Beyond the Sea

SINGLE REVIEW
WaT - Toki wo Koete ~Fantastic World~

1. Toki wo Koete ~Fantastic World~
2. Hana Sakeba
3. Toki wo Koete ~Fantastic World~
    (Instrumental)
4. Hana Sakeba (Instrumental)

This is WaT’s 9th single and it was released on April 23, 2008. This single reached #8 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 23,723 copies.

WaT presents another pleasant pop rock tune with Toki wo Koete ~Fantastic World~. This song is a considerable improvement over their last single Yume no Tochuu because it is simply not as boring. The music has a progressive percussion section plus some additional acoustics and edgy electric guitar chords. Wentz and Teppei’s vocal harmonizations are good as well.

The B-side is also of high quality and I found it to be a little better than the A-side. Hana Sakeba is more upbeat and features stronger riffs with faster drums. The chorus and the rockish instrumentals are the best example of this because the arrangement has a more alternative sound compared to their older works.

Overall Rating

4 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Ken Hirai - Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo

1. Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo
2. Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo (less vocal)

This is Ken Hirai’s 29th single and it was released on April 23, 2008. This single reached #19 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 11,865 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the movie Ano Sora wo Oboeteru.

Originally appearing as track 12 on Ken Hirai’s latest album FAKIN’ POP, Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo got slated to be released as a single because of its movie tie-in. Unfortunately, this was the last song I expected to get the star treatment because it was definitely my least favorite of the 5 new songs off that album. Despite Hirai’s stellar vocal performance, this ballad is boring and not very interesting. It shouldn’t have been released as a single in the first place but it was for the sake of its tie-in and possibly more album promotion. Plus, the single itself only includes the instrumental too. A new B-side or remix would have been nice at least.

Overall Rating

2½ stars

ALBUM REVIEW
Sowelu - Naked

1. Hikari *
2. Wish *
3. I’ll be with you
4. SEPTEMBER *
5. Shiawase no Chikara *
6. Dare Yori Suki na no ni *
7. All My Life
8. Lie *
9. Hatsuyuki
10. Still lovin’ you *
11. I Wonder *
12. Sayonara
13. Taisetsu na Hito
14. 24karats -type S- * / Sowelu, EXILE, DOBERMAN INC

♦

Note: Songs with a (*) at the end of their titles have already been reviewed. Click on the links to see their reviews.
Songs in bold are new tracks and will be reviewed.

♦ ♦ ♦

This is Sowelu’s 4th album and it was released on April 9, 2008. This album reached #11 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 22,674 copies.

I’m glad that Hikari is the opening track because it’s an aggressive song that indicates a more prominent R&B style that the album has. The combination of strong beats, quick strings, and electric guitar with Sowelu’s lower pitched vocals sound great.

The uplifting pop ballad Wish is next and it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. The music has an overall relaxing atmosphere thanks to the strings and piano, but the beats were a nice addition too. The lovely chorus is also a highlight of the song.

The first of only 5 new tracks on the album is the R&B flavored pop song I’ll be with you. The uptempo strings and beats have a good arrangement and short brass sections give the music some variety. The chorus is catchy and I liked Sowelu’s adlibbing near the end.

Without a doubt one of my least favorite Sowelu songs EVER is her cover of Earth, Wind, & Fire’s SEPTEMBER. Th song originally appeared as the B-side on the special collaboration single 24karats -type S-. I like the music and all, but her vocals don’t do any justice to the 1978 disco classic. I honestly don’t think she should be covering these kinds of songs because they do nothing for her voice and she ends up sounding really bland in the process. Stick to covering classic 80s pop like you did in your previous albums, Sowelu.

Two ballads in a row are up next and the first one is Shiawase no Chikara, the encouraging ballad. A gentle song in nature, it utilizes mainly piano and strings with some beats later on. Sowelu’s vocals sound really good here and she sings gracefully.

I think I was too harsh on Dare Yori Suki na no ni, Sowelu’s cover of the 1996 Toko Furuuchi song, when I first reviewed it as a single because I kind of like it now. I thought the song was extremely boring at first and I didn’t like the somewhat strained vocals either. When I now think about it, the song isn’t that bad and the lyrics are pretty bittersweet despite the title (it translates to “I like you more than anybody else”). I also find Sowelu’s cover to be better than the 1996 original.

