

At first when the song started I thought it was kind of Enka-ish, but it’s just a façade for the song.  Now this song is what “Sweet scar” should’ve opted to be because it’s beautiful and has a much broader sound and has a dramatic flow to it.  It’s pretty and it’s kind of playful in a way lmao.  I don’t know, but I kind of liked it!

11. glasses

Moving onto our next interlude, glasses isn’t as random as “task’n'bass” was but it still has its moments of randomness and being between two ballads doesn’t make a whole lot of sense because I felt this would’ve been great between “Bye-bye darling” and “snowy kiss” since it does have that dance-y feel and all that.

12. untitled for her…story 2

If you remember, “untitled~ for her~” was a song originally off of “GUILTY” and was sort-of a tribute to her friend that passed away.  Now why it was given a sequel, well…I have no idea.  This song is pretty melodramatic and has a bunch of strings behind it which is crazy good!  Though the song is kind of very simplistic and after a while it just bores me to death, but this is that kind of emotional track that seems to pull the heartstrings when it wants to.

13. Gloria

Why does the beginning remind me of another Ayu song in her collection?  Either way, the opening has this kind of muffled melody playing in the beginning and I think this might be that lullaby-friendly kind of track.  Then it grows into this mid-tempo rock ballad which is a nice change of pace from the last track.  Still not too impressive, but it’s passable.

14. Ivy

Ugh, ballads…too many of these at the end of the album.  I feel like this track should’ve been closer to “Song 4 u” for some reason…maybe it’s just how similar the two songs are except one is a bit more vibrant than the other.  Ivy back on “again” was just a ballad, here, I’m just so bored with it for some reason.  I figured this would be the end of the album but nooooo.

15. You & Me

However, I’m so confused as to why she would include the song from “A SUMMER BEST” here.  Yes, the original, not the “A CLASSICAL” version (some downloads of the album has it and it’s the WRONG version).  Unlike the last couple of tracks, this isn’t a ballad oddly enough.  It’s strangely enough the most dance-friendly song off the album.  It sounds so strange and it has a certain “LOVEppears” feel.  Strange song and the whole song is a bit odd with the whole naming off days of the week shtick.  I don’t know but this song does not fit the album AT ALL and doesn’t make sense ending the album either…

Tracks Recommended

• Wake me up
• Bye-bye darling
• Song 4 u
• petal
• snowy kiss

Song of Avoidance

• Ivy

I have to say I’m kind of on the fence with Ayu’s latest.  LOVE again seemed to win with the song from the singles more than she did with the new tracks.  I figured, maybe she’d be a little more oomphy, but with LOVE again she slightly missed the mark…though I do think it’s better than her last album, “Party queen” so I guess she did something right lol.

Ayumi Hamasaki – again December 6, 2012

Track Listing

1. Wake me up
2. Sweet scar
3. snowy kiss
4. Ivy
5. Missing (Orchestra version)
6. Melody (Acoustic Piano version)
7. Wake me up (Remo-con rmx)
8. snowy kiss (Shohei Matsumoto remix)
9. Wake me up -Instrumental-
10. Sweet scar -Instrumental-
11. snowy kiss -Instrumental-
12. Ivy -Instrumental-

1. Wake me up

Finally!  I’ve wanted something a little more edgy coming from Ayu and starting the mini off, the song has a pretty cool tone to it and I’m loving the rockin’ side as well.  Though, as I’ve mentioned back on “Love songs”, her voice is completely changing from what it used to be and I’m not sure why it sounds like a totally different thing but it feels like she’s finally found the comfortable tone to work in.  I was actually quite impressed and now she’s finally caught my eyes again after so many mehs.

2. Sweet scar

I was expecting a ballad to come next with a title as Sweet scar.  I’m still kind of apprehensive with Ayu’s recent ballads but this seems to have the same spark like some of the ballads from “Duty” and “RAINBOW” so coming into this, it’s a really nice track and hearing Ayu’s voice kind of sounding a bit more higher than usual is quite a nice treat.  I did want the song to build up to something powerful, but otherwise it’s a nice track.

3. snowy kiss

Since it is December and all, it’s fitting to see a song called snowy kiss on the mini.  At first I thought it was going to be a darker song with that beat in the intro but then it becomes this dance track and I’m just like OMG YES! There’s some energy behind this and this is a real pretty song and one of the more impressive songs (finally something that’s just as good as most of the songs from “Rock’n'Roll Circus”!).  Great song!

4. Ivy

Finally, the last original track is the lone song that doesn’t get a PV with Ivy.  It does feel like a song that came from “Love songs” as it’s got this pretty arrangement and kind of fits the feel of the album.  Ivy though does kind of grow on you, but the song is definitely the least memorable of the 4.

