Sakura Gakuin – Tabidachi no Hi ni March 31, 2012

Track Listing

1. Tabidachi no Hi ni
2. Tabidachi no Hi ni ~J-MIX~
3. Planet Episode 008
4. Tabidachi no Hi ni (Instrumental)
5. Tabidachi no Hi ni ~J-MIX~ (Instrumental)
6. Planet Episode 008 (Instrumental)

1. Tabidachi no Hi ni

Strange that SakuGaku would make the second and sort of final single of the era (BABYMETAL released a single but their song is on the album) be a cover song but not in the way you’d expect it to be.  It’s a cover of a school song sung by the Kagemori Junior High School Choir and that’s pretty unique of an idol group to do (especially since it’s the last single for three of the members).  Not a lot in the arrangement area and there’s no solos to be found either.  Think of this as SakuGaku’s version of “Sakura no Shiori” where the vocals are melodically together.  Simple but effective and I remember this a little better than “Verishuvi” even though the latter is more exciting.

2. Tabidachi no Hi ni ~J-MIX~

So we get a remix of Tabidachi no Hi ni now?  To be honest, is there anything remotely different between the two songs?  Well after the first verse/chorus section the song gains a solid beat so that’s where the difference begins.  Then the girls also seem to have solo lines here as well which is good…but still not enough to really say it’s better than the original. 

3. Planet Episode 008

I’m happy that the B-side of the single is not as long as the previous B-side, “Sakura Hyakuninisshu”.  If you’ve missed SakuGaku’s straight-forward idol-pop style, you get it back with this since it’s a little more basic with solos and the overall style throughout.  I liked it for some reason since it was vocally nice and the synth parts impressed me too.  It might be a little odd because it has different areas like a certain part has more guitars like a BABYMETAL song.  It’s different and I enjoyed it.

 

 

As the group’s 2nd single and final for the “Sakura Gakuin 2011 Nendo ~FRIENDS~” era…Tabidachi no Hi ni was something I wasn’t expecting from the group this early on in their career.  Very pretty and the whole choir shtick was nice for them and is a good sendoff to the three members that are graduating.  The remix is ok but nothing special while Planet Episode 008 was interesting (messy) but totally impressed me…now let’s see how the album will turn out!

Mano Erina – More Friends Over March 30, 2012

Track Listing

1. Junjou Keisatsu K・I・S・S
2. Glory days
3. Seishun no Serenade
4. ~”Shinkou wa Michiko” no Jikan ①~
5. Eien ~Tasogare Kousaten time goes by~
6. Nekketsu Sensei
7. I have a dream
8. ~”Shinkou wa Michiko” no Jikan ②~
9. Banzai! ~Jinsei wa Meccha Wonderful!~
10. Kaze no Bara ~Aruite Chizu wo Tsukutta Otoko no Uta~
11. Anata ga Iru Kara
12. ~”Shinkou wa Michiko” no Jikan ③~
13. My Days for You
14. Tenkiyohou no Atattara
15. ~”Shinkou wa…~”

1. Junjou Keisatsu K・I・S・S

Opening the Erina’s 3rd album, Junjou Keisatsu K・I・S・S opens with police sirens and then Erina saying a line before the main song comes in.  I really like the nice guitar riff for the song for some reason but I’m still kind of on the fence with the gal’s voice since they aren’t as strong as some of the other H!P members out there.  It’s a good song but clearly there’s better songs from but not a bad start to the album ^_^

2. Glory days

One of the earlier songs that leaked way before even the album’s announcement, Glory days was one of the songs I was looking forward to hearing in better quality.  The reason why was because it’s heavily synthed and brought the good things about Erina’s sound all into this song.  It does come off a little GUNDAM-y in areas but I like that about it.  Yeah, I’m liking this a LOT more than the radio rip…sounds great!

3. Seishun no Serenade

The first A-side in the era finds its way to the album and it actually sounds good coming after “Glory days” because it still has its synth-based style which is pretty awesome to hear and was also the best of the A-sides.  Definitely a fun song in its own right and Erina’s ad-libbing is quite nice to hear as well.  Good track and that call and response interlude was cute as hell LOL.

4. ~”Shinkou wa Michiko” no Jikan ①~

So if you look at the tracklists, the Shinkou wo Micihiko tracks are actually merely interludes of the album.  It begins with this ascending marimba thing (like a notification basically) and then Erina begins to speaks…what it is I do not know unfortunately.  Then it ends with the notification line but descending…unusual…

5. Eien ~Tasogare Kousaten time goes by~

I was curious but happy to see that Tasogare Kousaten was put on the album over “Doki Doki Baby”.  I was curious because at first I couldn’t tell the difference between this new version and the single version BUT after replaying it, it was clear and I was surprised I didn’t notice this but Tasogare Kousaten kept its arrangement fully so musically it’s no different but now there’s brand new lyrics!  I mean the entire song is nothing but new stuff lyrically and that’s pretty cool.  I still like it nonetheless and makes a good addition to the album.

6. Nekketsu Sensei

When I heard the brass being used in the song, it reminded me of some Momosu songs though I’m not sure which one at the moment lol.  It does kind of has a similar atmosphere to “Junjou Keisatsu K・I・S・S”.  Though I had a little more fun listening to this and Erina’s vocals aren’t as shady either.  Not bad…

7. I have a dream

Interesting that we end up getting a doowop song from Erina next.  At first I thought it was kind of sweet and innocent however after a while it just becomes boring for me since it doesn’t really go anywhere and just stays on the same path for the entire way.  I will say that Erina’s vocals are nice though and she did a good job…but this song needs a little more for it than what we ended up here.