Ah, here’s another new track and it’s in English! I thought All My Life was performed well and the music had a soulful vibe to it because of the background bass chords. Sowelu’s English sounded better than ever and I was impressed with how well she sang the chorus. Since she’s fluent in the language, I expected nothing less but great from her.

I was quite critical of Lie, the B-side from the Dare Yori Suki na no ni single, before as well. Similar to Hikari, it’s one of the more aggressive songs on the album. The looping electric guitar in the background was interesting and the most memorable thing about the music. The lyrics are pretty angry just from listening to the English parts: I don’t wanna hear it so please disappear and You don’t know how I feel.

The album enters a slower phase with the next couple of songs. Hatsuyuki is sung at a brisk pace, but it has a more laid back arrangement that uses the acoustic guitar infused with gentle beats. Sowelu’s vocals plus the various background voices give the song its upbeat sound.

Similar to the previous track, but with a larger R&B influence is Still lovin’ you, the B-side on the Hikari single. I still really like this song and I think it’s one of the best slow jams that Sowelu has performed in recent memory.

Now we are presented with another B-side and it’s I Wonder from the Shiawase no Chikara single. This song has a more “feel good” pop sound with the acoustics and piano while having minimal beats. It’s a really bright and cheery track so it’s a nice addition to the album.

 Another slower paced song approaches but I got a jazzy feel from bass. What I liked the most about Sayonara was the chorus because Sowelu sings with emotion which makes it quite catchy. I could have done without harmonica solo during the bridge though.

Ending the album is a song that’s short and sweet. Taisetsu na Hito is about 2 and a half minutes long and it has a very simple arrangement consisting of cutesy chimes. The song mainly focuses on the sincere lyrics instead.

Sowelu’s collaboration with EXILE and DOBERMAN INC appears as a bonus track. I’m glad about that since 24karats -type S- wouldn’t have into this album at all. Right now, the rapping sections provided by DOBERMAN INC are what only bother me since I don’t mind EXILE’s parts. It would have better without DOBERMAN INC in my opinion.

I see Naked as a step in the right direction for Sowelu since it marks a return to the semi R&B sound that made me a fan of her’s in the first place. The album is definitely an improvement over her last one 24 -twenty four-which was a full blown pop record that I didn’t really enjoy. Similar to Ken Hirai’s latest album FAKIN’ POP, this album is dependent on previously released tracks and it includes only 5 new songs. I would have liked more new tracks, but since I actually liked MOST of the singles and B-sides she released this time around, I guess it’s okay. The five new songs, especially I’ll be with you and All My Life, are pretty good in their own respect as well.

Overall Rating 

3½ stars

Coming soon!

Beni Arashiro is a pop artist on the avex trax label, but she has dabbled into a little R&B before. Having Japanese and American parents, she is fluent in both English and Japanese. I used to dislike her at first, but I had a change of heart after some song recommendations. Her music definitely took some time to grow on me, but she has some great tracks under her belt.

For me, one of her best songs was September 2006’s How Are U?, the first single released for her most recent studio album GEM. Expect a review of it in the near future.

SINGLE REVIEW
Maki Goto - SOME BOYS! TOUCH

1. SOME BOYS! TOUCH
2. ALL OF US
3. SOME BOYS! TOUCH (Instrumental)

This is Maki Goto’s 16th single and it was released on October 11, 2006. This single reached #5 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 29,459 copies. The B-side was used as the first ending theme song for the anime Ginga Tetsudou Monogatari ~Eien e no Bunkiten~.

In my opinion, this is the ultimate guilty pleasure. SOME BOYS! TOUCH is probably Maki Goto’s most daring song to date and it shows off a more mature sound . Okay, the song isn’t really all that dirty like the title implies, but the lyrics are a huge tease and the way Goto sings might convince you otherwise. The music is mostly aggressive synth while still having an overall pop arrangement. This is most evident in the chorus where the music changes to have a more pop sound. The elevating verses and the awesome bridge were the most impressive parts of this song. I didn’t know that Tsunku, the composer AND writer, had it in him to create such a great track.

The B-side is a lot more cutesy pop than the previous track. ALL OF US is a simple song comprising of mostly strings and light percussion that create a light-hearted atmosphere. Goto’s vocals are good but sound a little boring at times. As far as B-sides go, this one was okay.

