Shoko Nakagawa – Horoscope January 10, 2012

Track Listing

1. Horoscope
2. Bokura no Mirai
3. snow tears -Mitchie M Remix-
4. Horoscope -Instrumental-
5. Bokura no Mirai -Instrumental-

1. Horoscope

I wonder why Shokotan is on this guitar-laced outlook as of recently because it’s starting to wear thin on me.  Luckily, things in Horoscope is a bit more of a ballad type which is a good thing because “Sakurairo” bored me while “Tsuyogari” was mire cutesy so this kind of fits in between and it was a good middle as well.  Shoko’s vocals are quite strong and the chorus brings out the best of her which is good!  Her best A-side yet in the era!

2. Bokura no Mirai

The B-side of the single kind of ties in with this whole wintry theme and is one of the more softer (if not softest song of the era so far).  I mean to be honest it sounds like it would’ve fit nicely on her single “snow tears” (how ironic since the next track is a new take).  However, the song is just one big blur to me since it doesn’t sound like she’s really into it and it’s kind of plain for her. 

3. snow tears -Mitchie M Remix-

Closing the single is a remix of snow tears and I actually was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the song since it turned a wintry ballad into more of a dance song.  The synths IMO were quite pretty to hear and mixing up with Shokotan’s vocals was a plus.  Hearing bubbles popping in the arrangement is also a sweet touch and just sticks out to me!  She doesn’t have very many good remixes but this is a good one from her.

 

 

I don’t know why Shokotan has taken up a guitar-laced era but at least Horoscope is one of the better songs she’s done in this era.  It’s just a powerful ballad and like I’ve said before, she accels in ballads more than anything else.  However, Bokura no Mirai is a ballad that isn’t very good since it lacked a spark and my interest was lying someplace else.  The remix though was the clear winner of the single though since it’s electronic and memorable and treated snow tears just right.  Is the era over yet? XD

Shoko Nakagawa – Tsuyogari June 16, 2011

Track Listing

1. Tsuyogari
2. Hoshikuzu Romance
3. Dangerous wild, you are!
4. Tsuyogari (TV Edit)
5. Tsuyogari -Instrumental-
6. Hoshikuzu Romance -Instrumental-
7. Dangerous wild, you are! -Instrumental-
8. Tsuyogari (TV Edit) -Instrumental-

1. Tsuyogari

I’m a little disappointed once again that Tsuyogari continues the tradition of rock songs in her repertoire, but this one feels more cuter and livelier than “Sakurairo” was to be honest.  I’m finding myself enjoying Shokotan’s vocals a little more as well since it’s upbeat and energetic like it should be.  It isn’t as serious as other rock songs she has and this fits with them quite well.

2. Hoshikuzu Romance

I think the first B-side is an interesting tune from Shokotan for some reason.  It’s not like previous B-sides at all because it’s more poppish than her stuff recently.  I like Shoko’s relaxed vocals here as well since she sounds a lot better to me than in “Tsuyogari”.  It does remind me of something in her debut era but I think that’s good thing. 

3. Dangerous wild, you are!

Besides the title being a little Yoda-like, Dangerous wild, you are! is probably the biggest surprise.  To me it’s like one of her songs off her last album….”TYRANT too young” but it’s a lot more epic and badass of a song from Shokotan.  I love the mix of hard guitars and synths with a little touch of anime thrown in for the complete kickassness of it all.  Even Shoko is singing in a much deeper tone and I always approve of this vocal style of hers.  SWEEEEEET!

 

 

I gotta say, after “Sakurairo” I was starting to lose my fandomness with Shokotan, but she pulled me right back with Tsuyogari for sure.  I might be biased to why I liked the title track…but it’s pretty good.  I do prefer Dangerous wild, you are! more than Hoshikuzu Romance but that’s not to say I like both…cuz they are pretty good….hmmmm…

Shoko Nakagawa – Sakurairo April 7, 2011

Track Listing

1. Sakurairo
2. Marshmallow
3. Lavender
4. Sakurairo -Instrumental-
5. Marshmallow -Instrumental-
6. Lavender -Instrumental-

1. Sakurairo

Bah, another rock track from Shokotan?  I mean I know I’ve wished more of those songs in the last few eras, but it seems its what all we’ve got since…”RAY OF LIGHT” and the whole era as a whole had many many rock tracks so with Sakurairo, it kind of disappoints me that it just seems like a repeat after a lot of stuff.  I mean it’s upbeat and Shoko’s vocals sound pretty good, but I wished the song was a little different after “Cosmic Inflation”.

