moumoon – PAIN KILLER February 10, 2013

Track Listing

1. DREAMER DREAMER (PAIN KILLER ver.)
2. Vanitas
3. Help Me
4. PAIN
5. Hanabi
6. Midori no Michi
7. Utsukushii Hito
8. Anniversary
9. “Love is Everywhere”
10. Never Enough
11. Doko e mo Ikanai yo
12. Flowers (Acoustic ver.) (CD only bonus track)

1. DREAMER DREAMER (PAIN KILLER ver.)

As the last A-side released before the album, I was quite worried about what changes were made to DREAMER DREAMER because I seriously loved this track!  The only difference that the PAIN KILLER version has over is that the song has a different introduction, but beyond that, the song remained entirely the same!  I really thought that DREAMER DREAMER is one of those songs that really definie what moumoon are all about and I was happy that it opened the album up!

2. Vanitas

The next track up is bolded because it was released digitally before “DREAMER DREAMER/Doke e mo Ikanai yo” was released.  I thought it was great seeing the duo include this track since it is one of the slower songs they did for the era (although kind of strange seeing it come after something upbeat this early in the album).  YUKA’s vocals sound so light and bright.  It’s just a really good ballad…not as dramatic as some others in the past, but I can be happily listening to this one!

3. Help Me

I found it strange that Help Me is the shortest track on the album (only barely passing 2 1/2 minutes).  I suppose this was kind of the replacement for “Wild Child” which is oddly missing from the album.  What I meant is that Help Me is more along the rock side of the spectrum but still has that playful tone to it.  I really do like it, but it felt so damn short!  I think YUKA really did well here!

4. PAIN

Strange we’re slowing back to once again to get into the title track and I kind of figured the song was going to be dark and a bit more dramatic than it actually did.  Though the lyrics will say otherwise and YUKA emotes quite perfectly here and she sounds heavenly as well!  I do think there’s other ballads that are better from moumoon, but this isn’t half bad!

5. Hanabi

The follow “PAIN” up with another ballad?  That might be hard for listeners to pay attention but I actually liked Hanabi (the 2nd A-side representing the album).  To me, this ballad really takes the cake for me because it’s VERY beautiful and YUKA sounds just delightful to listen to.  A lot stronger than most of the songs on this album too!  I just felt like sailing on a boat at night listening to this.  Great track!

6. Midori no Michi

As the only B-side to make the album cut (and it also got a PV on the album), Midori no Michi might be stretching the slow songs a bit even though I’m coming off my high from “Hanabi”.  That said, the song doesn’t resonate with me much here as much as it did on the single.  I do think it has a certain “15 Doors” kind of sound which is a nice throwback, but it just flew past me in the long run.

7. Utsukushii Hito

As the promotional song for the album, I was curious to what Utsukushii Hito brought to the table and sadly it’s another ballad to deal with which at this point, I’m getting tired of and starting to lose focus on the album.  I can say that this song sounds more mellow and tries to follow songs of the past like “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalance na Ai” which the dramatic orchestral feel which does make it stand out and YUKA once again sounding powerful!  Even the English lines slightly parallel their awesome ballad of the past…it’s kind of freaky, but at the same time smart!  Of the ballads in this area, this and “Hanabi” rank high for me.

8. Anniversary

At least we finally exit the slow parts for a little while and move onto something peppy like Anniversary which kind of takes up the cute, sparkly pop tune.  It is quite a 180 coming after “Utsukushii Hito” in terms of emotional tone but I kind of like this tune.  It’s like lipgloss with glitter in it.  Has a lot going on and just feels so polished (maybe a little too much).  It’s kind of overbearing at times for me to listen to all this cuteness.

9. “Love is Everywhere”

Which is strange because this song is ADORABLE!  However, this song is bloody fuckin’ amazing!  I mean if they needed a song to shake off that “Sunshine Girl”-mania that was going on, this song was just kicking that door down HARD.  I mean it’s dance, true to moumoon, and YUKA does a great job holding down both the amount of Japanese and English in the track.  Yeah the verses’ melody is essentially ripping off Martin Solveig’s “Hello” to a T, but Masaki and YUKA definitely worked their magic all over it and that’s why it still remains my favorite off the album!  It’s just an amazing song to listen to!