Overall Rating

4 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Natsumi Abe - Iki wo Kasanemashou

1. Iki wo Kasanemashou
2. Shousetsu no Naka no Futari
3. Iki wo Kasanemashou (Instrumental)

This is Natsumi Abe’s 10th single and it was released on October 24, 2007. This single reached #13 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 11,531 copies.

Iki wo Kasanemashou was the first song that I ever heard by Natsumi Abe and I instantly liked it on the first listen. It’s a really enchanting track with a relaxing island sound. The gentle electric guitars create soft, simple chords reminiscent of island reggae and they are what set this song apart Abe’s other works. The percussion during the verses had a nice beat to it as well. This song was really refreshing to me and it perfectly suited for Abe’s softer vocals too. 

The B-side, Shousetsu no Naka no Futari, is quite good too. It’s a calm piano ballad with pretty vocals and the like. The arrangement is kind of typical, but I thought it still sounded nice at certain parts. The bridge is a good example since it has that slow, but ambient buildup into the final chorus.

Overall Rating

4½ stars

ALBUM REVIEW
YUI - I LOVED YESTERDAY

1. Laugh away
2. My Generation *
3. Find me
4. No way
5. Namidairo *
6. Daydreamer
7. Love is all
8. I will love you
9. We will go
10. OH YEAH
11. My friend
12. LOVE & TRUTH *
13. Am I wrong?

♦

Note: Songs with a (*) at the end of their titles have already been reviewed. Click on the links to see their reviews.
Songs in bold are new tracks and will be reviewed.

♦ ♦ ♦

This is YUI’s 3rd album and it was released on April 9, 2008. This album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 352,900 copies.

The first track was also the album’s main promotional song and it was released as a digital single on March 10th. Laugh away is probably the best new song on the album as well as the most memorable. I really liked the upbeat nature of the song and the strings in the background gave the music a really nice touch. The chorus was quite surprising at first because YUI sings it pretty fast and the sou waratte itsumo waratte line is catchy.

The first single released for the album was the cheery My Generation. It’s a great follow-up to Laugh away since it’s also upbeat and I found the chorus to be really charming. It’s catchy and easy to sing along to as well. Since the song has grown on me, it’s now one of my favorite upbeat songs by YUI.

Up next is Find me, a slower track that focuses more on the guitars. The verses aren’t that interesting but they do lead into a pleasant chorus. The vocals are stronger and I liked the additional lower pitched vocals that followed right after.

Just like on her previous album, we get a really short song that kind of acts like an interlude. No way is really rockish and it could have made a good full-length song, but the main flaw of this song is pretty obvious since…

Namidairo is right after it and I simply ask: WHY? Don’t get me wrong, I still think this song is great but its placement after No way is awful. Going from a really upbeat and thumping song to the most depressing one on the album was a big no-no in my book. With that aside, Namidairo is actually one of the more unique songs on here since it doesn’t have alternative acoustic sound that the rest of the album has.

Another rockish track is next and its a brisk mix of strong electric guitar and drums. Daydreamer just seems to pass on by like the title suggests. I didn’t find anything remarkable about it.

Showcasing a more alternative sound with the guitars is Love is all. The verses are boring, but the chorus displays a really nice show of emotion from YUI’s vocals. She sings with power and I liked that, especially with the elongated notes.

This song is more mid-paced but rather bland at the same time. I will love you is lazy for the most part and even YUI sounds like she’s bored throughout the entire thing. Her vocals sound the same and that goes for the music too. Come on, let’s pick up the pace!

Hey, my prayers were answered! We will go is interesting with its rhythmic drums and overall vocal style. The arrangement is frantic and kind of quirky, most evidently during the verses where YUI’s vocals try to match the offbeat style of the guitars and percussion. What’s even more interesting about this song are the lyrics which are dedicated to Izumi Sakai of ZARD.

So here is another upbeat song that’s heavy on the drums but everything else is quite monotone. OH YEAH is nice with its cheery atmosphere as heard in the chorus, but it’s nothing special. It’s a short song anyway.

Now the next track actually has some character to it. My friend features a great combination of simple guitar chords and pretty strings that sound really nice together when the chorus arrives. It reminded me of Why?, the final track from her previous album and that’s a song I really love.

