SINGLE REVIEW
YUI - SUMMER SONG

1. SUMMER SONG
2. Oh My God
3. Laugh away ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. SUMMER SONG ~Instrumental~

This is YUI’s 13th single and it was released on July 2, 2008. This single reached #1 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 97,604 copies.

I kind of lost faith in YUI after being really disappointed by her latest album I LOVED YESTERDAY, but I’m happy to say that her singles are still really solid. This is the case for SUMMER SONG, which is more of a laid back tune for the summer. Slowly drifting away from the alternative vibe of her last album, this song showcases the acoustic pop sound that she does so well. Her vocals sound more screechy than usual during at some parts and I thought they could have been better.

Her B-sides are starting to get better as well. It’s too bad that Oh My God is so short since it’s the better song on this single. The music and the vocals are a little more progressive and I thought the background vocals added a great touch to the song. Like I said before, the song is way too short for its own good. It’s still a good track but I wished there was a little bit more.

A YUI single isn’t complete with an acoustic version! This time we get one of Laugh away, the promotional track from her previous album (it was also a digital single). This was definitely the song that stood out compared to all the new tracks from I LOVED YESTERDAY and she creates another excellent acoustic version.

Overall Rating 

3½ stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Ami Suzuki - ONE

1. ONE
2. A token of love
3. ONE (Instrumental)
4. A token of love (FM88 mix)

This is Ami Suzuki’s 28th single and it was released on July 2, 2008. This single reached #17 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 6,683 copies.

Ami Suzuki celebrates her 10th anniversary in the music industry with a bang. She once again works with Yasutaka Nakata for ONE, an extremely infectious dance track. Since Nakata produced all the songs on this single, the familiar electronic vocal distortions are here. I really liked the constant and upbeat pace of the music and its use of various synth lines mixed with glimmering beats. The rhythm just never lets up and Suzuki’s quick vocals blend in very well for an extra dose of energy that help create the phenomenal chorus.

The B-side, A token of love, is a little slower paced but it still has a very strong, high octane sound. What struck me as the most interesting aspect about the song were all the elongated notes that Suzuki performed. With Nakata’s vocal distortions thrown into the mix, these parts sound very nice. This song easily tops her other recent B-sides by a huge amount.

After the instrumental of ONE, there is the FM88 mix of A token of love which was arranged by Nakata. The original version is 6 minutes long while this remix is 4 minutes. Besides the length, the remix only features a few additional synth lines. It’s pretty much the same song, but shorter.

Overall Rating

4½ stars

ALBUM REVIEW
ayaka - Sing to the Sky

1. POWER OF MUSIC
2. Ai wo Utaou *
3. Sky
4. Jewelry day *
5. Good Night Baby
6. For today
7. Why *
8. Gold Star
9. Mahoutsukai no Shiwaza
10. Te wo Tsunagou *
11. Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu
12. CLAP & LOVE *
13. Kimi ga Iru Kara
14. Okaeri *
15. Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete…
16. WINDING ROAD * / ayaka × Kobukuro
17. I believe <English ver.>

♦

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 ayaka’s 2nd album and it was released on June 25, 2008. This album reached #2 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 473,427 copies.

Beginning with a “1,2!” intro, the album opens with a inspirational track. Featuring some small hints of gospel, POWER OF MUSIC is a cheerful tune filled with upbeat piano chords, blaring brass, and soulful vocals. You could tell that ayaka and the band in the studio were having fun while recording this song. During the clapping sequence of the bridge, cheering can be heard in the background. Even though the music is a little on the laid back side, this is a great way to start things off.

Another upbeat track follows and it’s the wonderful Ai wo Utaou. The mix of strings and electric guitar is great and I really liked the powerful chorus. On the Te wo Tsunagou / Ai wo Utaou single, I thought that this was the better song since I found it more interesting.

I guess you could say that this is the album’s pivotal track. Sky is a pleasant song but what stood out for me was the vibrant chorus. It begins with ayaka belting out Fly to the sky  followed by strong vocals. The acoustic pop arrangement is pretty average compared to what’s on the rest of the album though.

The gorgeous acoustic ballad Jewelry day is next and I still haven’t gotten tired of it. This is such a sad song and it’s built on top of a very heartfelt vocal performance. Further into the song, the strings come in and just emphasize on the raw emotion of ayaka’s voice. The ending always gets to me with its beautiful string ensemble.

