misono – misono Cover ALBUM

Track Listing

1. misono to Utaou! Animedley I
2. Playback part2
3. Dou ni mo Tomaranai
4. Love Is Over
5. misono to Utaou! Animedley II
6. TOMORROW
7. Complicated
8. DEAR FRIENDS
9. gradually

1. misono to Utaou! Animedley I

• Urusei Yatsura no THEME ~Lum no Love Song
• CAT’S EYE
• Wai Wai World
• Candy Candy
• Attack NO. 1
• Hajimete no Chuu

I’m not surprised that the album starts off with the single representing it.  I’m also fascinated that it sounds a bit different than the single cut because there’s not a hard-driving sound to it.  Lum no Love Song is still a great song even when there’s less going on in it.  CAT’S EYE comes in soon after and takes over with a slower rhythm.  I do like the rhythm, but quickly leaves that song for Wai Wai World which is sickingly cute and sounds like a funny ass song.  Though it seems so random when it enters Candy Candy.  It is cute as well, but with a stronger acoustic sound I thought that was pretty nice and one of the better songs in the medley.  Attack NO. 1 is the slowest song in the medley that even borderlines a ballad and then gets stronger in the chorus and many different things happen with misono and it’s one of the strong songs here.  Ending off the first medley is Hajimete no Chuu which starts off with misono singing and fingers snapping.  I thought it was 0.o and didn’t make sense until that familiar tune came in and took her to the ending.  Overall, this was better than that “Rock Project Medley”.

2. Playback part2

Covering a Momoe Yamaguchi song was an interesting choice for misono since their vocals are so different from each other.  The sound of it sounds rather live like some of her tracks off her sophomore album.  I actually like how there’s some echoing which fits with the song and misono sang the song pretty well.  I like her deeper vocals alot!

3. Dou ni mo Tomaranai

The shortest tune off the album, we get a cover of “this” song which has been covered by Morning Musume last year.  misono’s version of the song sounds rather like the original from Linda Yamamoto and she did a pretty good job controlling herself….except when she does that grunt at the end of the chorus.   Way too forced and awkward and way too short…Oh well.

4. Love Is Over

Another acoustically driven track?  I sense a potential failure here.  Anyways, it’s nice that the guitar isn’t the only instrument here and once again I find myself enjoying her vocals a lot more (even moreso than “Mi”)  I know her emotional driven singing doesn’t sit well with her fans, but I got to say what I’m hearing in this cover was just greatness waiting to happen.  Awesome song.

5. misono to Utaou! Animedley II

• Touch
• Tonchinkanchin Ikkyu-san
• Unbalance na Kiss wo Shite
• Anpanman no March
• Delicate ni Sukishite
• Omoide ga Ippai

Like the first medley we get another set of memorable anime tunes starting with Touch.  Unlike the first medley, we start with an edgier cover of it and misono makes Touch sound really great, especially when she says the title….it’s so catchy.  It oddly moves into the uber cutesy version of Tonchinkanchin Ikkyu-san.  I have to say the transition was good, but once it got into the main melody, it’s so cute and wrong of misono to even step close.  Can I say Pokemon-like?  The next song I did remember from Yu Yu Hakusho, Unbalance na Kiss wo Shite pops up next and brings back the rock back in and she sounded great doing this cover and should’ve released this as the single and not “Lum no Love Song”.  Then messes up again with transitioning into Anpanman no March.  Why would you go back and forth with cute and rock?  Now while it’s style is a march, misono doesn’t sound right doing this song and failed for me.  Delicate ni Sukishite was also another song I’ve heard artists like Shoko and Momoi cover and while Shoko’s pwns, misono’s piano ladened cover was nice and at least didn’t mess up.  Sounding like an ending theme, Omoide ga Ippai rounds out the medley slowly, but it did showcase her squeaky vocals and that I didn’t like much.  At least it ended it nicely right?

6. TOMORROW

What the hell is TOMORROW doing on this album?  Well it’s bolded because it was previously released on her 4th single, “Lovely♥Cat’s Eye” and let me tell you, it’s awkward seeing this on here.  Given, it does fit because it’s a cover of a Mayo Okamoto tune.  You’ll also tell misono’s vocals sound younger and less controlled.  For me it’s nostalgia in her career and it’s a rather good cover given the time this was released.

7. Complicated

Ew, why oh why did they had to put this track on here.  It sticks out like a sore thumb like AAA’s “Minna Star!”.  It is the lone English track on here and while it’s a Avril Lavigne cover it doesn’t save the fact this was just one more respect point lost for the Koda family.  While misono doesn’t have the worse Engrish, she does sound rather horrible singing in English.  I’m sorry but it is the worst tune here.  She should’ve stuck her 11 eleven cover from her “Pochi” single instead.

8. DEAR FRIENDS

Another ballad comes in this album and it’s DEAR FRIENDS.  Sadly, it’s another song that just ruins the mood for me.  misono is singing so badly at the start and that’s because of the shrill vocals the are in it.  The song picks up a little bit, but it doesn’t help misono with her failing assault.  Ok, this might be the worst song.

9. gradually

Huh, she’s covering a day after tomorrow track….her old band?  It sucks they took out the strings of the original and replaced it with acoustic guitar.  I’ll admit she sounds a bit exact like when it was sung then.  Though I do hear improvements, but I do miss that dat sound….or what we like to call it today the (GIRL NEXT DOOR sound).  I still think it’s an alright song.

 

 

misono finally releases something that’s worthwhile.  Even though “Sei ~say~” was a good album, misono Cover ALBUM is just as strong and it’s just cover songs.  I did feel the fire starting to dim after TOMORROW, but everything before it is surprisingly good even for her.  Now it’s time for that 3rd studio album misono GET ON IT!