2. Marshmallow

Sadly, my opinion doesn’t sway much when Marshmallow opens up which is unfortunately like a less-controlled “Sakurairo” with more yelling from Shokotan and more guitars.  I’d say it’s a bit more memorable than the A-side, but only because Shokotan’s vocals are more squeaky and the guitars have more punch, otherwise forgettable.

3. Lavender

Luckily, Lavender comes and changes the formula up a bit from just being a pure rock track to being a bit more like a cutesy pop/rock kind of song.  Add in some background vocals and synths and Lavender comes together.  I felt it was a lot more memorable than the other two songs for sure and I wanted this to have been an A-side.

As Shokotan begins her fourth era, she begins things off with well…a not so strong single.  I know that I’ve wanted more rock songs from Shoko during her sophomore days and she answered that nicely with “Cosmic Inflation”.  Sadly, there was too many rock songs there and I got tired quickly of that album and Sakurairo doesn’t really phase me.  All three songs have such strong rock influences that could’ve easily fit on her album so it felt like leftovers.  Lavender was the best the single had to offer but Sakurairo and Marshmallow….forgettable IMO.

Shoko Nakagawa – Cosmic Inflation October 8, 2010

Track Listing

1. Flying Humanoid
2. Gozen Rokuji
3. Namidaboshi
4. Kokoro no Antenna
5. rainbow forecast
6. shortcake adventure
7. Jewelry heart
8. lemonade
9. “Arigatou no Egao”
10. RAY OF LIGHT
11. Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana
12. TYRANT too young
13. Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu

1. Flying Humanoid

Beginning the album with the final single released for the era, Flying Humanoid isn’t much of a surprise since there was quite a bit of rock songs found in the Cosmic Inflation era.  I don’t think it’s as memorable as “RAY OF LIGHT”, but it’s a nice try and the mid-temponess of this song starts the album up nicely.

2. Gozen Rokuji

Each album we see Shoko choose 1 B-side to make the album cut, Gozen Rokuji (originally from “Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana”) continues this rock-side of the album.  I’m not exactly the biggest fan of the song since she could’ve chose something else to have taken its place “Moe yo Gizamimi Pichu!” anyone?  It’s alright and I do think it’s better than the opening track, but it’s still not the B-side I would’ve personally chosen.

3. Namidaboshi

Being the 1st of five new tracks on the album, Namidaboshi changes the rock style for a more synthy pop sound for only like 10 seconds before it turns into another rock styled song.  Now I know I’ve said I wanted more rock tracks since it suits her quite nicely, but I’m even starting to feel bored (especially this early in the album), still it’s not bad, just needs to be different .

4. Kokoro no Antenna

At least we leave that part of the album and get into the more poppier songs from the album starting with Kokoro no Antenna which was tied to Pokemon.  I still kind of prefer the original version of the song a bit more than the light pop/rock arrangement here.  It’s alright, but it’s not my favorite A-side of the era.

5. rainbow forecast

Oh wait…she included more than one B-side on the album?  I guess this is a special case because it was supposed to be the A-side, but instead it was moved when she announced that “Arigatou no Egao” was going to be that instead.  Anywho, rainbow forecast isn’t bad for a cutesy pop song from Shokotan.  I found it funny that there wasn’t enough of this going on in the era and rainbow forecast filled up that space kind of quickly.  Much better choice for B-side addition IMHO.