5. Missing (Orchestra version)

Next are the remixes and new versions starting with an orchestrated version of Missing (one of the songs from “LOVE”).  Missing, to me probably didn’t need to have this happen but I guess they did.  I mean it’s all basic strings and orchestral stuff now, but I still feel the same way I did with the original.  I guess I do like Ayu’s vocals more here, but I think I’ll stick with the original.

6. Melody (Acoustic Piano version)

As it’s essentially a piano version, I also felt like this was a bit unnecessary to have, but Ayu once again proves me that her vocals is a lot suited for songs with less instruments but at the same time can fit with more bombastic arrangements as well.  It’s a nice rendition I suppose.

7. Wake me up (Remo-con rmx)

So we get another remix from Remo-con, but it seems that Remo did a much better job with this remix this (his?) previous remix…though he’s obtained the dubstep bug and at least this sounds a bit more interesting than the Dubscribe mix off the last mini-album.  It’s a pretty fun remix and it worked all over the place…way to go!

8. snowy kiss (Shohei Matsumoto remix)

I know Ayu worked with Shohei before in another remix (though where I don’t recall).  His remix of snowy kiss is really synth-heavy which is really awesome because it sounds a lot more cluh-friendly and the melody of the synths are awesomes!  Though it also has got the dubstep bug and it’s a tad more annoying but it’s not a songbreaker for me since this is one of the better remixes she’s had in recent times!

 

 

Wow, I knew with “LOVE” it was kind of a stepping stone, but with again she’s really found her place again and I’m loving this direction!  Wake me up and snowy kiss are great tracks and I found that I will end up loving them both as I listen to them more.  Sweet scar is good, but a little anticlimatic…while Ivy is just kind of there.  As for the remixes…the Melody and Missing revisions weren’t necessary but I guess they’re all right and the Wake me up and snowy kiss remixes were actually really good even if both have dubstep in them…Great release overall!

Ayumi Hamasaki – LOVE November 3, 2012

Track Listing

1. Song 4 u
2. Missing
3. Melody
4. Song 4 u (Orchestra version)
5. You & Me (SHINICHI OSAWA remix)
6. You & Me (Remo-con rmx – extended)
7. Missing (Dubscribe remix)
8. Melody (BROKEN HAZE remix)
9. Song 4 u -Instrumental-
10. Missing -Instrumental-
11. Melody -Instrumental-
12. You & Me -Instrumental-

1. Song 4 u

Oh hey, a new Tales of… theme eh?  I’m actually am happy with this because Ayu is pretty good with these songs and I’m kind of enjoying this song quite a bit since it has a nice sense of drama behind it and it moves nicely while mixing it up with the whole anison feel which is something she doesn’t do often.  I don’t know but it reminds me of songs that were released during “LOVEppears” or “I am…”.  It’s just a really solid song.

2. Missing

The next track, is your typical Ayu ballad which can be a good or bad thing depending on preferences.  To me, Missing is is going somewhere and I can see where some people will really enjoy it, but I feel like it’s a bit similar to past ballads (which she has so many of in the first place).  At least it does build up in the chorus into a pretty good mid-tempo which saved the song from being too mediocre.  Not bad overall, but not the best she’s had.

3. Melody

The third and final original track on this mini-album, Melody is the longest of the three but it also has the least amount of impact for me even though it’s like a less powerful version of “Missing” or “You & Me”…it just feels a little boring for me.  I don’t know…but this feels kind of strange to me…like it’s going back to her debut days.

4. Song 4 u (Orchestra version)

Moving into the many remixes, the first is a grandiose take on Song 4 u which starts off such a beautiful intro and then leads into Ayu singing the beginning which sounds with just only piano and then a lone violin.  It really works and actually if this was the main version, I actually wouldn’t be complaining because this is a pretty solid take (and it toned the song down nicely as well).

5. You & Me (SHINICHI OSAWA remix)

The next two tracks were originally digital releases which kind of seems stupid to put it on here but whatever.  We have two remixes for You & Me (which was originally the only new track from “A SUMMER BEST”).  The first done by Shinichi, starts off mysteriously with a simple beat and some cool synth instrumentation and then full synths replace it and things are just swell.  Though the song (like most of her remixes) suffers from too much music space and not enough of Ayu….it’s not bad, but not great either.

6. You & Me (Remo-con rmx – extended)

Then we get another Remo-con remix and I’m just coming off the one he did for AAA’s “good day”.  So coming to this, I was expecting this to be messy, but I’m actually surprised that it worked better, but I can still sense a little bit of a messy arrangement in some of the quirkier things found here.  I actually ended up liking this…it’s weird how that works hahah it just sounds strong and really made You & Me pop out to me!