8. ~”Shinkou wa Michiko” no Jikan ②~

Oh boy…another Shinkou wa Michiko appears and it’s about a minute longer than the first one.  It also is just like the first one with the intro and outro plus the major part which is Erina speaking…though she’s a little weird here…making various noises LOL.  What….the….hell!  Is this her being random or something?

9. Banzai! ~Jinsei wa Meccha Wonderful!~

Well I didn’t think Erina would go into super genki cheese-fest with Banzai! which sounds more like a song best suited for S/mileage to be honest.  I just can’t get into this song for that reason because Erina’s vocals really don’t mesh well with the arrangement (plus the song is awkward sounding without it as well).  I just don’t like this song!

10. Kaze no Bara ~Aruite Chizu wo Tsukutta Otoko no Uta~

If there was a song to slightly take the place of the lack of “Doki Doki Baby” on the album, Kaze no Bara would take it quite easily.  It’s just as cute and S/mileage-like but I found it a much easier pill to swallow than “Banzai!” for some reason.  At least it’s catchy and ManoEri’s vocals seem to fit better as well.  Still not the best amongst em’ but it’s not bad.

11. Anata ga Iru Kara

The closest thing we get to a ballad on the album is in Anata ga Iru Kara (a title that’s currently being tossed around be different artists it seems).  I like that she began with piano and the moved it up with louder instrumentation (even though a lot of it seems to be synthetic sounds).  I felt a little awkward having the guitar being as prominent as it was here but this is a little more exciting than your typical H!P ballad.  This is interesting and different but needs to be cleaned up.

12. ~”Shinkou wa Michiko” no Jikan ③~

A couple seconds longer than the second one, this Shinkou wa Michiko isn’t much different but I laughed that the first word was ~sexy~…I’m now curious about what is going on here…and is there a second lady involved?  I like that they’re trying to be sexy but they can’t seem to get it right?  It’s not as WTF as the second but it’s good for a laugh I guess.

13. My Days for You

The second A-side released pops up next and it still doesn’t really register to me very well like the other A-sides have in some way.  It does have a certain “FRIENDS” kind of feel to it and I do like the chorus (even if I can’t seem to remember it after a while).  Yeah, I can’t remember the song unfortunately and stands as the worst of the A-sides.

14. Tenkiyohou no Atattara

The final vocal song on the album is one of two promotional songs that well…promoted the album (the other was “Glory days”).  This song brought the energy back up from “My Days for You” and it’s interesting hearing more of a pop/rock kind of song here.  I can’t deny that it’s bright and has that happy kind of feeling for it so in the end, I did find it more charming than most of the songs here.

15. ~”Shinkou wa…”~

Closing the album, we get an outro and finding out that it’s the fourth of these Shinkou wa Michiko but this time there’s no Michiko (I’m curious if that’s the other lady talking with Erina now…).  Oddly enough this outro is just merely 7 seconds long and doesn’t have the outro jingle.  Meh…

Tracks Recommended

• Glory days
• Seishun no Serenade
• Tenkiyohou no Atattara
• Eien ~Tasogare Kousaten time goes by~
• Nekketsu Sensei

Song of Avoidance

• Banzai! ~Jinsei wa Meccha Wonderful!~

To be honest, I’m not too happy with MFO actually.  I mean I’m happy there’s no “Datenshi Ellie”-like song on the album but the unneeded interludes kind of took that place.  Add in that most of the songs are kind of meh (cept the 5 I chose as the best).  I don’t know, I starting to think she would be better in a group setting rather than doing solo work to be honest because her voice just doesn’t have the quality that previous H!P soloists have had.  It’s just kind of weak at this point. 

Yui Sakakibara (PHANTASM) – ~PHANTASM~ Revival Prophecy March 29, 2012

Track Listing

1. Tokitsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku
2. Sora to Chijou no Creation
3. Preghiera no Tsukiyo ni
4. Masquerade ~Noah Daisanshou Retsu-ou Shinseiki-hen Yori~
5. Innocence  ~Satsuriku no Souseikishi-hen Saishuushou Yori~
6. Inori no Violet
7. EUPHORIA ~Tsugunai no Requiem~
8. Uruwashiki Seduce
9. Shinen no Lumière
10. Hisui no Cavalier
11. Zaika ni Keiyaku no Chi wo (Album Limited Version)
12. Prophecy ~Gate of Steiner~
13. Unmei no Farfalla

1. Tokitsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku

Starting off the second PHANTASM album, Tokitsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku (third A-side of the era), I like the rather creepy atmosphere we got from this song.  I love the power of Yui’s voice in the chorus too even when she does start to somewhat squeak but it goew hand in hand with the verses which are so unsettling and cool to listen to ^^.  Like I said, best A-side of the era hahaha.

2. Sora to Chijou no Creation

Only four new songs?  Talk about depressing…then again “End Prophecy” had like what two new songs amongst the amount it had (though it was a smaller album too).  Back to the song at hand, Sora to Chijou no Creation is pretty hard hitting with an amazing guitar solo opening the song before becoming this heavy goth-rock track with chanting in the background…so cool!  Yui is singing deeper but the arrangement does manage to overcome here because I can’t really hear her in the verses but everywhere else it’s good!  Not bad though but I could use less of the pounding drums tbh.

3. Preghiera no Tsukiyo ni

The fourth and final A-side representing the era, Preghiera no Tsukiyo ni still somehow impresses me as well and sounds a lot more powerful than a lot of the PHANTASM songs I know.  Yui’s vocals are amazing in the song for me and while I keep tossing between best A-side between this and “Tokitsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku” I have to say it was great competition but I like the latter just a smidge more.  Still epic song here!