6. shortcake adventure

Luckily the next three songs are brand new tunes starting with shortcake adventure.  Basically, this song says let’s get amazingly super-cute for this song.  Luckily, there wasn’t a lot of that in the era and I was pleasantly happy to see a song like this pop up and even though it’s not my cup of tea, I love the energy from Shokotan here and since the arrangement might be still full of rock, it’s not bad at all.

7. Jewelry heart

One if not the cutest songs off the album, Jewelry heart just does nothing for me even though it does kind of goes back to when she debuted and her music was more pop-fronted than anything else today.  It’s definitely not a bad song and it seems she’s working on making cute songs more tolerable than stuff like “Garasu no Prism” or even “Shiny GATE” for that matter.

8. lemonade

What’s up with Shokotan in this album it’s like all but one or two songs on the album so far have been rock songs and lemonade kind of just feels boring and useless on the album.  I’ll admit that her vocals sound much better suited here than in like “Flying Humanoid”.  Otherwise the song doesn’t really do much for me and just flies over my head.

9. “Arigatou no Egao”

Being the 3rd A-side of the era, “Arigatou no Egao” isn’t the first ballad of the era, but it still doesn’t really leave a big impression on me like the other ballad A-sides.  I’m not sure why I’m not fond of it because of the fact it’s what she does best…but at the same time, it feels like she kind of dragged this song into the ground. 

10. RAY OF LIGHT

To me, Shoko’s most important A-side was her 4th because it was tied to FMA.  While I’m happy it’s one of the more calmer songs from the album RAY OF LIGHT somehow surpasses a bunch of A-sides with it’s anime-ish flow and relaxing vocals from Shokotan.  It still stands as one of the best A-sides from the era and that’s a good thing.

11. Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana

Since this was the first A-side of the era, Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana is one of the best ballads she released for the entire era and fights with “Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu” for THE best of the album.  While it does sort of streams away from being a ballad for the chorus, it’s one powerful song and I don’t mind the rock-style here.  I actually think it sounds more anime-like than “RAY OF LIGHT”…strange right?  Great song!

12. TYRANT too young

As the final new song off the album, TYRANT too young disappointed me with the fact that it’s another rock song.  However, it does a great job seperating itself from the others because it sounds like a V-kei kind of rock song with gritty guitars and very quick-paced drums.  I was surprised that Shokotan held her own with this one and sounds great throughout.  Energetic and brought my attention to full light with this one!

13. Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu

I thought it was cool that they made “Flying Humanoid” the opening for the album and the other A-side as the ending.  However, coming after “TYRANT too young” is a bit abrasive and breaks the flow in a harsh way.  Now since “Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana” is more of a pseudo-ballad, Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu is a straight-up ballad from Ms. Shokotan and it’s definitely a lot more appropriate and fitting to listen to than “Arigatou no Egao”.  Shoko’s vocals are just right and while the music isn’t totally fresh, I think it was memorable in the long run and made for a great closing, but once again out of left field because of the previous song.

Tracks Recommended

• Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana
• TYRANT too young
• Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu
• rainbow forecast

Song of Avoidance

• lemonade

Wow, we’re already at Shoko’s 3rd album?  For me Cosmic Inflation kind of ended up at the same feelings I had with “Magic Time” but maybe I liked this one a bit more.  There wasn’t any real “bad” songs on the album, but my problem was that this album stuck to rock-styled songs for a good portion of the album (the middle being the cutesy songs and Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu).  I know I should’ve loved this seeing as I love Shoko’s rock songs…but for the most part they were a bit plain here…and only 5 new songs?  Yikes…  At least I can tolerate all the songs on the album so that’s a good thing right?

Shoko Nakagawa – Kirei à la Mode September 22, 2010

Track Listing

1. Kirei à la Mode
2. Kamitsure
3. Yakusoku
4. Kirei à la Mode -Instrumental-

1. Kirei à la Mode

Since I did review “Magic Time” before it’s single, Kirei à la Mode has definitely gotten better for me since her ballads in the next era has been mostly underwhelming compared to her few ballads in the previous two eras.  I did like it was a full ballad since it’s more of a mid-tempo tune with drums, piano, and strings and the arrangement had a positive flow to it.  Shokotan even sang nicely here as well which is a plus.  Definitely one of the better A-sides of the era.