7. Missing (Dubscribe remix)

With the title of the remix, I kind of feared the worst because it’s a dubstep remix and those I can’t enjoy very much.  It does start out innocently enough because it’s slow and light, plus the the song doesn’t scream dubstep before the chorus.  Then the drop happens and the song just kills it….it gets really absurd and totally inappropriate….it’s really one of Ayu’s worst remixes yet!!!!

8. Melody (BROKEN HAZE remix)

I remember BROKEN HAZE because they remixed “Dream ON” so I was actually curious to what they did to Melody and for the most part, it’s interesting and a little more experimental, but in a chill way which is passable for me.  It’s not a bad remix, though like the SHINICHI OSAWA remix, it takes too long to get places…but I liked this more.

 

 

Starting this whole 6 months of releases, LOVE is definitely weird being called a mini-album (it seriously is more of a maxi-single TBH).  The three main tracks aren’t bad and they are at most good Ayu songs, though Melody does sound somewhat dated.  As for the remixes, I’d say the Orchestra version and Remo-con remix is worth a listen.  SHINICHI’s is too mundane, the BROKEN HAZE remix is also somewhat mundane, and the Dubscribe remix IS JUST HORRIBLE!…..Lord Ayu stay away from dubstep PLZZZZZ!!!

Ayumi Hamasaki – Party Queen March 15, 2012

Track Listing

1. Party queen
2. NaNaNa
3. Shake It♥
4. taskebab
5. call
6. Letter
7. reminds me
8. Return Road
9. Tell me why
10. a cup of tea
11. the next LOVE
12. Eyes, Smoke, Magic
13. Serenade in A minor
14. how beautiful you are

1. Party queen

Like her last album, “Love songs”, we begin a new album with the title track first.  Already I’m surprised by the fact she’d start with something upbeat (something she needed so badly in recent times).  Also she ditched Komuro which is good.  I do like the electro arrangement which is good and the weird glass clicking is odd but cool.  Another thing that I’ve noticed since “Love songs” is that she does sound different like her tone quality has changed since “Rock’n'Roll Circus”.  It’s odd and I have to get used to it but this isn’t a bad start.

2. NaNaNa

The first of the four promotional songs for the album, NaNaNa is another electro song but this is a little different from how “Party queen” stood.  Now the producer of this song, Timmy is also present in the vocals (he’s been the recent go-to-guy it seems for her since “BRILLANTE” so I was curious to how this was gonna end up.  At first I was like oh this is a nice follow-up from “Sparkle”.  The dirty electronic feel with Ayu under auto-tune was interesting but then we hear Timmy kind of speak lines in the song which surprised me a lot.  Sadly, it felt like it was more of his song and Ayu was the guest.  Weird right?  It’s a good song but I would’ve loved less of Timmy >.<

3. Shake It♥

Third aggressive song huh?  I do like that the song focuses on the guitars than the synth barrages of the previous two tracks.  I do think it brings back the old Ayu tone which is great because I’m used to this from her.  While I don’t think the song is anything remarkable, it’s pretty good and she powers through the song pretty nicely.  Though why are you hear Timmy? and why is there dubstep in the song?  WEIRD!

4. taskebab

Wow it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a tasuku interlude on an Ayu album…not since 2006′s “taskinst”.  Well the interlude is really simple with just electric guitar and some dance beats.  At the halfway point, it gets into this electric riff that totally reminds me of Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic”.  It just blew my mind hahaha after that though it just kind of lays off the energy but ends with the 8-bit-ness and electric guitar stuff.

5. call

How “taskebab” leads into our next song left me confused and just wondering what was the use.  Now she’s done these kind of plain pop/rock songs in the past (a lot of “Secret” and “Last Links” to be exact).  Kind of basic and run-of-the-mill so I kind just forget about it.

6. Letter

Ok I take that back, Letter sounds like “Last Links”.  It’s the whole pop/rock mixed with strings arrangement that just gets to me and I’m finding myself just not being impressed here either.  I feel that it’s just so plain and white for me…but some people might like this because it sounds like old Ayu…but there’s other old facets of Ayu that were better IMHO.

7. reminds me

After those two boring songs, reminds me actually is standing up amongst the song by being a little more dramatic.  Kind of like an acoustic version of “criminal” almost.  However, unlike the mentioned song, the melody has a little more life to it and it does grow the longer it plays so it doesn’t drift on boring.  This is the Ayu I missed and she came back in a powerful way with this song!

8. Return Road

The third song promoting the album, (second was “Shake It♥”, mind you), Return Road begins with pipe organ (“Microphone” much?).  However it doesn’t follow that epic direction since Return Road is a powerful ballad for Ayu.  Kind of harkens back to olden days and a little of “BRILLANTE” with the dramatic chanting and such.  I will say that the male chant was freaking random as hell…why were they put in?!?  Get em’ out!