4. Masquerade ~Noah Daisanshou Retsu-ou Shinseiki-hen Yori~

I will admit that I didn’t like how the tracklist squished ALL of the old songs together but it’s whatever…what else could you really do with just only four new songs.  Masquerade (B-side from “Unmei no Farfalla”) is kind of the oddball song for me because unlike most of the other tracks on the album, it’s more poppy and less dreary and hard like the others.  Sadly, I felt this was a weak song after listening to it more.  I will say that Yui’s vocals are alright but nothing amazing.

5. Innocence  ~Satsuriku no Souseikishi-hen Saishuushou Yori~

Innocence on the other hand is a little more fitting towards the album.  Beginning with a metronome clicking it really instills that creepy vibe quite nicely.  Coming from “Inori no Violet”, Innocence was nice and I definitely preferred it to its A-side which is a suprise for me.  While it’s a little more darker than “Masquerade” it’s still considered light when compared but that’s alright since it’s an anime theme (well all of them are but still).

6. Inori no Violet

Talking about Inori no Violet, the second A-side appears and remains my least favorite of the four.  I will say though that it’s not even bad so it’s a song to keep tabs on too.  The reason why I wasn’t too big of a fan were once again too much percussion involved.  Lighten that shit up please!  Beyond that, Inori no Violet was mysterious and kind of foreboding which is good to have that feeling.  Not bad.

7. EUPHORIA ~Tsugunai no Requiem~

Moving to the B-side from “Preghiera no Tsukiyo ni”, EUPHORIA is pretty much considered the ballad of the album and is also the longest song of the bunch passing over 6 minutes (only a couple seconds longer than “Inori no Violet” though).  I like the gloomy and melancholic feel of the song but it doesn’t go anywhere until the end where other instruments get added.  It’s just kind of boring to me unfortuantely.

8. Uruwashiki Seduce

If there was one song that was better than “Tokitsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku” I’d easily pick this song (and it was the B-side of that single, mind you).  I mean it was fierce and just full of personality and energy which made me all giddy on the inside!  Plus the additional synths added along the rock style pulled me in further.  Definitely my favorite song on the album! (well out of the old songs)

9. Shinen no Lumière

After trudging along the amount of old songs on the album, we finally get to the area with new stuff starting with Shinen no Lumière!  I felt like this was “EUPHORIA” done right because it’s a ballad but has orchestration and the rockin’ atmosphere boosting it which left a better and powerful song behind.  I actually really enjoyed this tune as well!

10. Hisui no Cavalier

Ooo I like the string intro to Hisui no Cavelier.  It does give this rather adventurous medieval feel to it which is a little different against other songs.  However, I feel for this the same way I do with “Sora to Chijou no Creation” in where if not for the meh drums, this would’ve been a better experience.  Luckily, I could forgive this one because it’s pretty good as well!  Dramatic but awesome!

11. Zaika ni Keiyaku no Chi wo (Album Limited Version)

Of course this would be the third version of this song!  First one was the original of course and that was Yui’s debut under the PHANTASM moniker and the second was found on the “Inori no Violet” single.  The difference between the Album Limited and the Single Limited (not the original) is that the arrangement was cleared up a little more and some of the singular guitar lines are more pronounced and I’m pretty sure Yui did resing this so it’s a little more cleaner as well and maybe slightly deeper?  I don’t know but otherwise the song remained the same and my feelings towards it hasn’t changed a lot since I last reviewed it.  Great verses but a little much with the chorus…Not terrible in the least but not one of the best either.

12. Prophecy ~Gate of Steiner~

OIC, the last new track is merely an interlude before “Unmei no Farfalla” it seems.  Under 2 minutes, Prophecy doesn’t seem like it suits this whole PHANTASM thing (you know since “End Prophecy” didn’t have one).  However, it does suit it because it’s heavy, dark and VERY furious (which could also say it doesn’t fit).  You hear some ad-libbing but that’s about it…weird…

13. Unmei no Farfalla

I can see why Unmei no Farfalla would be at the end because it has a slight Arabian intro which hasn’t been the sound of the album.  The A-side that kicked off the era, I feel it still does leave a good mark even though it’s a lot lighter than most of the songs.  Makes for a good song to wrap up the album with though but meh

Tracks Recommended

• Uruwashiki Seduce
• Hisui no Cavalier
• Tokitsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku
• Preghiera no Tsukiyo ni
• Shinen no Lumière

Song of Avoidance

• EUPHORIA ~Tsugunai no Requiem~

PHANTASM’s 2nd album, a bit more fleshed out than “End Prophecy” was for sure is still quite good.  While I’m currently unsure if it ranks better than the first one, Revival Prophecy is a great collection of goth-rock and slower stuff.  Though there were some misses (in which I don’t think the first album did) but it doesn’t deter away from what’s good.  Still a pretty great album nonetheless.

Sayuri Sugawara – Habataku Kimi e

Track Listing

1. Habataku Kimi e
2. Sakura
3. My HERO (CD only)
4. Habataku Kimi e (Instrumental)
5. Sakura (Instrumental)
6. My HERO (Instrumental)

1. Habataku Kimi e

Beautiful piano open up Sayuri’s second A-side of the era, Habataku Kimi e which is more of the same we’ve gotten from Sayuri since she debuted two years ago.  Meaning more of that R&B style is found here and I’m thinking it’s her niche but it works with me because her voice is really pretty for some reason.  It just sounds great and she gets stronger towards the chorus for sure ^^.  Impressive song and better than couple of her last leading tracks (from the mini-albums) and A-sides.

