alan – Sora Uta « Beyond the Sea ~ The Style. Edition

alan – Sora Uta

September 12, 2008 at 8:32 pm | In alan | 8 Comments
Tags: singles

Tracklisting
1. Sora Uta (空唄)
2. My Stage
3. Sora Uta (Instrumental)
4. My Stage (Instrumental)

This is alan’s 4th single and it was released on August 13, 2008. The single reached #34 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 4,537 copies.

Moving along with alan’s 5 elemental singles campaign, the theme of Sora Uta is the sky. This is her first upbeat A-side and it is very impressive. The music is a little more on the pop side but it mixes in some traditional elements like some ethnic guitars for instance. However, what gives the song its ethereal quality are the various sounds that range from distant synth riffs to nebulous strings. There actually is a distinct “air-like” attribute in the music that relates to the theme. As for alan’s vocals, she sounds remarkable as always but I liked that she finally tried out a song that was more aggressive in terms of overall tempo and pace.

The B-side is more or less a continuation of Sora Uta but it features a really quirky and offbeat arrangement. My Stage is really funky and quite random with its blending of different sounds. I would have normally classified this song as a “hot mess”, but I think that it’s pretty good. The chimes, beats, and synth lines all seem to flow well together and not disconnected like I had originally perceived. Both of these songs have turned out to be alan’s most unique material to date and it’s good that she’s showing some versatility.

Overall Rating

4 stars

8 Comments »

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seriously, i think sora uta is her best song because it sounds unique.
good review!

Comment by josh012595 — September 12, 2008 #
If you want agressive, her next single defies all that I thought she was. xD Can’t wait for your view on it. :D

Comment by taelin — September 12, 2008 #
I wasn’t a huge fan of Sora Uta (at all), but My Stage is pretty good. Nothing much of what I’ve heard her sing so far beats Red Cliff yet, but I haven’t heard every single, so whatever.

Comment by Selryam — September 12, 2008 #
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SONG.
alan is really turning out to be one of my favorite Japanese-music artists. She’s so refreshing and it’s so amazing to hear quality with each release. Fantastic review, as usual and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the next elemental single.

Comment by Keoni — September 13, 2008 #
I loved Sora Uta, not a big fan of My Stage though. But Kaze no Tegami was such a better single in my opinion, and she took on a new genre. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on her next single.

Comment by Die — September 13, 2008 #
ooh, Sora Uta is awesome!!!!
My Stage is another great song from alan so I really think she can do no wrong XD

Comment by amaiyume — September 13, 2008 #
I absolutely love Sora Uta single!! Both songs are 5’s on my list. <3 Glad you enjoyed them Lex.

Comment by Ty_Sylicus — September 16, 2008 #
OMG.
I love this song too.
A bit off at first, but it really grows on you.

Comment by blackmager — May 5, 2009 #