A cute, bouncy number is up next. Good Night Baby has a nice rhythm and drum beat, but it stays pretty calm for the most part. It’s not until the ending when ayaka’s power vocals show up and the electric guitars begin to elevate. Being barely over 3 minutes long, this is a short and sweet song.

The next track isn’t exactly new. It’s actually kind of old but I didn’t review it because it’s a digital single and you know me. Anyways, For today was released back on November 14, 2007 and it’s an extremely upbeat pop rock song. It’s like a high octane version of her 3rd single Real voice but with even more powerful vocals. ayaka just belts it out in her lower register throughout the entire song while being accompanied by thumping drums and screeching riffs. It’s fun, but it took me multiple listens to start liking it.

Here is a song that I’m still iffy about. Why has grown on me a little, but I still find it kind of boring. The somber lyrics and ayaka’s vocals are great, but the music is what gives me mixed feelings. It’s not a ballad nor is it upbeat, but rather stuck in between. I will say that the song does take a turn for the better towards the end when the adlibbing sequence occurs.

Gold Star does show a more edgy side of ayaka on this album. Her vocals are more aggressive and the electric guitars definitely take the spot as the lead instrument. What makes this song better than Meiro (the B-side from the Okaeri single), which was also dominantly rockish in nature, is that it’s way more upbeat. The faster paced music of Gold Star better suited her voice.

Now the album slows down a bit for the next 3 tracks. This phase begins with the very charming Mahoustukai no Shiwaza, a piano based song. I loved the gentle, yet playful piano chords and ayaka’s vocals go with the flow. Because the song is short like Good Night Baby, it acts like an interlude between Gold Star and Te wo Tsunagou, which are two radically different songs.

It took me a while to really start appreciating Te wo Tsunagou. Even though I still wish the first half of the song could be more interesting, ayaka’s vocals are fantastic. When the bridge arrives, the tempo changes a fairly good amount with the addition of electric guitars and drums. The final chorus is amazing though.

The next track is pretty interesting because it borrows some elements from blues and jazz. Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu has ayaka singing in her lower register again and she sounds surprisingly good. The verses are calm and smooth, but the chorus has those incredible power vocals. I also liked the bridge with its use of upbeat guitar chords.

I honestly love the arrangement of CLAP & LOVE because of the awesome combination of clapping beats, vocoder, and deep electric guitar. I also love ayaka’s husky vocal performance and insanely catchy adlibbing sequences. I think the music is quite offbeat compared to the rest of the album because it lacks any kind of percussion instrument and the clapping is what keeps the beat instead. Add the background vocals and frequent riffs and you now have something unique but very good at the same time.

Okay, so I already think that all the new tracks on this album are good, but ayaka delivers one of her best upbeat songs to date with Kimi ga Iru Kara. It’s also my favorite of the new tracks too. Right from the beginning there’s a flurry of guitar riffs and strings and I was hooked. The chorus is definitely what makes this song shine and I loved how uplifting it was. It’s bound to put a smile on your face.

Now we have the heartwarming Okaeri, the last single released before the album. This is such a sweet song and ayaka gives a gentle, yet assertive vocal performance. I’ve gotten over the bagpipes, but it would have been nice if they WEREN’T there (they seemed sort of unnecessary to me). That’s just a minor detail because I absolutely love this song.

Before the bonus tracks, Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete… makes for a beautiful ending to this album. There’s not enough words to describe how gorgeous this piano ballad is. Everything is so well done but what I liked the most about this song are the English lyrics that ayaka sings in the form of stunning high notes. She sings the lines What I need now is you and You made me what I am with such grace and feeling, especially at the end. As far as I’m concerned, this was the perfect final track for the album.

Now let’s move on to the 2 bonus tracks! The first one is ayaka’s hit collaboration with Kobukuro, WINDING ROAD. Her and the 2 members of Kobukuro make such great harmonies during the chorus and also during their respective solo parts. The only part that bugged me was the bridge because everyone goes a little overboard with the adlibbing. Other than that, this was a great collaboration and I can’t wait for their next one titled Anata to which is out in November.

The 2nd bonus track is the English version of I believe, her debut single. She has sung full English songs before at concerts, but this is currently her only one to be recorded in the studio. Her pronunciation is easy to understand at certain parts, but difficult during others. I think the song sounds good in English and the lyrics are nice for the most part.