10. Never Enough

Then we slow down once again for the closing songs of the album.  I kind of found myself thinking it was a more guitar-heavy take of “Utsukushii Hito”, but I kind like that song better.  This one just sounds nice but doesn’t do much for me otherwise besides the good arrangement and YUKA’s vocals.  Kind of forgetful.

11. Doko e mo Ikanai yo

Of the A-sides that had to be included, I really wasn’t into this track very much and as it’s the final track (minus the bonus), it was appropriate since PAIN KILLER ends with a track like this.  The light atmosphere works, but it’s another one of those songs that sound like it would belong on “15 Doors”.  Simple and effective, just not memorable otherwise.

Tracks Recommended

• “Love is Everywhere”
• DREAMER DREAMER (PAIN KILLER ver.)
• Utsukushii Hito
• Hanabi
• Vanitas

Song of Avoidance

• Doke e mo Ikanai yo

*will review the acoustic take of Flowers once it leaks* Even though PAIN KILLER is not as vibrant of an album to moumoon like “No Night Land” was, I have to say they did a pretty good job here with what they have.  I mean my top 5 easily crushes my favorites on their last album by quite a long shot!  So I can say that this was the better album!  There were points where the ballads were kind of meh, but the upbeat songs brought life back easily.  Definitely impressed from moumoon, though I wonder why they left off “Wild Child” >.> I’m not complaining because it’s a bad song, but still wondering why it didn’t make the cut.

moumoon – DREAMER DREAMER/Doko e mo Ikanai yo December 15, 2012

Track Listing

1. DREAMER DREAMER
2. Doko e mo Ikanai yo
3. Midori no Michi
4. DREAMER DREAMER (instrumental)
5. Doke e mo Ikanai yo (instrumental)
6. Midori no Michi (instrumental)

1. DREAMER DREAMER

In recent times, moumoon hasn’t really brought their A game for a while but at least with DREAMER DREAMER, the song sounds really cool and YUKA just has a really cute tone and I’m just loving the whole atmospheric feel of the song, but with a little edge to it.  Even though I still think “Love is Everywhere” is the era’s best song that is pretty damn close…it’s catchy andis a very cool track from the duo!

2. Doko e mo Ikanai yo

The secondary A-side, Doke e mo Ikanai yo is a much lighter affair as it’s kind of a chilled out and light song overall.  Even though I enjoy YUKA in this song singing in a very quiet tone, the song kind of is basic and kind of a bit too empty.  I want to enjoy it, but the song is really boring to me…

3. Midori no Michi

Which isn’t helping the B-side of the single because it’s really more of the same but with a little more push behind it.  YUKA still sounds soft and pleasant, but when she’s given a mid-tempo like this, she kind of settles in the background for me for some reason.  At least I can say that she had a bit more conviction in her voice and she gets stronger in the chorus which is a godsend.  Overall it’s a pleasant song, not better than “DREAMER DREAMER” but in the middle of the single.

 

 

As the fourth and final single before their album, “PAIN KILLER” comes out, I’d have to say that DREAMER DREAMER/Doke e mo Ikanai yo is an all right single, not the best but not crappy at least. DREAMER DREAMER is a pretty awesome song and I’m happy it was promoted more than Doko e mo Ikanai yo because that song is REALLY boring to me…and Midori no Michi just lies in the middle of it all, not bad, but not amazing either.  I’m rather curious to how the album will turn out considering some of the songs that came out from the 4 singles…

moumoon – Hanabi August 22, 2012

Track Listing

1. Hanabi
2. summer time
3. Sunshine Girl (Shinichi Osawa Remix)
4. Chu Chu (Shinichi Osawa Remix)
5. Hanabi (Instrumental)
6. summer time (Instrumental)

1. Hanabi

I love moumoon’s ballads, they are the best things about the group sans a couple of amazing upbeat tunes.  YUKA sounds pretty as all hell and the song while quiet a good portion gets a lot better in the chorus and she’s the star of the song.  I don’t think it’s as amazing as “Love is Everywhere” but this is a very beautiful track.

2. summer time

Another late to the party summer song?  Not gonna lie at first that guitar intro reminded me of that Jesse McCartney song LOL.  The song feels like it was meant to be like a sequal to “Sunshine Girl” but with the current moumoon sound which is a bit depressing but the song isn’t bad and has a lot of charm about it.  Still feels like a cheap return to what made them blowout. 