2. Sakura

Of course since it’s that time of year, it’s no surprise we’d get our Sakura-themed song from Sayuri.  Unlike “Habataku Kimi e”, Sakura is more ballad-friendly for people with strings and piano leading it up lol.  For how simplistic it is in its arrangement, it’s a pretty song and Sayuri sung it very well (even throwing some English in the chorus).  I honestly wouldn’t have minded if she had chose this as an A-side because it’s pretty good! lol.

3. My HERO

Oh a CD only song?  Well My HERO began with Sayuri opening it up in an acappella style before acoustic guitars join in after the intro.  Her voice are a bit more at a comfortable level since she was singing high notes in “Sakura” and all that.  I do chuckle at the ~my heelow~ in the chorus and various other places but not bad but nothing too remarkable here.

 

 

As the second single of the era, Habataku Kimi e actually impressed me a bit more than “Ashita ni Naru Mae ni” since two of the three songs are pretty damn good for here…she keeps on impressing me with songs like the lead track and Sakura.  My HERO is alright…but is obvious it’s a little under the other two songs.

2NE1 – SCREAM

Track Listing

1. SCREAM
2. FIRE
3. SCREAM (INSTRUMENTAL)
4. FIRE (INSTRUMENTAL)
5. SCREAM (m-flo Remix)

1. SCREAM

Ahhhh their first original Japanese song and I couldn’t be anymore happier with it.  SCREAM is definitely true to the girls with great raps from CL and Minzy.  Plus add in Dara and Bom’s singing and you get another great mixture of personalities that have made them as huge as they are.  I think my favorite would be the hook with the ~scream ah-ah-ah-ah~ parts…I thought it was clever and handled easily too xD.  Great song!

2. FIRE

I consider this 2NE1’s debut even though in literal, “Lollipop” was the debut but that was a collaboration IMO so it doesn’t count in my mind.  FIRE was the first song I heard from the group and loved it a lot and continues to be one of my favorite songs from them.  Now we’re dealing with it’s Japanese form and to be honest, I prefer the Korean more because it does flow better and has less of a jerkier stance than this version. 

3. SCREAM (m-flo Remix)

This is a nice surprise to see a remix on the single (more or less from Taku (who is currently butthurt)).  For this 7 minute remix we have here, for the most part I was kind of enjoying this one even though the chorus and the hooks really take advantage of the arrangement while the verses are kind of sloppy and doesn’t fit well the music at hand.  Though the biggest offense is VERBAL.  He just took the song and ran it into the ground.  I mean his rap just didn’t work and the whole dubstep background was stupid (Taku get off that shit plz!).  Otherwise everything else was good…just needs some cleaning!

 

 

While I’m not going to review “COLLECTION”, I did want to review the single that came out simultaneously with it!  I have to say their first song originally sung in Japanese was awesome!  SCREAM is classy and has the normal hooks that makes most of 2NE1’s works SOOOO GOOD in the first place (though I still prefer “I AM THE BEST”).  The remix for SCREAM is terrible for what it is, but there’s some nagging flaws that makes it a little less than good.  As for the new version of FIRE…it’s not great but they tried and it’s not terrible, just better in Korean lol.  Overall a good single and definitely was better than their first single by a long shot!

RAINBOW – Over The Rainbow March 28, 2012

Track Listing

1. A
2. Mach
3. Gonna Gonna GO!
4. Kiss! Kiss! Disco!
5. Touch me, Feel me, Love me
6. Alright
7. Not Your Girl
8. Energy
9. Hello
10. Gossip Girl

1. A

Kicking off RAINBOW’s Japanese debut, we spin through the A-sides that represent the era which is cool starting with their debut in A.  I’ve always been split over this song because it’s different from other Hallyu Wave songs like it’s more classy and has more spunk.  At the same time, I felt like it doesn’t stand out very much either.  I do like the spy-feel I get from the song but I don’t remember it much.

2. Mach

Moving onto Mach which was their second A-side, I never really liked the song even in Korean because it wasn’t my kind of style I guess.  Hearing it now, it still doesn’t impress me but it does have more attitude than “A” which is a good thing for the song.  It’s grown but just a little bit unfortunately.

3. Gonna Gonna GO!

Of the three singles, I thought their first original Japanese track was pretty awesome!  Of course I still do get KARA vibes from the song but it’s nothing detrimental to my ears.  It’s got the catchy hook like “A” but also mixes great vocals from the ladies.  Even though many people won’t really get into this and call it an original RAINBOW song since it’s similar to other groups tracks…I ended up liking this a lot!

4. Kiss! Kiss! Disco!

Then we get into three new songs (of only four? DISAPPOINTING).  Anyways back to Kiss! Kiss! Disco!, it does have a little bit of a disco-style going on but at the same time I’m hearing a little bit of auto-tune being used here but it isn’t abused which is good.  Sadly, I’m not finding much about the song because it feels like it’s just rolling with the punches without delivering them!  Meaning, it lacks punch and energy even though it’s an upbeat track…oh well…BTW the rap is also awkward too…could’ve been left out.

5. Touch me, Feel me, Love me

Interesting, we slow down for our next new track and it’s kind of classy and soothing of a song funny enough.  I liked that they paid attention to the vocals for the song and it moves along nicely even though the group’s melodic properties are average at best (which is odd).  It’s a good mid-tempo track for sure and perhaps the best of the new songs.