Sing to the Sky MIGHT be my favorite album of the year so far. It’s a big improvement over her debut album First Message, especially when it comes to the new tracks. I also felt that Sing to the Sky had more variety as well. The only problem that I noticed with the album was with the placement of certain tracks. The flow is sometimes choppy in some areas and songs like CLAP & LOVE and Jewelry day could have been better placed. However, that’s an extremely small nuisance when you compare it to the grand scheme of things. I thought every new track was executed very well and I even enjoyed the songs that I didn’t like back when they were singles. If you liked her debut album, then you are definitely going to love this one.

Overall Rating

5 stars

I thought my blog needed a little spicing up so I decided to add some special articles. I looooove creating lists and all that junk so I hope this will be the first of many of new features here at Beyond the Sea.

The first feature here will be my top 10 favorite album covers! I’m a whore for cover arts, especially albums, so this list was actually kind of hard to make. I’m extremely picky when it comes to this stuff too. This list is in no particular order~

♦ ♦ ♦

There’s something about Nami Tamaki’s Speciality that I find very striking. It definitely stands out compared to her other covers as well. This is the CD+DVD edition and it features a side shot of Tamaki (compared to the CD only’s frontal shot). The purple color scheme is really clean from the huge glasses to the thick borders. The text as well as its placement is very good too (I’m very very very critical when it comes to text).

For me, the cover of Utada Hikaru’s DEEP RIVER is iconic. It shows such a bare, yet dignified depiction of the singer and since the cover is monochrome, it just pumps up that effect. I love simple (and textless!) covers and this one of the best.

This is an awesome, traditional Japanese styled cover. Tsukiko Amano’s Tenryuu shows her in a red and white kimono sitting in front of very elaborate background. It’s so intricate and detailed! Plus, the red diamond on lower left corner contains the album’s name too.

I have one word to describe this cover: CUTE! The cover of Mika Nakashima’s LOVE has a brilliant shot of her with a little smirk on her face and an orchid in her mouth. I thought that adding the orchid was indeed lovely. There’s also her HAIR! It’s her best look ever.

This is one of those covers that do not match the lyrical content of the album. Miwako Okuda’s debut album Futari (”two people” in this context) was EMO, plain and simple. The cover is mysterious because you don’t completely see the second person that she is with. Plus, I’m not sure what that drawing that they’re touching is (even with the large high quality scan I have). Thoughts anyone?

I loved the theme of Namie Amuro’s PLAY. This is the CD+DVD edition and it shows her in a sexy cop/dominatrix outfit. Several elements of the cover like the riding crop, the tie, and the hat just scream style. The “PLAY” logo is also very cool.

The cover of melody.’s Lei Aloha easily gets my pick for best scenery. Shot in Hawaii, the cover is natural beauty at its absolute best. The cloudy sky, ocean waves, and green mountains are spectacular. Like with her other albums, the text is in white Ariel font to keep with tradition. Also, this her first album cover to not be a close up shot.

Ai Otsuka’s 4th album, appropriately titled LOVE PiECE, has a really creative cover. Comprised of 6 photos representing a different color, each picture is a piece of a puzzle that creates the final product. I loved this concept and how each different picture combined to make just one in a neat jigsaw format.

This is another memorable cover for me. Do As Infinity’s debut album BREAK OF DAWN shows an amazing monochrome shot of the band who are completely dressed in black with lead singer Tomiko Van up front. The left side is interesting as seems to begin to repeat. The yellow text really stands out too since it contrasts the picture.

OMG! This is probably my favorite album cover in existence. The cover of BONNIE PINK’s Present is an insanely vivid mix of colors, pastels, and hues. I love her pose and facial expression too. I prefer the booklet’s cover since it’s tinted blue (the first pressing slipcase is pink).

♦ ♦ ♦

So there you have it! Stay tuned for the next feature which will be even bigger: my top 15 single covers! Yep, that’s right: there will be 15 since I like A LOT of them.

SINGLE REVIEW
Leah Dizon - Vanilla

1. Vanilla
2. LOVE SWEET CANDY
3. Kanashimi to Egao no Naka de
4. Vanilla (Instrumental)
5. LOVE SWEET CANDY (Instrumental)

This is Leah Dizon’s 5th single and it was released on June 25, 2008. This single reached #26 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 5,568 copies.