3. Sunshine Girl (Shinichi Osawa Remix)

Which isn’t surprising that said song would be somewhere on the single >.>  They can’t really let go of that song because of how popular it was.  I was pretty excited though for remixes because Shinichi is like amazing.  Then I came into it and I was like….what a lazy remix!  I mean it’s different for him since it’s not fast and a little more atmospheric, but this is really tedious and boring…

4. Chu Chu (Shinichi Osawa Remix)

Chu Chu also got the same treatment and I already enjoy this a bit more than “Sunshine Girl’s” but it’s not at the same level like Shinichi’s other songs.  It depends on the same 3-note chord progression which really makes it tough to listen to.  The bounching rhythm worked better too, but I still felt like it was a phone-in remix from him.

 

 

I don’t know why but moumoon has been kind of falling behind on the good stuff lately.  Hanabi is a good ballad and clearly the best song on the single which is surprising.  summer time is all right but it felt like it was trying to fill in the shoes from “Sunshine Girl” which BTW, the remixes both kind of suck…and this is surprising since this is Shinichi Osawa we’re talking about…I hope they close the era with a better single than this and “Wild Child” to be honest.

moumoon – Wild Child May 2, 2012

Track Listing

1. Wild Child
2. Start it now
3. “No Night Land” Medley (CD and Anime editions only)
4. Wild Child (instrumental)
5. Start it now (instrumental)

1. Wild Child

After the great “Love is Everywhere”, we get Wild Child, a song that’s tied to the Yu-gi-oh series.  That being said it’s no surprise that their sound is pretty much a 180 from the last A-side (or anything prior that as well).  Utilizing electric guitars to fit the series since it’s an ending theme, it feels like it isn’t really moumoon.  There’s something missing from the song and I think it also doesn’t work with YUKA’s light and airy vocals despite her trying hard to fit in.  It’s two ideas that shouldn’t work together sadly…

2. Start it now

After that mess, I was curious at the first B-side and this is more favorable and more of their style though a little different as well.  When I listen to it, I get a mediterranean feel or something that sounds breezy and could be a city theme to any JRPG that accentuates the idea this song brings out.  YUKA sounds really pretty and fits smoothly and the English lines are pretty ^_^…yeah SOOOO much better than “Wild Child”.

3. “No Night Land” Medley

• Chu Chu
• Yes / No Continue?
• Jet Coaster
• Butterfly Effect
• Uta wo Utaou
• I found love.
• Tomodachi / Koibito
• Bon Appetit
• We go

I question moumoon’s decision with this single.  I mean the medley we have here are of all the songs that were from “No Night Land” minus “good night” but that’s probably because it was only on one version and was a new version of an old song.  The medley is more like a album digest only providing previews of the songs and they didn’t even transition to each…it was a fade out/fade in type thing.  Not going to lie but this probably would’ve been better if they had put this on the “Uta wo Utaou” single and not two singles later after the album’s release….>.>

 

 

After being majorly happy with “Love is Everywhere”, moumoon really disappointed me with Wild Child.  The lead-in track is definitely out of character for the duo and it’s pretty obvious that the sound didn’t correlate very well for YUKA’s airy vocals either, creating an awkward song that just is poor…though being tied to Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXEL, it’s hard not to be surprised it was going to be BAAAAD.  Start in now is the single’s lone good song for them and should be on their next album since it stood out in good ways all-around (moreso because it was loads better than Wild Child).  The medley (that could be questioned) shouldn’t have been made or even put on the CD…if anything it would’ve been more appropriate if that was put on the single preceding the “No Night Land” album…not an album that was released three months ago…Frustrated single!!!

moumoon – “Love is Everywhere” March 13, 2012

Track Listing

1. “Love is Everywhere”
2. Bon Appetit (M&M DISCO MIX)
3. “Love is Everywhere” (instrumental)
4. Bon Appetit (M&M DISCO MIX) (instrumental)

1. “Love is Everywhere”

It hasn’t been that long since we’ve heard moumoon last (a little over a month ago) but they are release hounds all of a sudden!  Their new song “Love is Everywhere” is an interesting song since it seems they’ve taken up more of a dance style since a couple of songs from “No Night Land” carried a few.  I actually really enjoyed the song since YUKA sounds great and fits the style like a puzzle piece.  Though the funny thing is the during the first verse, they seem to sample the melody from Martin Solveig’s “Hello” which made me laugh a lot.  Great A-side!