6. Alright

At first, I thought it was going to be another slow song from the group but luckily it doesn’t have that fate.  In the beginning it was more like a heavier R&B styled “Touch me, Feel me, Love me”. but by the time it enters the chorus it adds nice sounding synths and makes it a lot more danceable.  I take it back, I think Alright is my favorite of the new songs hahaha.  It’s just pretty cool and definitely chill yet refined…so good!

7. Not Your Girl

All of the B-sides have also made the album’s cut too.  Starting with the B-side from “Mach”.  Since 2 of the 3 B-sides are also just Japanese versions of their Korean stuff, I wasn’t too impressed either for some reason with “A” and “Mach”.  Not Your Girl did have promise but the song was really repetitive (especially that chorus) so much repeating involved that it makes “A” sound good lol.  The good thing though is that the arrangement is pretty hot and gives a slick and sexy look…but the lyrics needed a lot of work.

8. Energy

Moving to the final new tune, Energy kind of reminds me of “Mach” a little bit with the bumping beat and a little bit of the attitude found here which is cool but like “Kiss! Kiss! Disco!” it’s lacking punch but it does have energy just not quite enough to surpass “Alright” or anything like that.  So it’s not great but not too bad either.

9. Hello

Moving to the original Japanese B-side from “Gonna Gonna GO!”, I have to say that I really like this song still despite some people thinking it’s a pretty messy and jerky song because of the different areas.  I think I liked it for that because it’s so different and not like other songs on the album…plus it has that cool beat that reminds me of “Not Your Girl”.  Great B-side ^^

10. Gossip Girl

Of course I’m thinking of why would they close the album with Gossip Girl because it’s so upbeat and all that.  I still despise that high pitched buzz in the song because it literally hurts my ears when I hear it.  Beyond the buzz issue, the rest of the song isn’t bad but as it’s another upbeat track it does have a difficult time standing out to me even though it’s a well-known song in Korea too…At least it’s not terrible lol.

Tracks Recommended

• Alright
• Hello
• Gonna Gonna GO!
• Touch me, Feel me, Love me

Song of Avoidance

• Not Your Girl

RAINBOW’s debut in Japan is at best ok.  I mean it’s not the best and it really doesn’t slump to the point where it just sucks so it stands on an average pedestal.  To me, RAINBOW hasn’t found a true niche on me like other K-girl-groups have so I’m just waiting for a song that’ll solidify them because honestly they have only ridden the waves of KARA and 4minute and even SNSD…I’d like something to pop out!

UVERworld – 7th Trigger March 27, 2012

Track Listing

1. 7th Trigger
2. Barbell ~Koutei no Atarashii Fuku Ver.~
3. AWAYOKUBA-Kiru

1. 7th Trigger

I was definitely happy to see that UVERworld was going back to something heavy and synthy at the same time with 7th Trigger which is pretty badass…even with the random whistling going on hahaha.  I mean we haven’t had a pure rock song like this since the “LIFE 6 SENSE” album (not long ago…but in A-sides…there hasn’t been one since “NO.1”.  I’ve missed this side to UVERworld to be honest and seeing the energy with the band and fierce rush from TAKUYA really sets the tone.  I’m really enjoying this song a lot right now!

2. Barbell ~Koutei no Atarashii Fuku Ver.~

Yes, its an original song which means there’ll probably be a different version later down the road.  Barbell has a more controlled atmosphere when compared to “7th Trigger” but at the same time has the hardest hitting sound on the single.  It’s pretty angry and aggressive and just left me surprised they brought this power back.  I like the other vocals beside TAKUYA…gives a different view throughout too.  Powerful and just downright impressive!

3. AWAYOKUBA-Kiru

Well, with the word Kill in its title, I was expecting something even darker and harder than “Barbell” but AWAYOKUBA-Kiru is different in a good way.  It almost has this anime opening feel with the piano and strings being implemented along with the band’s powerful sound.  It has been a while since I’ve heard a song like this from them…but it’s so good!

 

 

It just seems UVERworld knows how to pull back the fans with something amazing like 7th Trigger.  Unlike the past couple of singles where saxophone was in some of their songs, they went back to basics and just rocked out with three great songs.  I loved Barbell the most of the three but damn is 7th Trigger and AWAYOKUBA-Kiru were just as good.  Definitely their best single in a long time ^_^ *RECOMMENDED*

MiChi – THERAPY

Track Listing

1. MadNesS Vol.3
2. TOKYO NIGHT
3. LOVE is.
4. Together again
5. YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!
6. Special Someone
7. WoNdeR WomaN
8. Light Up
9. Take It Easy!
10. Motto.
11. Find Your Way
12. THERAPY
13. ONE

1. MadNesS Vol.3

A common thing to see on a MiChi album, we get the third volume of MadNesS and funny enough it did get a PV lol.  As it’s the introduction for the album, this is pretty cool!  I love the pounding beat before a voice announces the title the song and then becomes this classy electro style.  Even MiChi gets to have some lyrics here…it’s classy and just attitude-full…I’m loving this!

2. TOKYO NIGHT

The first full song we get is MiChi’s 6th A-side (jeeze too many A-sides).  I have to say that I kind of like the song because not only it’s a really good MiChi song, it’s produced by LEO Imai (who is another artist I’ve reviewed).  The sad thing that since it was after a lot of similar sounding A-sides it was really hard to get used to this but TOKYO NIGHT has something that the others don’t which is nice and she sounds great here.  I do think the beat does remind me of “JUMP ON IT” for some reason.  Still not bad but not my favorite of the era.