After a really impressive single from Leah Dizon (the awesome Love Paradox), Vanilla was a letdown. This is your typical pop song, but I thought its overall execution was lazy and it lacked a certain flair. I found it less interesting than Koi Shiyou♪ and L･O･V･E U despite the upbeat atmosphere and overly sweet lyrics. Compared to her previous A-sides, I gotta say that this one was her weakest.

Fortunately, the B-sides are the single’s saving grace and I thought they were a lot better. LOVE SWEET CANDY has a certain charm to it that I really liked and the funky, reggae sound of the music seemed to go very well with Dizon’s vocals. Her voice is more breathy compared to the choppy performance in Vanilla and as a result, she also sounds more vibrant.

The CD only edition of the single features a 2nd B-side, the somber Kanashimi to Egao no Naka de. This song reminded me a lot of Again and Again from her debut album (a song that I LOVED), but with a stronger R&B flavored arrangement and fuller vocals from Dizon. Along with LOVE SWEET CANDY, we can add this song to the already good amount of B-sides under her belt. It’s too bad that this song won’t be on her upcoming new album titled Communication!!! (but LOVE SWEET CANDY has so it’s all good).

Overall Rating 

3½ stars

SINGLE REVIEW
misono - Ninin Sankyaku

1. Ninin Sankyaku
2. Rock Project Medley
    (”Zasetsu Chiten” “Junin Toiro”
     “Mugen Kigen” “Ninin Sankyaku”)
3. Ninin Sankyaku (Instrumental)

This is misono’s 10th single and it was released on June 25, 2008. This single reached #10 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 18,890 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the video game Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World.

I thought misono’s “rock project” was over with her previous single Mugen Kigen, but then a 4th single was slated for release as the theme song for the new Tales of Symphonia sequel. Much to my relief, Ninin Sankyaku is actually the best song she has made for this entire project. It’s a consistent and steady song but it still maintains a nice, edgy rock sound thanks to the aggressive riffs. misono’s vocals are neat as well and I liked how she stayed controlled during the energetic chorus.

The B-side is a 9 minute medley of all the A-sides featured in the rock project (in the order they were released in). It’s not bad and makes for a good recap, but it’s very unoriginal compared to the amazing Finger 5 Medley she did on her debut album. The songs are basically cut in half and smoothly transition into one another. Here’s how it goes:

• It starts off with Zasetsu Chiten, a pretty solid song. It has grown on me since then and it’s pretty energetic.
• Juunin Toiro is just plain weird. The way the song flows is weird and the same goes for the vocals, melody, and consistency of the music too. It’s still my least favorite of the rock project singles.
• Up next is Mugen Kigen, the slowest of the 4 songs. I really liked the elongated notes performed by the electric guitars and they give the song a somewhat epic feeling.
• The medley concludes with the ending sequence of Ninin Sankyaku, simple as that.

Overall Rating

4 stars

SINGLE REVIEW
K - play and pray

1. play and pray
2. Believe in love you
3. Lovin’ You
4. play and pray -less vocal-

This is K’s 10th single and it was released on June 25, 2008. This single reached #48 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 2,673 copies.

Hmmm…play and pray is a step up from K’s last 2 singles, but even then I think it’s just an okay song. This mid-tempo R&B inspired song has uninteresting verses but a great chorus that’s pretty upbeat and jazzy. Similar to his past songs, there is a nice combination of his trademark piano playing mixed with R&B elements like fingersnaps and drum beats. His vocals are strong as usual too.

I liked the B-sides even more though…a lot more. The oddly titled Believe in love you should have been the A-side, honestly! The constant, yet rhythmic piano chords next K’s flowing vocals are fantastic and make this song stand out. The chorus is also quite vibrant with its inclusion of sweeping strings. Let’s hope this “B-side” makes the next album too.

When the tracklisting for this single was first announced, I couldn’t believe that he was going to cover Minnie Riperton’s 1975 classic Lovin’ You. You know, that song with the whistle notes? I kind of cringed at the thought of K performing of them, but I was glad that he DOESN’T after finally listening to his cover. He does his own normal high notes and his English has gotten even better (surprisingly).