2. Bon Appetit (M&M DISCO MIX)

The other song on the single is a remix of Bon Appetit from “No Night Land”.  I will say that at first I didn’t hear what the difference between the two but as I played both of them, it seems this one is less fuller in the arrangement and there was some corrections in the vocal chords in the melody.  Not much of a different opinion against the original so it’s still pretty good.

 

 

moumoon is just throwing these singles out now, “Love is Everywhere” though is pretty good not gonna lie and kind of catchy all over.  I think it’s definitely their best A-side since “moonlight” for sure.  As for the remix, Bon Appetit didn’t go through as many changes as I thought it would but that’s alright.  Great single overall!

moumoon – No Night Land February 9, 2012

Track Listing

1. Chu Chu
2. Yes / No Continue?
3. Jet Coaster
4. Butterfly Effect
5. Uta wo Utaou
6. I found love.
7. Tomodachi / Koibito
8. Bon Appetit
9. We go
10. good night (studio live recording) (CD only)

1. Chu Chu

Once again, another album that begins with the first A-side released in said era.  It’s funny because I really like the live version of this song (found on “Uta wo Utaou” BTW).  Still, this kind of continued the whole upbeat and cute shtick moumoon was doing for a while and I found it catchy even though I didn’t like it at first.  Though at the time, I was kind of getting tired of their cute songs.  Nowadays, I can actually appreciate a little more and it’s bouncy and silly which works!

2. Yes / No Continue?

Now the new songs were something I was getting excited for!  Yes / No Continue? actually leaked out pretty quickly (a while before the album was announced actually).  Now it isn’t as sugary cute as “Chu Chu” which is a direction I’m enjoying a bit.  YUKA really sounds like she having fun with the song and I’m liking the mix of Masaki’s guitar-work and the synths the fiddle around.  It’s probably one of my favorites from the album already!

3. Jet Coaster

Because the title doesn’t remind me of KARA’s “Jet Coaster Love”, I will forget about it.  I’m slowly noticing the album is getting more guitar-laced with each track the progresses which is a nice change for me.  Though I will say, I don’t remember this song very well even though it does have this Avril Lavigne pop/rock feel to it which is nice.  Still, I don’t remember it otherwise on the album.

4. Butterfly Effect

This title reminds me of Maon Kurosaki xD.  Anyway, Butterfly Effect actually changes up by being more quiet and laidback than the previous three tracks and it shows with the music and YUKA’s light vocals as well.  I could’ve seen this song somewhere on “15 Doors” to be honest but this isn’t bad but it just reminds me of all the fluffy songs from the previous eras.  Plus…the ~hundreds, thousandths, and millionths~ line was curious…funny that I remember that the most from the song hahaha.

5. Uta wo Utaou

Which brings us to Uta wo Utaou which is literally their first ballad since friggin “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalance na Ai”.  I have to say, even though it isn’t as great as that song, this one does make up for the lack of ballads they’ve done in recent times.  It’s simple and YUKA’s vocals just sounds lovely here.  Very sweet song here and I enjoyed it more than “Chu Chu” in A-sides as well!

6. I found love.

Starting off the second half of the album is the jazzy I found love.  It’s really nice that it’s also quite slow and pretty relaxed.  The big thing to take in is that the song is sung in English and YUKA sounds great here and the song just comes together so nicely!  It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I thought this song was very pleasant to the ears and I approve of it!

7. Tomodachi / Koibito

As the promotional song for the album, Tomodachi / Koibito is definitely one of those songs that really has a similar “Sunshine Girl” feel to it but I found it as a nice contribution to the album since the duo was straying from that side of their sound.  It’s a nice song overall and doesn’t do too much bad here.

8. Bon Appetit

Haha, a cooking reference huh?  Well, Bon Appetit is a bit more synthy than the previous song that’s for sure and I kind of like that about this song.  I actually really like the song since it’s the closest thing to a dance song we have on the album.  It’s just YUKA’s vocals just flow seamlessly in the song and it’s nice.  Then again, her voice sounds higher than normal but it’s not bad…great song!

9. We go

“Bon Appetit” is actually the last “new” song on the album.  We go is actually a full version of the intro of the same name from “15 Doors”.  I must say they really transformed the song into something amazing and so great to listen to.  The intro was cool but it stayed static, but this new version builds upon it!  Actually having lyrics and having such a powerful and ethereal chorus helped it out quite a bit!  I was surprised but loved it all!