2. Kamitsure

The first of the B-sides, I wasn’t sure what we would get since Shoko tosses up through various styles.  I was surprised that Kamitsure has an ethereal background that turns into a kind synthy pop tune.  It’s a ncie airy tune from Shoko, but I’m kind of shaking my head in the way Shokotan is singing since it’s higher than I want it to be. 

3. Yakusoku

Thank god this song wasn’t found in the “Cosmic Inflation” era because of the three songs this bores me to death even though some of the arrangement has really cute parts to it.  It’s like a magical pop tune that kind of has this girly feel to it.  Still doesn’t help that I’m not fully paying attention to it besides Shoko’s better vocals here.  Ugh…

 

 

Since this was the final single before “Magic Time’s” release, Kirei à la Mode didn’t do much for me.  It was the middle single like it wasn’t amazing even though the A-side was nice, but it wasn’t terrible either.  It just kind of lies in the middle between the “Tsuzuku Sekai” (the better) and “Shiny GATE” (the terrible).

Shoko Nakagawa – Flying Humanoid/Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu August 18, 2010

Track Listing

1. Flying Humanoid
2. Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu
3. Kimi ni Meroron feat. 8bit Project -”Mune Kyun_” 8bit version-
4. Flying Humanoid -Instrumental-
5. Flying Humanoid (Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin Opening Theme Version)

1. Flying Humanoid

I can really see Shoko become more of a rocker chick after hearing Flying Humanoid.  I mean it fits with other rock songs she’s done that hasn’t messed up.  I like Shoko’s vocals in this one since she isn’t totally out of control and just seemed to have fun with the song and I like that.  I’ll admit though I was liking more of the song’s arrangement a whole lot more.

2. Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu

While finding out today that this single is Shoko’s first double A-side single, Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu is quite the opposite from the rockin’ “Flying Humanoid”.  The secondary A-side is actually a ballad that kind of slips in between all of the other ballads she released in this era.  It’s pretty of course and having a mostly piano-led arrangement is quite nice.  I don’t know why but she really went grandiose for this ballad, and I much prefer it over “Arigatou no Egao”…but not more than “Namida no Tane, Egao no Hana”.  It’s a good ballad and I’m kind of happy to see it pushed to an A-side status (even though it was kind of last-minute).

3. Kimi no Meroron feat. 8bit Project -”Mune Kyun_” 8bit version-

Wow, Shoko is reaching for absurd.  I mean I barely remember this song from her “snow tears” single and just hearing it now just shows how much she’s grown out of her idol-style (even though she might go back to it once in a while).  I wasn’t a big fan of Kimi ni Meroron in its original state and with the touch up with 8bit Project, it’s not much better since it’s like two ideas crashing into each other.  This just doesn’t work for me lol.

 

 

Finally finishing her 3rd era out with her first double A-side, Flying Humanoid/Sen no Kotoba toFutari no Himitsu is actually a good single overall.  Of course she excels at rock songs and it’s no surprise that Flying Humanoid filled that quota up quite nicely.  While Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu was an actual good ballad from her and eventually she’ll be able to do these and get em right each time too!  However, the Kimi ni Meroron remix was just not right for it and is my only negative about the single.

Shoko Nakagawa – RAY OF LIGHT April 28, 2010

Track Listing

1. RAY OF LIGHT
2. diamond high
3. calling location -Live version-
4. RAY OF LIGHT -Instrumental-
5. RAY OF LIGHT -TV Edit- (FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST edition bonus track)

1. RAY OF LIGHT

RAY OF LIGHT is finally something that brings the great Shoko out.  While I admit that she’s a little out of her comfort zone for RAY OF LIGHT, I thought it turned out pretty well and Shoko sounds pretty darn strong especailly since “Arigatou no Egao” was a little boring for me.  I like the mid-tempo string arrangement and that boosted my likeness for the song.  Good A-side, but where’s something upbeat?