Overall Rating 

3½ stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Hitomi Shimatani - WAKE YOU UP / Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo / Marvelous

CD+DVD edition
1. WAKE YOU UP
2. Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo
    Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo
3. Marvelous

CD only edition
1. Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo
    Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo
2. Ameoto ~Ame no Hi ni wa
    Ame no Naka wo Zenya~
3. Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi
    ni wa Kaze no Naka wo feat. GooF from
    SOFFet (SMOOTH RAP version)
4. Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi
    ni wa Kaze no Naka wo (Instrumental)
5. Ameoto ~Ame no Hi ni
    wa Ame no Naka wo Zenya~ (Instrumental)

This is Hitomi Shimatani’s 28th single and it was released on June 25, 2008. This single reached #33 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 4,165 copies. WAKE YOU UP was used as the theme song for the drama Keitai Sousakan 7.

I thought the way avex released this single was kind of strange so I thought I would try to explain it the best I can. The CD+DVD edition is a triple A-side single with no instrumentals while the CD only features the song Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo as the main A-side with additional coupling tracks (it’s also labeled as a collaboration with Mitsuo Aida). The thing is, several online retailers list the CD only edition as a separate single but other places like the Oricon charts and Hitomi Shimatani’s official website consider them as one release. For instance, the Oricon charts combined both editions for the weekly total, just like a normal J-pop release that has multiple editions. So let’s go on to the review!

Starting with what’s on the CD+DVD edition, WAKE YOU UP kicks things off with an old school vibe. The song is very reminiscent of music from the 90s J-pop scene with its single note bursts of synth and English background vocals. When I think about it, this could have easily been a ZARD song. Anyway, even though the arrangement is very chaotic and sometimes unorganized, I really liked the high octane energy of the music and Shimatani’s vocals. The upbeat chorus is also extremely catchy as well.

The next track has a tongue twister of a title. Try saying Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo five times! Based on poem of the same name by Mitsuo Aida, the long title makes a very catchy appearance during the chorus and I loved the way the lyrics rhymed for a great poetic effect. This is actually my favorite song on the single because it just grabbed me on the first listen. As for the music; it’s very sweet and serene. The light bass beats and reggae like riffs also give the song an island vibe.

I know that everybody who is a fan of Shimatani has said that Marvelous sounds like a watered down version of Camellia…and they’re kind of right. It has a similar piano and synth arrangement that’s pretty upbeat with a chorus of the same style as well. I wouldn’t say the song is bad, but it’s definitely the weakest of the three songs on the CD+DVD edition.

♦ ♦ ♦

Now we move on to the CD only edition’s coupling tracks. Ameoto ~Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Zenya~ is a very laid back traditional ballad with gorgeous piano chords and light drums. Shimatani’s vocals breathe life into the music, especially during the ethereal chorus where some gentle strings come in. Further into the song, starting at the second verse, the drums get a little faster. For me, this was another great B-side by Shimatani.

Also on the CD only edition is the SMOOTH RAP version of Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo that features GooF from the R&B duo SOFFet (they’re on avex’s Rhythm Zone sublabel). Most of you guys know that I don’t normally like rappers featured in songs but I’ll make an exception this time because the rapping is actually GOOD. GooF mainly performs the rapping sections during the song’s instrumental sections but the final chorus also has him rapping alongside Shimatani’s vocals.

 Overall Rating

4½ stars

ALBUM REVIEW
Beni Arashiro - GEM

1. BAD GIRL
2. Mermaid
3. Losin’ control
4. Loved
5. Luna *
6. How Are U? *
7. Paradise
8. Mirror mirror
9. Sweet but Empty
10. Koibumi (Studio Live Version)
11. No pain, No gain (English Version)

♦

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 Beni Arashiro’s 3rd album and it was released on April 25, 2007. This single reached #126 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 1,568 copies.

Opening the album is a song that’s pretty aggressive and it works really well as the first track. BAD GIRL is like a proclamation because of its lyrical content which is mostly in English. Filled with thumping synth riffs and sensual lyrics, the song does show off a new, more mature side of her. On top of that, the music has a nice urban sound to it.

The next track is a little slower paced, but still displays an urban vibe. Mermaid mostly comprises of various beats and disc scratches and it doesn’t show some variety until the end when the electric guitar shows up. I thought that Arashiro performed the song well and she emoted a good amount of spunk and sass into her voice.

One of my favorite of the album’s new tracks was definitely Losin’ control. What I liked the most about this song were Arashiro’s muffled ”rapping sections” which were backed by monotone piano chords. These parts sounded pretty cool and I found them to be pretty catchy. The brazen chorus features some nice power vocals as well.

