Diggy-MO’ – Diggyism II July 13, 2010

Track Listing

1. STAY BEAUTIFUL
2. ONE VOW
3. Bjorn
4. Heartache Jive
5. The Roses
6. PSYCHE PSYCHE
7. Bayside Serenade
8. ToMiTaMi ToMiTaMo
9. Bambi
10. Sansan Ranran
11. COME ON feat. J’quartus (Grand Focus)
12. Wardrobe #6
13. DEAD MAN MARCH
14. Drifting Away
15. Arcadia

1. STAY BEAUTIFUL

As the final A-side released, I thought STAY BEAUTIFUL was a nice way to end the era, but it still doesn’t beat out “Arcadia” one bit.  I do like that it’s upbeat and the amount of synths are involved and Diggy’s interest is pretty cool.  He’s still more of a rapper than a singer and that shows pretty bluntly.  At least it’s a positive song?

2. ONE VOW

Our first new track, ONE VOW seems to take a more stranger route in its musicality.  I mean I guess it seems to be sounding a lot like something from his debut album, but I do like the strings in this song, but the synths kind of are a little much.  Still, ONE VOW has better lyrics than the first song…or at least by my ears. 

3. Bjorn

I loved Diggy’s English lines in the opening of the song and it really seems to be his style.  I mean so far it’s the closest song to being urban sounding, but oddly the chorus kind of just messes things up, but it’s still pretty good even though I don’t get any of it at all.  I’ll just say it’s very dramatic and kind of a little epic as a Diggy song.  Though with lyrics like ~pogo jumping~ it’s kind of hard to take it seriously.

4. Heartache Jive

Though I was actually expecting a lot from this song, I actually was pleasantly surprised by the fact the song was mostly a jive.  Though it’s really the 2nd part of the verses and the chorus where that actually comes out to play while the rest is kind of a sadder toned ballad.  It’s a bit of a stretch to mix those ideas together.  Though I do love the amount of English in this song though and some points, I thought it was entirely in English but it isn’t…lol

5. The Roses

I’m not sure what to make of this song because it’s so not him.  I mean it’s a little bit like “STAY BEAUTIFUL” but it’s like Diggy’s take of a damn H!P song and it’s kind of awkward to listen to, but I do like his flow in the song.  What I mean is like it’s upbeat and rather cute for Diggy…strange to say that about a rapper right?  Even the piano was kind of awesome at keeping things together. 

6. PSYCHE PSYCHE

So I’m surprised he shoved the entire “ToMiTaMi ToMiTaMo” single on the album more or less crammed together.  I’m so happy that PSYCHE PSYCHE came first because it was the best song and B-side released in the entire era because it’s funky , energetic, and very fun to listen to.  I thought it was a pretty clever song for him to do and honestly he sounds better in this style.

7. Bayside Serenade

As much as I like the relaxing arrangement of the other B-side off the first single, Diggy doesn’t sound right unfortunately doing his rapping/singing.  Like his vocals were just abstract and kind of one-dimensional here.  I don’t know it might be a sweet serenade, but ot’s a damn boring one at that.

8. ToMiTaMi ToMiTaMo

Compared to the other A-sides released, ToMiTaMi was kind of the fun song of the era and it was pretty funny listening to this song because of the upbeat piano melody, the use of brass, and the high pitched voice that always manages to make me laugh hard.  Even better to listen to how many syllables Diggy can shove in one stanza.  Definitely has gotten better for me after time passed by.

9. Bambi

Though weirdest song clearly goes to Bambi.  I mean what the fuck is Diggy trying to do using falsetto like he’s Prince or MJ.  I really was like shocked and sort of laughing my ass because when ever I think of Bambi…I’m thinking of the disney film and it just doesn’t fit period.  There’s only a few times where Diggy is like normal but it’s then back to falsetto Diggy.  Sexy? no.  Humorous?  Definitely.

10. Sansan Ranran

As the shortest song from the album, Sansan Ranran returns us our regular sounding Diggy (maybe a bit deeper sounding) but this short interlude actually sounds pretty cool since it shows his rapping skills quite nicely and his ~ranran~ parts sounds epic with the dark battle-like arrangement. 

11. COME ON feat. J’quartus (Grand Force)

I don’t exactly know why the interlude was there if it was going to sound right with COME ON coming after it.  To me, this song should’ve been more towards the front of the album since it’s a summer tune of course to me that is and all the synths involved.  Now J’quartus sounds kind of soulful and his voice fits quite nicely with the arrangement and Diggy sounds good as well.  Definitely a worthy collaboration ^_^

12. Wardrobe #6

As the B-side from “STAY BEAUTIFUL”. I’m a little surprised this wasn’t more closer to “Heartache Jive” since they both have a lot of brass present and somewhat near each other in genres.  I liked this song because it was experimental of him to pull it off, but it seems like I rather take the other song because the verses are pretty dry while everything else was gold. 

13. DEAD MAN MARCH

I guess I consider this as another interlude since it’s pretty short as well.  It’s a bit of a rap sequence from Diggy and it’s pretty urban sounding as well…though about 30 seconds, things get freaky and the arrangement gets thrown around and time flies off, but I thought it was pretty nifty, but really randomly executed.

14. Drifting Away

Do I even need to review this again?  It’s such a terrible song to listen to and I can’t digress how much I loathed seeing this making the album cut while “LOVE KILLS DREAM KILLS” gets shoved out.  The song has a rather awkward country style going and I disliked it because it’s just so unbecoming of him and I rather pass this up entirely.