9. Tell me why

If there was one song that I couldn’t forge the melody out for no reason to not to, Tell me why would be that song.  It is a ballad for sure and the music is simple enough to listen to…but I honestly couldn’t remember the song on the album for some reason.  I remember “call” and “Letter” as the two boring pop/rock tracks but Tell me why isn’t a bad song…it just comes up short in my memory.  I will say it sounds like it could’ve been a good “Love songs” song…but I’m not even sure of that either.

10. a cup of tea

Another interlude pops up in a cup of tea which kind of starts with the strings playing a bouncy melody and transforms into this electronic amalgation of dubstep, the string’s bouncy melody and filtered vocals.  It’s just somehow not working with me and kind of is just all kinds of messy.  It’s probably her worst interlude yet.

11. the next LOVE

I love that Ayu decided to tackle new styles on the next two tracks on the album, unfortunately one of them didn’t work.  the next LOVE though actually did because it sounds so classy and jazzy.  I was kind of like, she can pull this style with flying colors since it sounds so gooood!  It worked and is the album’s true gem on here oddly enough.

12. Eyes, Smoke, Magic

Sadly, the album really hits a very odd bump in the road in the shape of Smoke, Eyes, Magic which sounds like some nod to something like Moulin Rouge though but I kind of hate this song.  It just didn’t work for her because it felt so out of character for her and I just couldn’t handle her vocals for the song.  I will admit that I do think her experimentation was in good mind…but ewwww I just don’t like this song.

13. Serenade in A minor

The final interlude, Serenade in A minor seems like it could’ve fit elsewhere on the album like somewhere before or after “Return Road” would be a better place actually.  All it really is is just a strings solo so it doesn’t really impress me even if it leads into the final track on the album.

14. how beautiful you are

The final song on the album is oddly enough the only song to be released prior to the album as a digital single.  I felt that it was nice that she closed the album with a ballad…but honestly what stands out from “Curtain call” and “meaning of Love” to be honest.  I will say that hearing Ayu saying the title was a nice touch but it doesn’t stand out for me…

Tracks Recommended

• the next LOVE
• reminds me
• Return Road
• NaNaNa
• Party queen

Song of Avoidance

• Eyes, Smoke, Magic

Let’s get this out of the way first, Party Queen is better than both “Love songs” and “FIVE” so that’s a good start right?  Now getting that out of the way…while it might be better than her last two releases, she still hasn’t fully captured the magic that I loved in “NEXT LEVEL” and “Rock’n'Roll Circus” for some unknown reasons.  Maybe it’ll be the next album, but I’m not holding my breath for that…While it did have songs that stood out and worked…overall I felt just more bored than excited for this release.

Ayumi Hamasaki – FIVE August 28, 2011

Track Listing

1. progress
2. ANother song feat. NAOYA URATA
3. Why… feat. JUNO
4. beloved
5. BRILLANTE
6. Why… feat NAOYA URATA (hidden track)
7. beloved (Orchestra version) (CD only bonus track)

1. progress

I’m surprised that Ayu finally gets her “Tales of…” tie-in outta the way now…considering the series is as huge as it is lol.  Unlike the last couple of them, this is actually a ballad.  Now I’m still shaking off the blah fest of “Love songs” but I will say that Ayu’s vocals aren’t as shockingly different than in “Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus”.  The song doesn’t stay in ballad mode funny enough and hits this slow rockin’ pace but it’s like one half is slow but the other is hard and edgy…I guess it works for the series but it’s a little plain of a song of this calibur…if it copied and went a lil longer, I’d say it’s a little like “Free & Easy”.

2. ANother song feat. NAOYA URATA

So we have three collaborations on this mini (is shocked btw) and it seems Urata is paying back from Ayu being in his song “Dream ON” so I guess it’s fitting that he’s paying his dues by being in her song.  The synths that begin the song sound so…made on a CASIO or something and it sounds cheap.  After the slightly powerful “progress”, this song kind of sets itself on an R&B style but I can barely remember and I hear more of Urata than Ayu herself lulz.  I don’t know why but when they sing together Ayu is too quiet when compared to her other half and it’s a little unusual.  Kind of bland here.

3. Why… feat. JUNO

So if you have to know JUNO is actually JUNSU’s brother (you know, the ugly one from JYJ and what used to be a complete Tohoshinki).  I like this version of the song since it’s kind of light but not forgetful like “ANother song”.  Also, JUNO sounds pretty airy and fluffy which he gets away with in the song since the doesn’t call for loud vocals even though the arrangement does get loud like “progress’”.  Literally it’s like taking the first track, adding a little dab of R&B…add JUNO and we get Why…

4. beloved

Why hasn’t anything popped out for me yet?!?  beloved tries to do something along the lines of a powerful ballad, but we’ve seen enough of these to last a lifetime.  I really was miffed to get the feeling of “MOON” and “blossom” AGAIN.  I really think she’s in a rut with her ballads and this is just another tune in the bad ballads bin.  At least her vocals seem to be stronger than it has been in recent times so I’ll give her that.