3. LOVE is.

Moving to the 3rd A-side, LOVE is. was a song that I had problems getting used to but I’m not totally sure why because it has a certain “UP TO YOU” quality that would’ve normally made me feel good since I like songs that come off like “PROMiSE” and the sort.  Add that it has a nice 80’s new wave kind of feel and I feel silly not liking it haha.  In other words its grown on me quite a lot since the single review!

4. Together again

*sigh* A main reason why I wasn’t totally interested in this album was that they chose this song over “All about the Girls” since the latter is a whole lot better (and I honestly consider it the best song MiChi’s ever done!).  Sadly, we ended up with that single’s secondary A-side Together again.  I felt it was the weakest song on that single because while I do like that it’s the first ballad that comes up…but it just doesn’t stand out to me anymore.  Beyond the quick chorus, it just doesn’t pop out…Yeah…WHY IS THERE NO “All about the Girls”!?!?!?!?!

5. YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!

I also found the decision on the B-side chosen for the album to be quite meh since there’s quite a bit of better songs she could’ve chose from.  Sad, why do you have to place YEAH YEAH YEAH!!! after “Together again”?  They sound rather similar to one another with the electric guitar mixed with that synth style.  Like I said on the single review, it’s just very meh after a while and becomes redundant towards the end.  Would’ve loved “JUMP ON IT”, “Perfect World” or even “December”.

6. Special Someone

After all those old songs passing by, it’s nice to finally get to new stuff.  Special Someone goes deeper into MiChi’s guitar-laced pop sound which is a nice change from the previous songs for sure.  I once again have a certain feeling that it was a “UP TO YOU” song because it fits that album to a T.  It’s not bad and she sounds good even though there’s clearly backups behind her. 

7. WoNdeR WomaN

Then we get into the era’s second A-side and god forbid she had to include this on here.  It’s MiChi’s first collaboration (which makes me wonder why isn’t tagged like the single) with the telephones (who are a punk rock band).  A LOT of people despise the song because of the fact that it’s so hard to take in because of the yelling from the lead singer from the telephones.  MiChi’s parts are pretty good though and the arrangement is alive and edgy when compared to the other songs of the era.  If it was a solo version, I could’ve dug the song better but I just ca’t with this one…It ranks with “Together again” as worst A-sides.

8. Light Up

As the next 3 tracks are new, I’m definitely happy to see new stuff.  Calming down after “WoNdeR WomaN”, Light Up takes a more mid-tempo direction and I kind of like the change and it focuses on the synth beats.  It’s a pretty good track though…hmmm I’m not sure why though but yeah it’s a good track lmfao…I’m guessing it’s the synth arrangement tbh.

9. Take It Easy!

I like that she did take it easy (pun lulz) for the next song by giving it a more pop/rock view rather than “Light Up’s” more synth-fronted arrangement.  It does have a certain upbeat feel mixed with a good positive message written through the lyrics (going by all the English here).  I still prefer the previous song though.

10. Motto.

Moving towards the slower and meaningful songs we start off with Motto. which is interesting because it’s mainly devoid of the synths and has this acoustic guitar style.  Though I do like the slide guitar being used here as well.  After the chorus it does grow a bit more with strings being added to the mix as well as some percussion.  I like this little change of sound at this point of the album. 

11. Find Your Way

I find it baffling at how I couldn’t remember how this song went when I got to this review.  5th A-side and all, Find Your Way does remind me of “ONE” with it’s happy message and dance feel in the chorus.  I still think that some of the song reminds me of Katy Perry’s “Firework” but I have no true clear reason why.  It’s a pretty good song though but I still prefer “ONE” a whole lot more than this one.

12. THERAPY

Before the final song we delve into MiChi’s title track and by god was this something out of left field.  Kind of like how “Shibuya de Punch” was to “UP TO YOU”, THERAPY is the oddball song of this album.  You wouldn’t expect MiChi to basically do a very ethereal and out of this world kind of track.  It’s almost creepy/mysterious with its water droplets and buzzing sounds.  It’s just unusual and I’m not sure it has a direction (it does but it feels so zoned out that it doesn’t).  Interesting endeavor for her and I think I can get used to this.

13. ONE

I thought that closing the album with MiChi’s 4th A-side, ONE was a very good decision because it was the best positive message song on the album.  Add in the addicting arrangement which kind of grows from the earlier parts of the album and you get this song!  I have to admit that I wasn’t too thrilled with the weird male chants…but it grew on me and made the song so much better with it included.  Definitely my favorite A-side (well given the situation XD).

Tracks Recommended

• ONE
• Light Up
• LOVE is.
• MadNesS Vol.3
• Find Your Way

Song of Avoidance

• Together again

I wasn’t too thrilled for this album initially because the company decided to not add “All about the Girls” to it (makes me curious why it was left off since it was so damn popular…problems with the Scatman sampling?).  THERAPY isn’t a bad album which is obviously a good thing but besides ONE…there isn’t a song that just ultimately pops out at me like “UP TO YOU” did.  So in a way, this was a sophomore slump (well in her major label days). 

YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz – YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz I March 26, 2012

Track Listing

1. CIRCLE
2. Saishuu Tsuukoku COUNTDOWN
3. Ren’ai DRIVER ~Foo-san no Uta~
4. LAST KISS
5. UNTIL THE LAST DAY (CD only)
6. YOU ARE THE REASON
7. MIND FOREST
8. Mousou GIRL
9. THE END OF THE DAY
10. Mata, Koko de Aimashou
11. ALL MY LOVE
12. NOT ALONE “Kimi wa Hitori ja Nai”

1. CIRCLE

I love that YFCz already pulls out the guns for the first track on the album.  Of course it seems that the song is mostly sung in English and I’m surprised there’s a lot more of Jon than GACKT present in the song which hasn’t happened yet since they debuted together.  I’m loving hearing both of the guys together since they melodically sound great together.  The song is pretty edgy and furious like “THE END OF THE DAY” but a little more loose in execution.  It’s a great song to kick things off!