2. diamond high

I’m surprised she didn’t make diamond high the A-side of the single.  I love the energetic flow when compared to “RAY OF LIGHT” and to be honest it sounds more anime-ish as well.  While it isn’t as strong as “Tsuzuku Sekai” or “Sorairo Days”, this is definitely that song of the era…I hope this makes the third album to be all honest. 

3. calling location -Live version-

Remember calling location from Shoko’s debut album, “Big☆Bang!!!”?  Yeah, one of the best songs on the album gets a live version, which is also a first for Shoko as well.  I notice as the song plays is that Shoko’s vocals are immensely deeper than both tracks.  I like calling location and hearing it live like this makes it more better.  I don’t know where this was recorded, but it sounded really good.

 

 

RAY OF LIGHT is definitely the era’s best single, but it’s definitely not topping previous big singles she’s done.  I do like the different style she took for RAY OF LIGHT, but diamond high was clearly the better of the two…why it wasn’t an A-side, i have no clue.  calling location sung live was a new experience and it was sung well live hmmm…Is this era over yet?

Shoko Nakagawa – Tsuzuku Sekai April 20, 2010

Track Listing

1. Tsuzuku Sekai
2. through the looking glass
3. Tsuzuku Sekai -Instrumental-
4. Sorairo Days feat 8bit Project -spiral chiptune mix-

1. Tsuzuku Sekai

It isn’t surprising that Tsuzuku Sekai was supposed to be like the era’s “Sorairo Days” and while I do enjoy that it’s replacing it (hell, there’s too many versions of that song), Tsuzuku Sekai is actually somewhat better for me.  I love Shoko and rock arrangements just because she fits in the style a whole lot more than anything else really.  While it’s anime-ish, it’s not bad and Shoko really pushed herself for this.  Great song!

2. through the looking glass

It’s been quite a while since I’ve actually listened to through the looking glass and returning to it brings back the reason I didn’t exactly enjoy the song much.  I’m not sure why I dislike it alot because it sounds like some of her earlier songs, but it’s just so opposite to the rockin’ “Tsuzuku Sekai” and Shoko in the chorus is bad!

4. Sorairo Days feat. 8bit Project -spiral chiptune mix-

Ok, everyone knows that I love my 8bit stuff and for the first time Shoko gets one out of her biggest song (at the time).  While I’ve heard of the 8bit Project, it feels rather empty for some reason.  Though it’s great to hear random sounds from games I’ve played and Shoko’s rather synthed up vocals from auto-tune, it’s interesting but I think YMCK could’ve done more justice to Sorairo Days.

 

 

After that terrible “Shiny GATE”, I was wondering what we were going to end up with for the 2nd single of the era and Tsuzuku Sekai definitely pwned quite nicely and is her strongest A-side yet.  However through the looking glass was just not what I wanted to hear from Shoko, just too cute and vocally weak as poop.  The remix was interesting though, so it ended up being a good single.  Why though was that B-side on “Magic Time” really?!?

Shoko Nakagawa – Shokotan☆Cover 3 ~Anisong wa Jinrui wo Tsunagu~ March 12, 2010

Track Listing

1. Angel Night ~Tenshi no Iru Basho~
2. GOD KNOWS…
3. Seikan Hikou
4. Yuzurenai Negai
5. Sobakasu
6. Ame ni Kiss wo Hanataba wo
7. Hohoemi no Bakudan
8. Tokimeki no Doukasen
9. Give a reason
10. Tamashii no Refrain
11. Detekoi Tobikiri ZENKAI Power!
12. Precure 5, Full Throttle GO GO!
13. DAN DAN Kokoro Hikareteku -short ver. (CD+DVD only)
14. Don’t say “lazy” -short ver.- (CD+DVD only)
15. Moonlight Densetsu -short ver.- (CD+DVD only)
16. Sailor Star Song -short ver. (CD+DVD only)
17. Fushigi Iro Happiness -short ver.- (CD+DVD only)
18. DON’T YOU…? -short ver.- (CD+DVD only)

1. Angel Night ~Tenshi no Iru Basho~

Beginning this rather long cover album, Angel Night kicks things off with an amazing strings opening.  Now I haven’t heard anything this strong from Shoko since well…”Tzuzuku Sekai” because of the great mix of strings and rock.  Add the fact that Shoko’s vocals are surprisingly strong for a song like this.  It’s a great song to begin the album!