10. good night (live studio recording)

Closing the album, we get a one-take version of good night (a song that was off of their 1st mini-album “Flowers).  I thought it suited the album nicely they closed off the CD only version with this song (though “We go” was also a good closure too).  Now good night wasn’t bad of a song actually but I feel like the original trumps this all over.  Still not bad here.

Tracks Recommended

• Yes / No Continue?
• We go
• Bon Appetit
• Uta wo Utaou
• Chu Chu

Song of Avoidance

• Jet Coaster

moumoon didn’t take very long to release this album, unlike that giant album in “15 Doors” at least.  To me, I thought No Night Land was actually pretty nice but it didn’t really have songs that popped out in such a big way (like their last album did).  That being said, it was a pretty above average album.  Take a listen, you might be surprised I think ^_^

moumoon – Uta wo Utaou December 15, 2011

Track Listing

1. Uta wo Utaou
2. Macaron
3. Chu Chu (FULLMOON LIVE SPECIAL 2011 Chuushuu no Meigetsu @ Nakano Sun Plaza Ver.)
4. Uta wo Utaou (Instrumental)
5. Macaron (Instrumental)

1. Uta wo Utaou

I’m so happy that Uta wo Utaou drops the moumoon cute songs for once since I was highly getting tired of them as of recent.  This one is a bit more slower and uses quite a bit more of them natural instruments.  I mean besides some of the album songs on “15 Doors”, the last legit A-side was “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalance na Ai”.  It’s a pretty song and I’m enjoying YUKA’s vocals a lot here.  Simple but pleasant song for an A-side!

2. Macaron

If you were wondering, our cute song is actually the B-side in the song which is not surprising.  I will say I’m kind of stuck with this song because it sounds like a slower but upbeat “Sunshine Girl” but a little more christmas-y.  Definitely not like “my Secret Santa” but more like the song before.  I’m just not very interested in this song but YUKA’s airy vocals sound nice.

3. Chu Chu (FULLMOON LIVE SPECIAL 2011 Chuushuu no Meigetsu @ Nakano Sun Plaza Ver.)

Closing the single is a live version of their last A-side, Chu Chu.  I loved the crowd’s participation, clapping to the rhythm of the song.  YUKA at first sounded a little off, but she quickly started to sing out and she brought out such powerful vocals to this happy song that worked.  It really showed me how well of a vocalist YUKA is and how bright she can make a song like Chu Chu pop!

 

 

 

moumoon’s second single of the era, Uta wo Utaou is a least more presentable as a single than “Chu Chu” since there isn’t a medley nor an English version of a song.  The A-side was a nice way of going back to pre-”Sunshine Girl” moumoon and has a great sound to it.  Macaron is a bit more like today moumoon…but it’s a little too similar arrangement-wise to once again “Sunshine Girl” to make a full expression on me.  The live version of “Chu Chu” though was pretty awesome to listen to and sounds better live than studio tbh.  It was a pretty good single for the most part.

moumoon – Chu Chu August 3, 2011

Track Listing

1. Chu Chu
2. moonlight (English ver.)
3. Medley (2011 Summer ver.)
4. Chu Chu (CM ver.)
5. Chu Chu (instrumental)

1. Chu Chu

It seems that moumoon has kind of walked away from their serious stuff and are having more fun with their cute songs and it shows with Chu Chu since it’s upbeat and fun to listen to.  YUKA sounds really nice in the song and she sounds light and fluffy (kind of like the past few releases from them).  That being said, I do wish for something more serious for them, since this cute run for them is starting to slide for me, but this isn’t bad and can be catchy.

2. moonlight (English ver.)

So we also get an English version of moonlight which was two singles ago but that’s not bad.  I still can’t believe I found myself loving the twinkly song but it works since it’s one of my favorite of the cute songs and hearing it in a familiar language works as well too since it makes the song come off even cuter and just makes me fall in love with the tune AGAIN!  Good take on the original IMO.