We’re almost done but LOVE & TRUTH wants to finish with a bang. This is my favorite song on the album because it is so dramatic when it comes to the overall arrangement and it’s one YUI’s most daring and unique to date. The strings and YUI’s emphasized vocals add some much needed emotion to the song and I felt that most of the tracks on the album lacked this. Plus, the guitar solo during the bridge is really cool.

Ending the album is a song that just sounds too similar to every other track on here. Am I wrong? is a mid-tempo alternative number that just moves on by. There really isn’t anything interesting going on and I thought it was bad way to the end the album. LOVE & TRUTH would have made a GREAT ending though.

Unfortunately, I LOVED YESTERDAY is an unremarkable album and a step down from YUI’s previous albums FROM ME TO YOU and CAN’T BUY MY LOVE. I really tried to like this album, but I just couldn’t. While she does show off her excellent songwriting skills in every song, the music does not help with showing the descriptive imagery that she sings of. Almost every song on the album, minus the singles and Laugh away, sounds the same and they’re pretty forgettable because of that. There is no variety in the arrangements of the new tracks and they all follow the same style. She definitely stayed within her comfort zone and the overall blandness of this album just proves that. Since the singles were great, I was expecting more. Hopefully, she will return to the sound that made her first 2 albums so good because what she’s doing right now is starting to get old.

Overall Rating

2½ stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Perfume - Fan Service [sweet]

1. Chocolate Disco
2. Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow

This is Perfume’s 4th major label single (9th overall) and it was released on February 14, 2007. This single reached #31 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 9,214 copies.

For those who aren’t familar with the group Perfume; they are 3 girls whose music is produced by Yasutaka Nakata from capsule. Since this is Nakata I’m talking about, be prepared for computerized vocals with really fun electropop music.

The first track is the incredibly infectious Chocolate Disco. Opening with electronic beeps and echoes, the song stays at a very lively pace. Even though the chorus is really repetitive and the girls just say “chocolate disco” (it’s more like CHOKOREITO DEISUKO) over and over, it’s what makes the song so catchy. I’ve have gotten the melody stuck in my head on various occasions because of its simplicity.

Originally released digitally in December 2006, Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow makes an appearance as the 2nd track. It’s not as upbeat as Chocolate Disco, but it still a grooving song. The beats are a little stronger and have a dance club vibe to them. The vocals can get a just a little annoying at times and the electronic distortions aren’t really helping.

Overall Rating 

3½ stars

SINGLE REVIEW
ZARD - Tsubasa wo Hirogete /
        Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de

1. Tsubasa wo Hirogete
2. Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de
3. Tsubasa wo Hirogete (Instrumental)
4. Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de (Instrumental)

This is ZARD’s 44th single and it was released on April 9, 2008. This single reached #3 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 62,006 copies. The first track was used as the theme song for the 12th Detective Conan movie and the 2nd track was the 22nd opening theme song for the Detective Conan anime.

Izumi Sakai originally wrote Tsubasa wo Hirogete for the group DEEN way back in 1993 and she recorded her own version of it as well. Unlike the other songs that she has written for other artists and self-covered, this one never got officially released until now. I assume that Sakai recorded Tsubasa wo Hirogete during the early 90s because her vocals sound a little younger and the music has the classic flair of a 90s J-pop ballad. The beginning of the song features calm piano chords and later on percussion and electric guitar come in. To top it all off, there’s that electric guitar solo.

The 2nd track is a new version of Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de, the B-side from ZARD’s debut single Good-bye My Loneliness released in 1991. With a more aggressive arrangement and louder instruments, the music was pretty good. However, what killed this song for me was the artist who was featured in it and that happens to be alternative/rock artist Aya Kamiki. Mixing Sakai’s original 1991 vocals with new vocals was a bad idea and the resulting “duet” turned out to sound like bad karaoke to me. I mean, why is Kamiki even on here? If it was trying to make the song sound more modern, then that was dumb because this is classic ZARD we’re talking about. I could hardly hear Sakai anyway because she was being drowned out by Kamiki’s overbearing vocals.

Overall Rating

3 stars

ALBUM REVIEW
melody. - Lei Aloha

1. Daybreak
2. Say Hello
3. Haruka (Eternal Version)
4. Peace Song
5. Never Goodbye
6. Memories in Time
7. HORIZON
8. Kiss away
9. Anata no Soba ni
10. No Return
11. Sunset Love
12. Beneath My Skin
13. DOOR
14. Paradise

♦ ♦ ♦

This is melody.’s 4th album and it was released on April 9, 2008. This album reached #15 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 15,142 copies. Minus the ”eternal” version of Haruka, there are 13 new tracks.