2. Saishuu Tsuukoku COUNTDOWN

Continuing the edgy sound of everything about the band, Saishuu Tsuukoku COUNTDOWN is pretty relentless and I felt this song was odd for them.  Since it primarily Japanese, it was interesting to hear Jon singing in the language.  I didn’t really like the auto-tune thrown on the vocals in the chorus since it’s adding salt to the wound.  It does feel like it can grown on me since it’s catchy and the rap-like verses stood out a lot…but I have to get used to this x.x

3. Ren’ai DRIVER ~Foo-san no Uta~

Damn they are just on a relentless roll huh?  I have to say though that the percussion of this song gave me a headache as well with the odd chords that open Ren’ai DRIVER.  It isn’t as catchy as “Saishuu Tsuukoku COUNTDOWN” but a least it doesn’t have auto-tune to really make meh.  Instead there’s a screamo area from who I think is Jon.  Nothing too special here.

4. LAST KISS

I was hoping for a break from the heavy song but not quite yet.  LAST KISS is another energetic song but all I really get from this is that LAST KISS is a hot mess and not in a good way either.  It just sounds all over the place and the ideas clashing with one another makes me just wanna take my headphones off and just point my finger at it angrily for letting me listen to this mess.  I just can’t with this one!

5. UNTIL THE LAST DAY

I found it strange to see that GACKT’s solo track, UNTIL THE LAST DAY made the CD only cut for the album.  Now going to look at the tracklist, it seems it has mostly English which I assume means that he rerecorded the song to have more emphasis with English lyrics and more Jon.  It’s funny that this has a lot stronger of a melody than the songs that came before this.  It’s still pretty powerful of a song and I do consider this over other tracks by a large amount.

6. YOU ARE THE REASON

At least “UNTIL THE LAST DAY” made sense to come before YOU ARE THE REASON but at the same time could have been after “Ren’ai DRIVER” honestly.  Since it was the secondary B-side of the band’s second single…I wasn’t too thrilled by seeing it here.  I still think the band sticks out a LOT more than either GACKT or Jon.  Just not that memorable to be honest.

7. MIND FOREST

The lone B-side and sort of pseudo-self-cover of GACKT’s songs, MIND FOREST is still pretty damn good today.  Like I used to really not like the original version at all but this new take plus the addition of Jon made it so much better.  I mean the flutes are still there and the band is just sounding a lot more controlled than before which is good.  One of the bests from the album.

8. Mousou GIRL

Whoa, a lot of sound impacting my ears all at once it seems.  Bringing back the auto-tune once again it seems to actually work a little better here since the song also utilized some synths and such alongside the guitars and such.  Once the chorus comes in though they start to slur the lyrics and it begins to become hard to follow…though I can’t explain the censored bleep in the second set of verses.  If I space out the messy arrangement, there’s a catchy song in there very deep inside but it’s difficult with all this noise!

9. THE END OF THE DAY

Sad to say that the best song the album really had to offer was their debut A-side in THE END OF THE DAY.  I love the controlled atmosphere and hearing GACKT and Jon sing seperately and together…they had perfect chemistry in the song and just really stood out to me.  It’s just powerful in all the right places and I loved how it turned out unlike their stuff after it.

10. Mata, Koko de Aimashou

Mata, Koko de Aimashou tricked me to believe it was going to be a slower song because of the strings that have their own intro to the song.  The song becomes a bit more like pop/rock when compared to the other songs on this album.  I do think the drummer is still being a bit too much in the song for some reason but I kind of like the happier side to YFCz.  I think if they toned Shinya (the drummer) a giant notch, this song would’ve been better…and to think it was a promotional song too >.<

11. ALL MY LOVE

Yeah, the second and primary A-side, ALL MY LOVE struck the wrong chord within me.  As the album’s rock ballad, ALL MY LOVE is so gritty and just wrong in many ways for me.  It’s just very dramatic of a song from GACKT and Jon and their overly expressive vocals surprised me a lot.  I just couldn’t take seriously and it was really my least favorite A-side. 

12. NOT ALONE “Kimi wa Hitori ja Nai”

NOT ALONE closes the album out but not as a ballad which is odd considering that “ALL MY LOVE” precedes it and all that.  Actually it’s kind of refreshing almost as the album’s final song.  I mean there’s strings and less mess from the band.  I once again though loathe the auto-tune being used in this song especially in a setting like this >.<  Leave that for “Koakuma Heaven” and “GHOST”.  Minus that, the song is still enjoyable and stands out than most of the album itself lol.

Tracks Recommended

• THE END OF THE DAY
• UNTIL THE LAST DAY
• NOT ALONE “Kimi wa Hitori ja Nai”
• Mousou GIRL
• Saishuu Tsuukoku COUNTDOWN

Song of Avoidance

• LAST KISS

I wish I was more positive with this album, I really do!  YFCzI just doesn’t cut it for me.  I had high expectations since THE END OF THE DAY was an amazing single but ALL MY LOVE/YOU ARE THE REASON were kind of disappointing.  As a whole it was just a mess and while there were songs that did stand out for me…altogether it felt like a mess more than a meeting in heaven.  Yikes…btw, the album tracklist has extra things going on like [.jp],  [.eu], and [.com] which only means English mostly, Japanese mostly, or equal amount.  It’s a pretty stupid thing to do to be honest and that’s why I left that off because it’s so redundant and lame.