5. BRILLANTE

However all of the bland songs previous to this does hide what I do think is something that should be praised at least.  I mean is that latin chanting I’m hearing at the beginning?   Yeah, now this is how you do a ballad and make it amazing because the mysterious vibes I get here and add in Ayu’s singing which fits the mood and you get something powerful and actually good.  The chanting is there a LOT more than I thought, but seriously best song on the mini hands down.

6. Why… feat. NAOYA URATA

I was hoping that “BRILLANTE” wasn’t the full 10 minutes when I first heard the mini-album.  I was happy it wasn’t but then suddenly intrigued that there was a hidden track.  Then I saw that it’s just a different version of Why… and I was just not looking forward to this.  Luckily it comes with a different arrangement and of course Urata is singing.  I much prefer this version of Why… but I could live without the computerized-vocals here but this is the closest thing to an “upbeat” kind of song on this mini-album LOL.  Still it’s actually not too bad here.

7. beloved (Orchestra version)

Funny enough that the CD only version contains another song!  Unfortunately, it had to be an orchestrated version of beloved which is right now my least favorite song on here.  I mean I love the strings and all that but it doesn’t help this song in any way really.  Ayu sounds pretty good of course and the little bits of harp were nice…but it doesn’t stick out like most of her other “orchestra versions”. 

 

 

Ok, let’s say this progress up to beloved really bored the hell out of me and it showed no effort whatsoever from the producer to these songs and the collaborations in the 4 were kind of boring and musically bland.  However once BRILLANTE jumped in, I felt like there was some sort of light in this dark tunnel and the other version of Why… made up for the boring one and then of course a boring revision of beloved.  Yeah this was very disappointing of a mini-album here…I actually think some of these songs were “Love songs” leftovers too….ugh…Ayu go back to energetic stuff!!!!

Ayumi Hamasaki – Voyage May 15, 2011

Track Listing

1. Voyage
2. HANABI “ELECTRICAL BOSSA MIX”
3. independent “SUGIURAMN MIX”
4. Voyage (Instrumental)

1. Voyage

Ah, if “HANABI” wasn’t enough to tell me that Ayu was going to be releasing good ballads in the era, Voyage surprised me a lot because it was more grand and orchestral than previous ones.  I love the background vocals moving the song along and Ayu does give a pretty damn good performance, but I honestly enjoy “HANABI” more for some reason. 

2. HANABI “ELECTRICAL BOSSA MIX”

Talking about HANABI, we get a remix of it and it changed from the depressing yet hopeful atmosphere to a more chilled out version of its old self, it’s a bit strange.  The bossa nova vibes are kind of taking away the mood of the song that it produced and it also took me out of the song because it just lacks emotion for some reason. 

3. independent “SUGIURAMN MIX”

The remixer for this song isn’t a new name for me since he’s done work for Ami Suzuki and Mika Nakashima so seeing Sugiuramn involved in Ayu’s track isn’t that surprising.  It does keep the clapping rhythm which is a plus, but the song feels really weird now that there’s synths involved and repetitive parts flying around.  MEH again.

Voyage is such a pretty song and a very good ballad from Ayu, but after “HANABI” it’s too soon to throw it off its throne and it’s still not at the level of said song either, but still pretty good nonetheless.  The remixes though sucked for both songs surprisingly and just wanted me to just roll my eyes and just ignore things.  Since it concludes the “RAINBOW” era, it’s a good closing single ^_^

Ayumi Hamasaki – H

Track Listing

1. independent
2. July 1st
3. HANABI
4. independent (Instrumental)
5. July 1st (Instrumental)
6. HANABI (Instrumental)

1. independent

As the start of the triple A-side summer single begins, independent’s clap clap rhythm opens everything up with a pretty nice and fun atmosphere for sure and I loved the energy that builds up with Ayu before letting it explode in the chorus.  There’s times where I kind of don’t like this song because she has so many summer songs nowadays, but this can be good at different times I guess.

2. July 1st

I still don’t know the significance of the date being sung about for our next A-side, but I guess it must be about summer because it’s on the summer medley that was on “Sunrise/Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~”.  I like how it starts relaxed and pretty to compensate all the excitement from “independent”.  Ayu sounds great and then when it shifts into its dance/pop/rock arrangement it does sound cool but Ayu’s vocals sound kind of gritty and not really handled well by the sound producers.  Meh….

3. HANABI

Finally, as the single’s ballad, HANABI was surprisingly amazing for what it did for Ayu.  It’s not your typical ballad and has this growing mood for sullenness and loneliness. However, the chorus gives it a hopeful mood which is a formula for a good ballad IMO.  I thought “SCAR” was an amazing ballad, but HANABI sold it for me and of the three songs, this has the best vocals hands down. 