The album opens with the short instrumental Daybreak, an ambient piece that features a lonesome harp with the sound of ocean waves in the background. It perfectly sets intimate and serene tone of this album as it flows into the first full-length song.

Say Hello quickly begins with pretty strings and then a catchy chorus that uses an English lyric as its hook: Say hello, hello for you and myself. Next to the strings, there are some calm acoustics that really give the song a relaxing island vibe. It’s the first of many tracks that showcase the album’s musical direction.

Haruka was the only single that melody. released for this album and it has a different ending from that of the single version. If you’ve seen the PV then you’ll know that this is the “eternal version” which is a minute longer. The way it ends makes it superior to the single version because it gives the song closure and makes it more complete as a whole. Plus, it is absolutely beautiful when the background choir like vocals begin singing Stay together hand in hand and the strings and drums become stronger. I found this part to be really moving.

Minus the interludes, the next track is the shortest on the the album at just 2 minutes in length. It’s also the only song to be in English, which kind of surprising since her other albums contain at least 4-5 English songs. Peace Song is a simple acoustic track but I loved the message of the lyrics.

This song is a more upbeat and it has some nice percussion. However, Never Goodbye has a darker atmosphere too and it features acoustics with distant voices echoing Don’t stop dreaming in the background.

This interlude is just plain beautiful. Memories in Time has an uplifting piano arrangement that later adds some background vocals.

What follows after, HORIZON, is probably the most beautiful song on the album. This ethereal ballad just seems to go so well with melody.’s soft voice and she gives a wonderful performance during the chorus where she sings gorgeous elongated notes. Utilizing gentle synth and acoustic guitar, the song definitely has an air of ambience.

At this point, the album takes a more upbeat direction with Kiss away. It prominately features a unique instrument that sounded like the bagpipes along with up tempo drums. The chorus is pretty catchy too.

The electric guitar opens Anata no Soba ni with an impressive bang. The verses are rather calm but transition into a more aggressive chorus that uses electric guitar. This song is like a more upbeat version of Haruka thanks to the more “rockish” arrangement it has. melody.’s vocals are really nice here when she adds some emphasis into it.

No Return is a unique track on the album because it resembles the material from the dance influenced READY TO GO!, her previous album. The music has a dance club flair to it because of the beats and quick strings. melody.’s vocal style is a lot more assertive compared to the laid back approach she takes with the rest of the songs too. Even though the song doesn’t really fit that well on this album, it’s still a welcome addition.

Here’s another relaxing interlude but this one has vocals in it. Sunset Love features English lyrics and melody.’s vocals sound very remote and far away, but they echo too because of the layered backtrack.

It was interesting to find out that Dai Nagao (of Do As Infinity fame) composed Beneath My Skin, a bright song with nice piano and frequent beats. I like how melody. creates a catchy hook into the chorus with an English lyric because she knows how to transition and she does it really well. The song fades out with background vocals repeating I promise to be true to you.

I liked the cheery island pop sound of DOOR mostly due to the gentle acoustics. When the chorus arrives, a catchy beat comes in next to melody.’s lovely vocals.

I thought that Paradise was the perfect way to close the album. This calm acoustic ballad is like a farewell since melody. sings the Hawaiian phrase aloha o’e which means “farewell to you” during the chorus. In a way, she could be saying farewell to her former self since it is one of the themes of the album. With this song, the album ends in an almost sentimental fashion.

Lei Aloha is unlike anything melody. has done before and that’s actually a good thing. This is actually the first album by her where I liked every song because they’re all well done and of the highest musical quality. There are 2 major themes which are really personal to her that greatly affected the music and lyrics. The first one being the bonds she has with her friends and family and the second being the representation of her former self while living Hawaii before moving to Japan when she was 19. That’s why this album contains her most intimate and thoughtful work to date. I could really feel the laid back and relaxing island atmosphere that all of the tracks had and they are really reminiscent of what most people think of Hawaii, which is what I think melody. wanted to show. Fans of her usual dance and R&B flavored pop will find this album to be a drastic change but it’s definitely worth a listen. Honestly, this album made me appreciate her even more as a singer because it portrays a vulnerable and “human” side of her.

Overall Rating

5 stars