The album’s first 3 tracks are some of the most musically aggressive songs Arashiro has ever done but the next is also quite surprising. Loved is a slow, jazzy piece complete with a brass section and relaxing instrumentals. Her vocals are excellent and go very well with the jazz lounge atmosphere of the music.

Two singles are up next and begin with the latest. Like I said before, Luna is one of the better ballads of her career because of its sweeping arrangement and additional bass beats.  The vocals could have been a little better, especially with the high notes, but that’s only a minor flaw.

Now we have How Are U?, which is BY FAR the best A-side she’s ever released and probably the best song of her entire career. This is an upbeat and extremely catchy song with great vocals and lyrics. The combination of quick acoustics and piano chords is great and I just loved the overall light-hearted nature of the music. Obviously, this is also my favorite song on the album too.

After How Are U?, most of the songs follow suit have a more pop sensibility to them. Paradise is an upbeat acoustic song with a consistent beat and occasional brass. I’m not too fond of the chorus because it repeats over and over, but the verses are great.

The next track is the oddly structured and somewhat sloppy Mirror mirror. The verses are awful because of Arashiro’s funky low pitched vocals but the song somehow transitions into an uplifting chorus that sounds drastically better. The chorus doesn’t go with the rest of the song at all and those verses could have been improved upon to make everything go more smoothly.

This song is also quite strange. Sweet but Empty has an almost whimsical intro that goes into a barrage of electric guitars and fast paced beats. The lyrics are weird too with the comparison of how a person’s fulfillment in life is a like a pie (her life is sweet but empty, get it?!). Anyway, this song is okay but also one of the album’s forgettable tracks too.

The album is almost over but up next is the best ballad she has ever done. Koibumi stomps all of her other ballads and then some. This is a beautiful song, both musically and vocally. The piano and low key strings are wonderful and Arashiro gives a heartbreaking performance. I was so surprised with the amount of emotion within her voice in this song and for me, it’s my favorite of the album’s new tracks. Also, this was the album’s main promotional track.

Unfortunately, ending the album is the English version of No pain, No gain. The original Japanese version was the B-side on the Luna single. I didn’t like the Japanese version so the feeling is mutual with the English version. This song could have been placed somewhere else on the album because it makes for a bad final track. Koibumi would have been much better in my opinion.

GEM is definitely Beni Arashiro’s best album and a huge improvement over her previous two. As a whole, the songs are a lot better and Arashiro’s vocals have improved a great amount since her debut. With the exception of Koibumi, the album does go downhill after How Are U? since the opening tracks are very good. The English version of No pain, No gain was also a bad way to end it too. Everything from BAD GIRL to How Are You? is fantastic and showcase a more aggressive and mature side of her. If you want to try out her music, GEM is the best place to start because it is leagues better than her first two albums Beni and Girl 2 Lady (which were both pretty bad).

Overall Rating 

3½ stars

SINGLE REVIEW
Tomiko Van - Tokyo Biyori

1. Tokyo Biyori
2. message.
3. Hum a Tune
4. Tokyo Biyori (Instrumental)
5. message. (Instrumental)

This is Tomiko Van’s 4th single and it was released on June 18, 2008. This single reached #18 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 5,219 copies.

Since this was her first single since November 2006’s Yumeji, I guess I was expecting more out of Tokyo Biyori. I had to admit that Tomiko Van’s music was getting a little stale after 2 sub-par cover albums and she was long overdue for a new single. Anyways, Tokyo Biyori is a calm and pleasant song that’s also quite assertive with its use of the acoustic guitar and drums. The underlying strings also give the music a sad, longing atmosphere. Despite all of this, as an A-side, it’s pretty weak compared to the likes of her first 3 singles Flower, Senkou, and Yumeji. Those songs were REALLY good but this one was just…okay.

I would have to say the same about the B-sides too. message. is Van’s first musical composition and a more aggressive song than Tokyo Biyori. With the fast paced acoustics, riffs, and additional chines, the overall arrangement has been done quite nicely so I thought Van did a good job for her first composition. However, compared to her previous B-sides, this one was forgettable.

By the time Van released her second cover album in March, I was already getting tired of her cover songs. Was her cover of ORIGINAL LOVE’s 1996 song Hum a Tune not good enough to make the last album? I suppose so because it’s pretty bad and quite annoying. I could say this one of her worst covers she’s done, but that’s stretching it. Even though the song itself is upbeat and pretty rockish, it ends up being boring because of the typical arrangement and bland vocals.

Overall Rating

3 stars