H is quite the step up after “Free & Easy” for sure but that’s because it’s three original songs against one and two remixes.  For being a summer single, it’s not bad and suited the season well with independent and July 1st being the more upbeat tune and HANABI being like night tune.  However, independent gets extended with “+” on the album and July 1st was a bit vocally straining for Ayu.  HANABI though is pretty great as a song though.

Ayumi Hamasaki – Free & Easy

Track Listing

1. Free & Easy
2. Naturally “dolly remix”
3. still alone “Warp Brothers Extended Mix”
4. Free & Easy -Instrumental-

1. Free & Easy

LOL, I really thought the opening for Free & Easy sounded like something that would fit Final Fantasy 8 because of its brooding atmosphere and depressing tones.  Oddly enough, the song changes and the main flow comes in and while it sounds hopeful and yet sad it’s a pretty thing.  I will say it surprised the hell out of me when it changed from the sullen silence and ballad feel to an explosive rock atmosphere but drives back to the quietness.  It’s so bipolar that I couldn’t help but sort of anticipate each time she gave out.  Then the chorus happens and I’m instantly bored because it sounds like any other song HAL did (he produced this too BTW).  It’s not bad, but it’s like transition hell and it forces you too get used to it’s jagged parts only such a short time…ugh dislike there.

2. Naturally “dolly remix”

Thank god Ayu decided to finally ditch the 10 remixes on each single shtick.  This time only having two remixes to deal with, it’s a lot easier on me for sure XD.  Anyways, Naturally (a song from her last album “I am…”) gets remixed and I kind of like the song since it’s a bit more lighter and upbeat than its mysterious original version.  Though like “Free & Easy” it suffers from jagged transitions from the verses into its chorus and I thought that was a poor move.  Otherwise I get winter vibes and I kind of enjoyed that about this remix.

3. still alone “Warp Brothers Extended Mix”

Another song from “I am…”, still alone’s remix is quite long for me but I really don’t know what I was expecting out of this remix.  The beats at the beginning are quite heavy and yet catchy too with the clanking going on behind the pounding beat.  It actually feels perfect to really rave to since it’s heavy and Ayu’s ethereal sounding vocals are just good to listen to as well.  Better remix for sure!

Beginning the “RAINBOW” era, Free & Easy is a strange single since we are coming off the whole debacle of the bajillion remixes on a single so clearly lot of people were noticing how short the single was.  To me Free & Easy is alright, but the way it moved felt so weird and just was abrupt and sudden and I don’t know if HAL wanted that, but to me, it didn’t give me enough time to take in the ballad, the rock, or the dance pop at all.  The two remixes were alright, but still alone’s was way better than Naturally’s any day.  Ehhhhh…ok start I guess XD

Ayumi Hamasaki – Love songs December 18, 2010

Track Listing

1. Love song
2. crossroad
3. MOON
4. sending mail
5. Last angel
6. insomnia
7. Like a doll
8. aria
9. blossom
10. Thank U
11. Sweet Season
12. overture
13. do it again
14. November
15. Virgin Road
16. SEVEN DAYS WAR (CD-only/CD+DVD only)
17. SEVEN DAYS WAR (Live at Yoyogi on Oct. 11 2010) (CD+DVD/SD+USB only)

1. Love song

Starting Ayu’s new album with one of two songs promoted for the album, Love song is quite surprising that it’s actually not a ballad this time around, but more of pop/rock track with some strings.  I’ve also noticed for some reason Ayu sounds different…like she’s more nasally ala “I am…’s”‘ era.  I’m not sure why, but that reason kind of bothers me and the verses where it’s more evident just took me out of the song.

2. crossroad

Being the 2nd A-side released in the era, crossroad is the best released in the era, but that’s not saying much because while it’s the best it really didn’t have any competition nor was this song something special.  I will say I love her vocals a lot more than I did with “Love song” since it isn’t hoarse and she sounds really pretty with the orchestral arrangement.  Still pretty good.

3. MOON

It’s sad that for an era that hasn’t had many standout songs for me, MOON and “crossroad” would be the closest songs to have made a strong impact out of A-sides.  The biggest difference between the two is that this one has a more solemn background and includes rock instruments to try to make it stand out amongst the crowd.  It’s unfortunate that it kind of messes up because of how similar this is to “blossom” and that was it’s sister A-side as well.  Not bad, but it’s not on the list of jaw-dropping ballads.

4. sending mail

Getting out of the better A-sides of the album into a new track, sending mail sounds so nice to listen since the song has a pretty good beat mixed in with strings to make it sound almost regal in a way.  I do love Ayu singing deeper for stuff like the verses and such and let’s her vocals come out towards the chorus.  The chorus though is quite a puncher and I loved that about the song.  Still it kind of feels off amongst the rest of the song however.  Still pretty nifty of a song.