2. GOD KNOWS…

So now we have a cover of Aya Hirano’s hit, GOD KNOWS… and since I’m still enjoying the rock side to Shoko, I have to say this is a pretty good cover.  To be honest, I might prefer this over Aya’s version since Shoko’s vocals are a bit more capable under rock.  I think the guitarwork here is quite awesome though so haha maybe that’s why I enjoy it more.

3. Seikan Hikou

Then we get into the odd sounding covers.  Seikan Hikou reminds me of something psychedelic, but retains this synthy sound of today.  Now Shoko’s vocals are getting a bit more tighter sounding which isn’t a good direction for her, but it somewhat fits the song’s mood.  To me this is kind of not my thing, but it’s somewhat enjoyable.

4. Yuzurenai Negai

As the album’s promotional song, I was surprised she picked one the vocally weak songs instead of something earlier.  The ballad-y opening was pretty icky to listen to, but as the rock arrangement and strings mix returned, Shoko also came back, but that chorus is just not good for her.  Not too bad, but not that good either.

5. Sobakasu

Then we get into Sobakasu which is just weird all-around.  It’s different from what we’ve heard so far being the fact that it’s really poppy and to be honest her worst song yet.  Now, I’ve said various times before that singers/seiyuu’s should never bring their seiyuu voice in their main work because it just gets bad…leave them for character singles, not your own work.  Shoko’s vocals are really ear-piercing and add the fact she’s yelling is not cutting it either. 

6. Ame ni Kiss no Hanataba wo

Hmmm…?  What’s this song doing here?  I mean yeah, it’s a cover but it’s the first time in the Shokotan series of albums that a song was previously released (in this case, this was a B-side on “Arigatou no Egao”).  While it’s one of the few songs where I’ve heard the original, this actually stayed pretty close to the original and it’s got that same amount of fun and pep Miki Imai’s did.  Song is exciting for sure!

7. Hohoemi no Bakudan

This song definitely has an 80′s feel to it because of the guitar-work, but what got me going was Shoko’s deeper vocals through the verses, it isn’t as shocking like “Shachihata” from Otsuka-san, but this is will make you wonder if you’re listening to the same person.  It’s funny that deeper vocals from seiyuus are like crazy amazing.  It kind of makes you wonder why they don’t do this more often.  So I ended up liking the song a lot.

8. Tokimeki no Doukasen

Strange opening with brass and piano if you ask me.  I’m not sure how to take this song, but it’s another one of those odd songs that you really have to get into.  Other than the opening, the song is kind of filler-ish since there’s not much to really remember it by.

9. Give a reason

I’m not surprised by the fact that Shoko was going to cover a song that’s been covered a bajillion times.  I wonder if Megumi Hayashibara is getting tired of people covering this song.  I’ll admit this cover is a bit closer to the original and is the first song to really get dark and use guitar and synths together.  Problem with this song, is that Shoko doesn’t sound to excited for the song, but I forgive her since the song overall is great.

10. Tamashii no Refrain

Another one of those songs that’s always covered by someone, Shoko’s version of Yoko Takahashi’s most famous tune, starts off quietly and pretty smoothly before turning into an electro tune which is a first on the album so that’s a plus because she did a whole lot better than what she did to “Give a reason”. 

11. Detekoi Tobikiri ZENKAI Power!

I’m afraid of songs with titles like this because it’s usually something really off the wall and strange.  However, ZENKAI Power! is actually quite the opposite and while it’s like overloaded with 80′s written on it and features a small rap from Shoko, this wasn’t too bad and I liked the arrangement as well.  Cosmic and weird, just as I like em.