15. Arcadia

I found it very fitting to make Arcadia the final song because it has that ending feel to it and I loved the fact the song was emotionally driven (by Diggy’s standards).  I mean Diggy is singing quite a bit and some of the song sounds pretty to listen to, but otherwise a very fitting song to put a close to it.

Tracks Recommended

• PSYCHE PSYCHE
• Arcadia
• Heartache Jive
• COME ON feat. J’quartus (Grand Force)
• Bambi

Song of Avoidance

• Drifting Away

As Diggy-MO’s sophomore effort, I thought this was stronger than his last album for sure because there’s a lot more experimentation to be found here.  There were a few slight genre issues he had since he doesn’t fit in all of them, but for the most part it wasn’t exactly bad.  Though his falsetto voice kind of strikes me as something that I could get used to hearing XD. 

Diggy-MO’ – STAY BEAUTIFUL May 13, 2010

Track Listing

1. STAY BEAUTIFUL
2. Wardrobe #6
3. STAY BEAUTIFUL (Instrumental)

1. STAY BEAUTIFUL

Alright!  Another Diggy song that I actually liked.  While it’s not odd like his first A-side of the era nor as depressing as “Arcadia”, STAY BEAUTIFUL is quite the upbeat song but not like happy-happy like usual anime-songs.  While I still thing Diggy’s vocals need some sharpening skills since he still comes off kind of meh on some spots but at least his interest in the song is better.  Not as good as “Arcadia” but this is alright.

2. Wardrobe #6

As for the B-side, let’s get it right hahaha, it’s definitely got an big band/urban sound going and I think out of his experimentations this era in the singles, Diggy sounds right in jazz.  While he’s not exactly doing a lot in the song except talking throughout, the song is fiery and the energy helps him out and doesn’t make him sound dry and boring.  While I have no idea what the guy is saying first off, it’s not too bad, but he could’ve tried to be a little more exciting for the tune.

 

 

Ending off Diggy-MO’s sophomore era, STAY BEAUTIFUL as a package is probably the best single between the three released.  While I enjoyed the upbeat anime-ish sound to the title track, I enjoyed more of the brassy and jazzy side of Wardrobe #6.  I still wonder what’ll happen for the album….

Diggy-MO’ – Arcadia November 24, 2009

Track Listing

1. Arcadia
2. Drifting Away
3. LOVE KILLS DREAM KILLS

1. Arcadia

I really like the beats and strings that opened up Arcadia.  It definitely has this feel to it, like it has the feeling of like being in a castle.  Now, I’m still trying to get used to his more nasally set of vocals and the times he says ~arcadia~ is pretty disturbing, the song is a whole lot better than his last one for sure.  He struggles with parts of the song, but it’s nice otherwise.

2. Drifting Away

I was pretty scared getting into this song because it sounded so western (i mean like cowboys & such).  We’re back into Diggy rapping himself along the song and IMO is kind of failing hard because it feels that it should’ve been an interlude more than anything else.  It’s very bad, down to being excrutiatingly horrible.  PASS HARDCORE.

3. LOVE KILLS DREAM KILLS

Just like his last single, the 2nd B-side is more electro based and LKDK definitely fills that bill.  Diggy is rapping in a deeper tone and it works with the almsot barren arrangement, though it fills up with extra synths and xylophone.  It’s more than likely the best song I’ve heard from him since adding him to the site so that wins.

 

 

Clearly, Arcadia was a definite step from “ToMiTaMi ToMiTaMo”.  Arcadia & LOVE KILLS DREAM KILLS were definitely better produced and a whole lot more interesting than the stuff on the last single minus “PSYCHE PSYCHE”.  However, it’s biggest blow was the uber terrible Drifting Away…rap and country do not mix, period!

Diggy-MO’ – ToMiTaMi ToMiTaMo September 6, 2009

Track Listing

1. ToMiTaMi ToMiTaMo
2. Bayside Serenade
3. PSYCHE PSYCHE

1. ToMiTaMi ToMiTaMo

OH, this an interesting song for sure.  I mean it has a lively brass arrangement and mixing with Diggy-MO’s voice is strange.  His rapping is very heavy to the beat, and there’s this other voice that sound like a little child’s that annoys me.  After that, I’m lead back into Diggy’s rapping and it’s fast and while he doesn’t change tone much, it’s interesting to hear what he’s trying to say.

2. Bayside Serenade

First of the B-sides, Bayside Serenade toned down the crazy arrangements and has a nice flowing string sound as well.  Here’s where I start dislike his rapping since it sounds way simple against the music.  He has his moments where he’s doing fast rapping.  His singing though is just way awkward though…His tone is shaky and flat for me….too weird.

3. PSYCHE PSYCHE

The last track off the single, PSYCHE PSYCHE has an cool electro sound to it, but Diggy is singing once again and it bothers me hardcore.  I do like he’s being all edgy in his rapping.  I do have to say, this song is just so damn hilarious to listen to though.

 

 

Diggy-MO’s first single for the new era, ToMiTaMi ToMiTaMo is wild to listen to.  I mean he’s a rapper, but I think he should stick to that and not sing much anymore.  It’s like he’s trying too hard doing that.  The arrangements are cool though.  I don’t know, but it’s going to take a while for this single to hook on me.