5. Last angel

I still admit that Last angel is surprisingly good for being single material, but likewise with “sending mail”, Last angel feels like there’s too many rifts in the song to call it comprehensable.  I still think it’s pretty catchy and it was the only song that borderlined dance which was a bright light in an era overloaded in ballads of sorts.  Still sounds like a song better suited for “LOVEppears”.

6. insomnia

Being the album’s first interlude, insomnia is dark and quite creepy for an interlude.  Having string bass and beats and some wacky ad-libbing from Ayu, it’s a very unsettling piece and it leaves an interesting mark for the album.  While I was kind of hoping it would lead somewhere, it didn’t and just kept at the same pace for the whole 2 minutes.

7. like a doll

I’m not sure why but like a doll didn’t really need to be put in between two interludes IMO because while the song starts out like a ballad, it kind of becomes more of light dance tune in good strings moments.  I do agree that she sounds like she’s saying ~like a door~ more than the title which is lulzy in itself but for a song like this it’s good to see some kind of lighter and happier song featured on the album.

8. aria

Yep, like I said this was another interlude and shorter than “insomnia” was as well.  The light mood was carried on from “like a doll” and the strings take it in until you hear a bang and you hear electric guitar join in to kind of say we’re getting into a different area on the album.  Not bad, but I liked the first interlude more.

9. blossom

Being the other A-side, blossom has never really popped out at me, especially since the idea of the song is way too similar to “MOON” and that was on of the faults on it.  They both share ballad-like ties in the verses while the chorus has more focus on the guitars and rockin’ move.  I guess the biggest thing was that Ayu didn’t push her vocals to the edge in this song and for that it was a good decision.  I just wish there was a better incentive for the song to make it a bit more amazing.

10. Thank U

I thought we were getting another ballad out of this song, but this seems to be the “Red Line ~for TA~” for the album.  It’s very positive sounding and lively and especially so when it starts with ~la-la-la-la’s~ from Ayu and a crowd.  Ayu’s voice is kind of like how it was in “Love song” and it sounded offkey at places.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, but I love the upbeat sound of the song no doubt…but it just felt so blah-ish to listen to.

11. Sweet Season

Being a part of the “L” single, Sweet Season feels wrong on the album and just doesn’t fit period because of it’s mid-tempo Western stylization.  It’s got a good pop/rock feel that kind of still reminds me of “Life”…but it just doesn’t really do much for me in the long run and just becomes white noise to me in the end.  I’m sorry but Ayu just didn’t do enough for this song…I mean country…ick

12. overture

As we enter our final interlude of the album, overture for me kind of continues from “aria” in the way it starts with piano before getting into a woodwind ensemble and it sounds like it’s from any JRPG with it’s grandiose arrangement and pretty sounds.  It’s a tad weird that it kind of does stand out from the album, but seeing as it’s the only one of its kind on here, it’s sad lol.

13. do it again

Well, then again the opening to the other promotional song of the album sounds like it would also be it.  I will say that do it again is very different from Ayu since it really depends on the repetition from Ayu at the beginning hahaha.  That was a very uncomfortable minute to sit through.  I think in my opinion, it would’ve worked better with the not-so-annoying repeats, but the rest of the song is pretty good to listen to.  The bridge though being the fastest on the song was so sad because it was the best parts of the song damnit!  Very grand of a song and in time I will ignore the whore ~dance, dance, dance do it again~ parts.

14. November

I thought the opening to the final new song was so darned cute with the xylophone and harmonica together.  Even better was whatever was playing behind Ayu in the first verse…that was pretty cool.  While it’s nothing totally new from her, November is probably the most solid song to listen to from the album and I ended up liking it quite a bit. 

15. Virgin Road

Since the rest of the album consists of previously known songs, Virgin Road (main song from “L”) comes next and really sounds bland when looking at the main album.  I mean once again piano and strings (the latter I’m highly getting annoyed with at this point) fill the song and while it gave us a more emotional performance from Ayu, the song falls when compared to “crossroad” and even “MOON” since I never connected with it. 

16. SEVEN DAYS WAR

Ending the regular editions of the album and the CD+DVD, the album closes with SEVEN DAYS WAR which we all knew was the B-side from “crossroad” and is a cover of a TM NETWORK song.  I still don’t think it should’ve been added to the album because the only thing that makes it stand out was the fact that Ayu had so much Engrish for the song that it kind of surprised me.  It still kind of sucks, but whatever beggers can’t be choosers.