2. Medley (2011 Summer ver.)

• Sunshine Girl
• Dreaming Driving
• YAY
• mellow
• MUSIC
• HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY

Does seem strange we’re getting ANOTHER summer medley from moumoon but that’s OK, since the songs are new choices and that’s a good sign.  Of course the medley would begin with the duo’s biggest song Sunshine Girl.  Nothing wrong, but it’s like why does it have to go first since it’s etched in most of our minds for sure.  After going through the first half of the song, it switches up abruptly into Dreaming Driving.  It’s been a while since I’ve heard this song last and it still sounds rather cute and synthy and I liked that a lot.  YAY comes after and it still has this disco vibe that I really enjoyed it a lot since it’s fun and uberly catchy for some reason.  The next two tracks mellow and MUSIC are songs I have not heard before so they are kind of random tracks for me.  mellow does have more of an acoustic vibe which sounds refreshing amongst the other tracks on the medley, but still retains the lighthearted fun vibes.  MUSIC on the other hand is more jazzy than the other songs which is kind of cool because I like Masaki’s guitar-playing in the song.  It’s a light song but it fits the mood of the medley.  Closing the medley out is HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY and I must say that it was nice to have one more song I could recognize from the tracklist.  Even though it starts in the beginning it moves nicely and moves onto the last 2 minutes.  All in all, it was an alright medley, but they could’ve done some transitioning magic between the songs.

 

 

moumoon begins a new era with Chu Chu and it shows that the duo isn’t ready to let go of this uber cute brigade they’ve been on since after “Sunshine Girl”.  Chu Chu isn’t a bad song but it does kind of fall behind other songs.  Luckily the English version of moonlight was a nice addition and the lyrics make the song even more sugary cute than before.  Also the medley was pretty good for the most part.  As a whole, it feels like it’s missing it’s own identity since Chu Chu didn’t do very well showing that and relied on previous songs.

moumoon – 15 Doors March 4, 2011

Track Listing

1. We Go (intro)
2. 15 Doors
3. One Step
4. Sunshine Girl
5. moonlight
6. Blue Rain
7. Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai
8. Hallelujah
9. YAY
10. EVERGREEN
11. Destiny
12. Tengoku ni Ichiban Tooi Basho
13. On the right
14. HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY (Bonus Track)
15. Farewell (outro)
16. PINKY RING (Live ver.) (CD only Edition)

1. We Go (intro)

Opening the album up, We Go starts with counting with some of them includes the word ~door~.  As soon as YUKA gets to 15 the music becomes more filled out and the counting begins again while YUKA sings something entirely different.  It’s really pretty and I must say the ethereal feel of the song made the intro sound pretty damn good.

2. 15 Doors

Entering the title track and promotional as well, 15 Doors doesn’t exactly continue the sound we had in “We Go”, but what can you do.  It does continue to utilize their more recent peppyness, but with actual instruments this time and I did enjoy this quite a bit.  Kind of the summer song, but it’s still nothing like a certain song that’s coming up.

3. One Step

One Step feels like the last few A-sides the duo has had but once again filled with instruments and background vocals which made it sound so different and yet like familiar at the same time.  Though I guess it must be a little under the weather for being one of two digital singles featured on the album xD.

4. Sunshine Girl

Do we really need to review Sunshine Girl a third time?!?  *sigh*.  Either way, I can’t complain because this song was just so happy and summery and just full of life.  YUKA’s airy and girly vocals sound like she was having so much fun and I can’t blame her.  It’s one of my favorite songs from moumoon period so this is standing high on the album.

5. moonlight

As the last single that’s represented in the era, moonlight carries the cute side from the last few songs and I still think it’s supposed to parallel “Sunshine Girl” since both songs kind of have this smooth flow and cuteness.  Even YUKA’s airy vocals are just giving me the same feelings.  Masaki’s arrangement however stands out a little more since there’s different melodies in different parts of the song.  Still, “Sunshine Girl” came first LOL.

6. Blue Rain

We’re already on new track No. 2?  Well, unlike the previous songs of this album, this one isn’t overbearingly happy and with the more acoustic-like atmosphere and crying strings.  It kind of has this sad glow to it, but I like it quite a bit.  I mean ~blue rain, true pain~ is quite a sinister outlook.  It’s interesting a change from all these positive happy-go-lucky songs.

7. Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai

After “Blue Rain”, we get a barrage of old songs (which most of them I missed reviewing since I didn’t expect to see most of these songs on here *cough* “Refrain”).  Given this would be the 3rd A-side released in the era, I have to say I was blown away by this ballad.  YUKA’s vocals actually sound entirely different than it did in songs like “moonlight”.  I feel like this is one of the duo’s most powerful songs right now and I loved every minute of this song.

8. Hallelujah

Wait…it was a B-side on both “On the right” and “Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai”???  I can’t believe that haha, anyway Hallelujah turns the mood up quite a bit and I will say it’s another strong song since YUKA’s vocals are once again deeper than earlier songs.  I like that it’s upbeat and full of energy…but it feels like I’ve heard this somewhere else though….