12. Precure 5, Full Throttle GO GO!

As the final “full song” off the album, Precure 5 is what I was expecting most of the album would’ve been.  You know, full of these cute songs.  Oddly enough, I didn’t think this was all that bad and the energy was spot on.  Shoko’s vocals are a little tight, but it’s nothing to fully worry about and found myself loving the genki parts.  Yay for this song!

13. DAN DAN Kokoro Hikareteku -short ver.-

On the CD+DVD version of the album, the last 6 songs are the openings/endings without stretching into full length.  While to many that’s probably a bad thing, but 18 full songs is a lot to handle.  DAN DAN Kokoro Hikareteku just seems rather typical and just flies by me whenever I listen along.

14. Don’t say “lazy” -short ver.-

As the most recent song to be covered, Shoko’s take on one of the more popular songs last year, I actually really enjoy the song because of the edgier rock arrangement and of course it suits her.  I think Shoko should stick with rock music XD

15. Moonlight Densetsu -short ver.-

Ok, I’m surprised she didn’t sing the full version.  While it’s not like the others covers, it’s quite nice and the whole sound felt so cool to me.  Definitely a 90′s tune, but always a good one to listen to once in a while.

16. Sailor Star Song -short ver.-

Uhm, of the short songs, I was bothered the most with this one.  Shoko is using her cute vocals here and add the uber pop feel to the cover and you get a pretty bad experience.  Just nothing exciting about the song to make me warrant another listen really.

17. Fushigi Iro Happiness -short ver.-

Ok, now besides the short ver. of “Don’t say “lazy”, Fushigi Shoku Happiness is my favorite of the short tunes.  It might be vocally shrill, but the mysterious sound and kind of fun arrangement does remedy that problem.  Once again making me wish it wasn’t so short!

18. DON’T YOU…? -short ver.-

Finally ending the album, DON’T YOU…? is so weird, but it’s not because of Shoko, it’s more of the background vocals in the verses, they were really weird.  It’s a fun song for sure, but there’s just something about it that just screamed WAY TOO SHORT!

Tracks Recommended

• Tamashii no Refrain
• Angel Night ~Tenshi no Iru Basho~
• Ame ni Kiss no Hanataba wo
• Precure 5, Full Throttle GO GO!
• GOD KNOWS…

Song of Avoidance

• Sobakasu

Shoko’s 3rd cover album is actaully quite good if you ask me.  There are a few songs that can be passed up because of Shoko’s not so good cute voice and the 6 short tunes prolly was just pure fanservice, but otherwise, pretty strong but I’m still waiting for her 3rd studio album!!!

Shoko Nakagawa – “Arigatou no Egao” October 12, 2009

Track Listing

1. “Arigatou no Egao”
2. rainbow forecast
3. Ame ni Kiss no Hanataba wo
4. “Arigatou no Egao” -Instrumental-

1. “Arigatou no Egao”

Shoko goes back down to a slow ballad tune for the 3rd A-side of the era and “Arigatou no Egao” isn’t as good as the previous ballad of the era.  It has the usual fare of what makes a ballad.  I do like Shoko’s ballads though because they show off her vocals nicely and it does here very well.  The verses are probably the low point because it’s rather meh, but this is a nice ballad I guess.

2. rainbow forecast

The B-sides are actually what made the single good though.  rainbow forecast is a rather happy tune and even moreso since its tie-in is “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”.  So going from that this song is quite interesting and stands out on her discography.  Shoko is at the right amont of cute as well, so this is surprisingly good.  <3 it.

3. Ame ni Kiss no Hanataba wo

The other B-side is actually a cover of Miki Imai’s track of the same name.  It’s a bit more random than the other two tracks as it feels like an 80′s tune with bunches of synths and a dance beat to hold it together.  I’ve never heard the original, but this sounds good for a cover IMO.

 

 

If she’s going on a release spree, I’m expecting the album to be right around her last album was released.  “Arigatou no Egao” is actually on par with her last single.  I did think the title track could’ve had more done and made it more grand.  rainbow forecast & Ame ni Kiss no Hanataba wo were great danceable tracks and showcased Shoko’s cute side nicely.  Good single.