9nine – 9nine

Track Listing

1. Fly
2. Shoujo Traveler
3. Chikutaku☆2NITE
4. Natsu wanna say love U
5. koizora
6. Orange days
7. Cross Over
8. too blue
9. Love me?
10. Darling, Darling
11. #girls
12. SHINING☆STAR
13. 9nine o’clock (bonus track)

1. Fly

Starting things off, Fly opens up 9nine’s album with a pretty aggressive pop/rock sound that I’m not very used to by 9nine at all.  At the same time, the synths and beats add a great touch to the song.  While it’s not as power heavy like other songs, it’s a pleasant beginning to the album and the girls definitely have solid vocals already so it’s nothing terrible.

2. Shoujo Traveler

Luckily enough, as the fifth and final single released Shoujo Traveler is the best song they’ve done since getting a stable group going and joining SONY.  It’s very electro and quite epic for such an idol group.  Almost taking up a Perfume slot here.  I just found this song to be my cup of tea and really kicked things up for them which is great!  Very catchy and just all kinds of awesomeness ^_^!

3. Chikutaku☆2NITE

Moving to the 4th A-side released, Chikutaku☆2NITE really had troubles when I first heard it because it didn’t really bring anything new to the table.  It does have a little bit of the vocal filtering on it like “Shoujo Traveler” but the song aims for a more cuter style which kind of took its toll on me.  I still think it feels pretty bland for them but it’s a good happy song from them.

4. Natsu wanna say love U

The only other A-side that really stood out to me since they debuted was their summer song.  I do feel like it’s a lighter “Shoujo Traveler” because it has a need to want more synths involved but it doesn’t but I like that about it.  The rhythm and synth beats really helped out and I liked it too…it was almost like it was transforming the group from “Cross Over” and “SHINING☆STAR” to this and I was loving the direction.

5. koizora

Back to some new tracks, koizora tones things down after all that synthy fun.  I was hoping to hear something soft from the group and we got it with this one that has acoustic guitar and piano playing together with some light knick-knacks.  I will say that I love the solo lines a lot here and when they come together it just works so well!  Good ballad here!

6. Orange days

Of course they quickly move back into some fun tracks with Orange days and funny enough the song sounds more summery than “Natsu wanna say love U”.  Orange days has an interesting feel to it but keeps with their primary style.  It doesn’t really stand out to me in any way but there’s nothing really wrong with the song itself so it’s neutral I guess?

7. Cross Over

Then we move into the group’s debut under SONY with Cross Over.  I felt it worked coming after “Orange days” since they share the same overall style but this was a little more upbeat.  Despite not having any solos overall in the song and being a little anime-esque when compared to other tracks, it’s not bad but once again I don’t feel like it leaves as much memorability like the other A-sides of the era. 

8. too blue

I’m surprised that out of all of the great B-sides the girls have done for the era, they only chose one and a good one at that with too blue (originally one of the B-sides from “Natsu wanna say love U”.  After the last two tracks, it was nice to see a little bit of a leeway away from the anime-like songs.  Plus the fact that there’s solo lines here really got me good.  I would’ve placed this somewhere in the front of the album to be honest but at the same time I think it worked here since the other tracks after it seem to take over lol.  Great B-side addition!

9. Love me?

Going back to new tracks before the ending, Love me? seem to have an energetic arrangement and deeper synth bass whick would’ve fit around the beginning of the album.  They seem to really work with this style for some reason but the chorus felt somewhat anticlimatic…like it was lacking energy where the verses had em’.  Not bad, but not very good either.

10. Darling, Darling

I felt like I was listening to a Q;indivi or DAISHI DANCE produced song with Darling, Darling because it’s so light and while it has dance beats, it also has some piano and strings in the background which led me to my analysis.  It’s kind of cute and fits the personality of the mood a lot better than what “Cross Over” and “Chikutaku☆2NITE” tried to do.  Very pretty and moving song here.

11. #girls

I also felt #girls was also a better representation of summer for some reason since the beat and the happier vibes from the ladies gave the song a good vibe for the beach.  It’s pretty cool to listen to it but there are better songs from the album to be honest but I like it for what it is ^_^

12. SHINING☆STAR

I guess since this should close the album out, we end it with their 2nd A-side and I really didn’t like this song when it first came out.  I mean when I took a listen to it now I still feel like it’s weak like “Chikutaku☆2NITE” since I can’t find much to really say about that makes it memorable to me but it’s not as bad as I thought it’d be.  I will say the vocals sound great though…hmmm maybe I need to reassess things hahaha.

13. 9nine o’clock

However, it seems there’s been a bonus track lodged in here in the form of 9nine o’clock.  I’m not sure why it’s a bonus but I’ll just go with the flow for the time being.  The album’s true final track sounds a little different from the previous songs but it does have a lot of synths which work for me.  It’s pretty good at it kind of reminds me of “Fly” but just a little.  Pretty good song though and it was a much better song to close than “SHINING☆STAR”.

Tracks Recommended

• Shoujo Traveler
• Natsu wanna say love U
• too blue
• koizora
• 9nine o’clock

Song of Avoidance

• Chikutaku☆2NITE

Ahhhh 9nine’s debut album under SONY…it was actually not half bad oddly enough.  While there were songs that were forgettable this one stood out to me but I think it’s because this has been a group that’s been together for a long time so their skills are natural at this point.  9nine shows off their style currently and it sounds really good and different from other idol groups currently making a splash which is good.  For a group that’s been together since 2006…One can wonder what’ll happen now lol.