9. YAY

Turning on the cuteness factor up again, YAY still stands as the most dance-friendly track on the album with this kind of disco hook mixed in with YUKA’s cute-side vocals.  I can’t deny that the song is indeed catchy and the use of auto-tune was daring.  I kind of like it…almost like a fairy land hahaha.

10. EVERGREEN

As the era’s first A-side, comparing EVERGREEN to later singles like well…”YAY” really tells a thousand stories since they’re overall sound has quite changed since then.  Trading in the synths and such for a more natural sound here.  I kind of like this song though since it’s catchy and YUKA sounds powerful once again.  Good song ^_^

11. Destiny

As the duo’s other digital single on the album, I wasn’t sure what I was going to hear out of Destiny. but it kind of feels like R&B almost with the way the arrangement flows around.  It’s not that bad to be honest and it runs circles around “One Step” quite a bit.  However, it’s the shortest vocal track on the album, but it’s good that it’s short.

12. Tengoku ni Ichiban Tooi Basho

As the only song that’s from the “Refrain” mini-album, Tengoku ni Ichiban Tooi Basho really sounds romantic in a way with some of the English YUKA syas in the track.  As sweet and lyrically adorable the song is, the song actually feels boring otherwise.  Unlike other songs, I would definitely need time to actually enjoy it.

13. On the right

The only reason I remember this song was because of the fact it was a part of the medley found on the “Sunshine Girl” single.  I actually love the song in its original form as well since it’s got a nice beat and has many hooks that give it that boost of energy.  Include YUKA’s cute vocals and I found myself loving it the song all over again and without a different song changing up the mood YES!

14. HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY

As a bonus track before the end, we get the third and final new song on the album, HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY is quite upbeat for something that is rather absurd and silly sounding.  Just like the more recent upbeat songs off 15 Doors, this one fits the more recent sound of course.  Nothing that’s new here, but it’s nice for another happy happy song right?

15. Farewell (outro)

Yep, we’re at the outro of the album finally and while it’s not like the intro really, Farewell is just YUKA ab-libbing with an ethereal background.  Not really too exciting…nor does much of anything, but I guess it’s better than anything right?

16. PINKY RING (Live ver.)

As another bonus track to the album, there’s a live version of PINKY RING (which the original is off their self-titled debut album).  Of course the song is more natural sounding and even better live with YUKA singing and I loved her voice here.  It’s a nice change to things but…iono something felt off.

 Tracks Recommended

• Aoi Tsuki to Ambivalence na Ai
• Sunshine Girl
• On the right
• moonlight
• YAY

Song of Avoidance

• One Step

Five singles (7 including the Ichigo singles), two mini-albums and various digital releases, we get moumoon’s sophomore album.  I do think that it is a bit more like a glorified best-of because of only having three new vocal songs.  However, 15 Doors does have quite a lot of epic songs from them so it sort of makes the blow softer overall.  I think they should go back to YUKA singing normal and not in a cutesy tone, but that’s just me…still a good album ^_^

moumoon – my Secret Santa December 2, 2010

Track Listing

1. my Secret Santa
2. my Secret Santa -English ver.-
3. my Secret Santa -Instrumental-

1. my Secret Santa

I think this is the first time I’ve heard moumoon sing a Christmas-themed song and knowing with the last few singles, the duo is definitely trying to be more cute with their songs and once again I’m falling for the damn song!  I don’t know why is it that I always think YUKA’s vocals fit perfectly with this kind of setting but it does.  Of course seeing as it’s about Santa and all that, jingle bells are present and the song sounds like a cuter version of Mai Kuraki’s “Winter Bells”, but don’t hate, I love this tune!

2. my Secret Santa -English ver.-

What makes things better is that there’s a version for the Japanese-lack, there’s an English version and once again YUKA singing in the foreign language is surprisingly good and I’ve said that about the other times like “Sunshine Girl” and “Let’s dance in the moonlight”.  If you’re more into their English stuff, then this would be the song for you.

While I’m not fond of these “special” singles, my Secret Santa is a great song to listen to through the holidays since it’s of moumoon’s usual synthy cuteness that they’re getting better at.  I wish there was a little more to the single besides an English version (which is just as good BTW), but iono…maybe it’s too much to ask for.