17. SEVEN DAYS WAR (Live at Yoyogi on Oct. 11 2010)

On the other hand if you splurged into buying the SD/USB version of the album, you get a live version of SEVEN DAYS WAR instead.  As much as I have to say it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a live version of anything from Ayu so this was an interesting choice.  Ayu’s vocals are a bit in that offkey tone again, but at least she’s pulling the song off slightly better than the studio version.  Still not a great tune though >.>

Tracks Recommended

• November
• sending mail
• crossroad
• MOON
• do it again

Song of Avoidance

• SEVEN DAYS WAR

To me Ayu’s Love songs was totally rushed and ended up exactly like how alan’s “my life” turned out last year.  I’m not sure why, but this album lacked the flair her last albums had and to be honest it might be along the lines of blandness that struck her down in her avex debut album.  I might be harsh, but when all the songs have piano and strings in each song, it becomes painstakingly boring and I just start to tune out the album.  I’m sorry, but this album is prolly her lowest point IMHO.

Ayumi Hamasaki – L September 29, 2010

Track Listing

1. Virgin Road
2. Sweet Season
3. Last angel
4. crossroad (Orchestra version)
5. SEVEN DAYS WAR (Orchestra version)
6. SEVEN DAYS WAR (TK Acoustic Piano version)
7. Virgin Road -Instrumental-
8. Sweet Season -Instrumental-
9. Last angel -Instrumental-

1. Virgin Road

Since all three songs are basically A-sides, I’m going to start with Virgin Road which was the first to leak out.  Also if it isn’t obvious enough, the A-side that was produced here is ballad-central as well like the other singles in the era.  For being one though I actually had a better time remembering this song because of the songs melody and super sweet chorus.  However, it’s a bit bare for a ballad, sounding almost emptier when compared to “MOON” and even “crossroad”.  Give and take that it’s a sweeter, yet melancholic tune for Ayu…like “CAROLS” or something…hahaha.  (and insert various other ballads).

2. Sweet Season

I was happy that Sweet Season is a little more upbeat for me, but once again the song really just flies over my head because it’s like “Life” from “Mirrorcle World” and I barely even remembered that song because it was so underwhelming to its A-side.  I’ll admit there’s something about the song that kind of sounds like her debut album, but otherwise I’m just not feeling this song much. 

3. Last angel

Because Ayu and Masami Mitsuoka needs more comparisons LOL, Ayu decides to throw us on a loop with Last angel.  For one thing, I was expecting another ballad, but it’s kind of a mixture of a ballad and a techno tune.  I’m not sure how to otherwise to describe it though.  It’s really abnormal for Ayu to release a song sounding like two ideas meshed, but it’s different and I like that she tried something in this era that hasn’t been done before (BY HER ALREADY)… actually as I’m listening to it again, it actually comes off a bit messy since the song keeps switching itself like I have to piece the parts for a more coherent tune…it’s like a puzzle TBH.  Iono what to think bout this tune now.

4. crossroad (Orchestra version)

Just because we hadn’t had enough orchestra versions of songs, we get even more with the main songs of her last single getting the treatment.  crossroad’s version actually kind of comes off as disappointing when compared to how her last songs “MOON” and “blossom” were treated in their respective versions.  I do like that this actually is an straight-up orchestrated version, but this just screams to be an instrumental TBQH.

5. SEVEN DAYS WAR (Orchestra version)

I know SEVEN DAYS WAR probably could’ve been OK without an orchestra version, but I kind of connected more with this version that “crossroad’s” because she lyrically did better with it and the arrangement fits the cause as well.  There’d be a lot more I could say, but I’m kind of getting tired of orchestrated versions of her songs in the era and I wanted more actual remixes.  Still it’s not a bad version.

6. SEVEN DAYS WAR (TK Acoustic Piano version)

No, I mean actual dance remixes AYU!!!!!  Sorry, went off the wall there.  Since SEVEN DAYS WAR is a cover of TM NETWORK, and since the main guy kind of sucks singing by himself, it was good enough to let Ayu have a piano version of said song.  It’s just harder to listen to the song with less going on in each version…really people?  I’m sorry but I just enjoy the original and the orchestrated version more.

 

 

Wow, 50th single what a number that is!  For being such a big single for Ayu I wasn’t expecting it to be so damn boring otherwise.  I mean Virgin Road is a nice ballad, but c’mon she’s done better and even though this era has been ballad central for Ayu…it just makes me worried how the album will turn out.  Sweet Season = Life 2…I mean it’s the same kind of nonchalant pop/rock that makes things seem forgettable.  Last angel is probably the best the single had to offer for me because of it’s odd arrangement…but it still feels like it needed to be made me coherant and clean up the wacky transitions as well.  Orchestra versions of her last single were alright, if not starting to bore me to death and the piano version of SEVEN DAYS WAR is just too boring for me.  Ehhh…this era is starting to really bring me down….