Beyond the Sea

ALBUM REVIEW
Angela Aki - TODAY

1. Sakurairo *
2. Again
3. TODAY
4. Ai no Uta
5. Tashika ni *
6. Silent Girl
7. Moral no Soushiki
8. Otome Gokoro
9. One Melody
10. Tomo no Shirushi
11. Kodoku no Kakera *
12. On & On *
13. Surrender

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Note: Songs with a (*) at the end of their titles have already been reviewed. Look at the single reviews for more information.
Songs in bold are new tracks and will be reviewed.

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This is Angela Aki’s 2nd album and it was released on September 19, 2007. This album reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 192,301 copies.

I thought Sakurairo was a perfect opening track because it instantly sets the positive and upbeat tone of the album. I have always loved this song because it is full of emotion and the lyrics are gorgeous.

Track 2 is Again, a very upbeat track with a lovely chorus. Further into the album, you will notice that Angela Aki is starting to include a stronger percussion section and more sweeping strings into her songs. It’s an incredibly pretty song and one of my favorites of the album’s new tracks.

Don’t confuse the next track with Aki’s Smashing Pumpkins cover from her Kokoro no Senshi single because the TODAY on this album is a completely different song. The biggest thing I noticed was the use of electric guitar during the chorus and bridge. Aki’s repeating of the ‘T’ sound in the word ’today’ is a unique aspect of this track and it actually gives it a little bit of life.

I guess Aki has jumped on the Ai no Uta boat along with several other artists but I’m not complaining. This is such a beautiful and moving song thanks to Aki’s soulful and sincere vocals. The addition of lower keyed strings later on really add a feeling of sadness but also hope into the song. 

I do have to admit that Tashika ni sounds A LOT better on the album since it jumps in right after the slow and somber Ai no Uta. As a single, I wasn’t really feeling this song, but I see it in another light as a track on the album.

Silent Girl is another slow tempo track only accompanied by the piano. It’s a little on the boring side, but Aki’s stellar vocals are nothing to scoff at.

Track 7 is nothing short of amazing. Moral no Soushiki is a song of inconsistency that’s always changing tempos and vocal styles. It opens with a strange drum solo and then into some dark piano chords. Aki opens the explosive the chorus with the Latin phrase Pater Noster which means ‘Father’s Prayer’, and it is one the many forms of symbolism that the song uses. Aki even sings through the point of view of another person (a mother) during the song’s ’slow down’ phase. This is definitely one of the best tracks she has ever made.

Otome Gokoro is a very jazzy song because of its quick piano chords and bass guitar in the background. The chorus is charming and extremely lively and Aki’s vocals also compliment the grooving vibes of this song. 

The opening piano chords of One Melody set the heartwarming and inspirational tone of the song. I really liked the use of band instruments in this very calming track.

Track 10 is probably the most relaxed and reserved on the album with its minimal use of other instruments. Tomo no Shirushi is nothing extremely special but it’s still a very pleasant song.

Next up is Kodoku no Kakera, a very dramatic song with pretty vocals. The opening piano chords with the additon of the strings and French horns give the song a melancholic, almost depressing atmosphere.

It’s great that On & On appears after all these slower paced tracks because this is an uplifting song with a catchy chorus. Aki’s vocals are wonderful especially near the end of the song where she begins to adlib.

I was so impressed with Surrender, the album’s final track. The song is completely in English and the lyrics are beautifu. Aki pours her heart and soul into this song and it even sounds like she’s on the verge of crying near the end. She definitely gives one of her most emotional performances in this song and it closes the album with sincerity and compassion.

TODAY is almost like a continuation of Angela Aki’s debut Japanese album Home because it’s like the end of the story that she created in Home. This album was created with a different state of mind and that’s reason why so many of the tracks have that upbeat, pop sound to them. Home was a very bittersweet album in terms of lyrics and music while TODAY is full of life and optimism, two very different sides of the spectrum. In the end, I loved this album because every track is of the highest quality. Even though the album is definitely more ‘pop’ than Home was, it doesn’t change the fact that Aki is still making incredible music.

Overall Rating

5 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Angela Aki - Tashika ni

1. Tashika ni
2. Tashika ni -piano version-

This is Angela Aki’s 7th single and it was released on July 11, 2007. This single reached #15 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 11,210 copies.

Even though Tashika ni is quite a charming song that is very upbeat and free spirited, I couldn’t get over how repetitive it was. The verses and how she transitioned to the chorus by singing whoa whoa whoa were my favorite parts of the song. The first half of the song is great but near the end, that’s when the repitition begins to appear. She begins to repeat the same phrases over and over and I thought it was kind of annoying.

Track 2 is the piano version of the song. I thought the piano was overshadowed by the other instruments in the original so I thought this version was great. Even though the piano version is almost a minute shorter than the original, it still has that repitition.

Overall Rating 

3½ stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Angela Aki - Kodoku no Kakera

1. Kodoku no Kakera
2. Kodoku no Kakera -piano version-
3. Solitude

This is Angela Aki’s 6th single and it was released on May 23, 2007. This single reached #9 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 31,534 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the drama Kodoku no Kake ~Itoshiki Hito yo~.

Kodoku no Kakera is another high quality song from Angela Aki.  This is one of Aki’s more dramatic songs because of it’s mix of melancholy strings and piano chords. The chorus is beautifully crafted and Aki’s vocals are gorgeous as always. I loved the way she elevates her voice to make it become stronger.

The piano version of Kodoku no Kakera is pretty much the same song as before. The piano arrangement alone is great and Aki still presents all of the goods.

The final track on the single is a piano instrumental piece of Kodoku no Kakera that has a new title: Solitude. It starts off a little different from the original arrangement but still follows the main melody of the verses and the chorus. The piano chords are much more frequent too.

Overall Rating

4 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Angela Aki - Sakurairo

1. Sakurairo
2. On & On
3. Power of MUSIC
4. HOME -piano version-

This is Angela Aki’s 5th single and it was released on March 7, 2007. This single reached #8 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 105,796 copies.

Here it is, Angela Aki’s first single since the release of her debut album Home. Sakurairo begins with nostalgic piano chords and a very pretty string arrangement. The thing I like most about this song is that she does a little dedication to HOME (her debut single) during the bridge by using some of the lyrics as well as the main melody. It’s very short but its transition into the final chorus is amazing. I was very happy with this song and she definitely has raised the bar for her future singles, it’s THAT good.

I honestly thought that this was her all around best single because of the awesome B-sides and the first one is On & On, an upbeat pop song with a catchy chorus. The mix of piano, bass, and percussion is great and this is probably one of her most upbeat songs to date. Aki’s vocals are simply amazing and her free-styling at the end of the song is to die for.

The next track is a new version of MUSIC titled Power of MUSIC, a song that originally appeared on her debut album Home. I thought the original was great and this new version is better on so many levels. There are many changes in the song including the addition of a light dance beat, new lyrics (the chorus remains intact though), and an even more cheerful atmosphere than that of the original.

The bonus track on the single is a piano version of HOME, her debut single. I have to say that Aki’s vocals are even better than that of the studio version and it’s a little slower paced. This is still my favorite Angela Aki song and it’s wonderful to hear a new version of it.

Overall Rating

5 stars