16 posts tagged “review”

New artist! I've been meaning to review her albums probably since I started the blog, never got round to it. Will start off with her first album, followed by second and third then sodasou zassou single and finally LAS VEGAS album. Should work out OK. So here is Onitsuka Chihiro's first album Insomnia released on 2001.03.07. The album reached #1 on Oricon charts and charted for 86 weeks. This is currently Onitsuka's only #1 product. By the end of 2001, Insomnia had sold 1,231,860 units, making it the #16 album of the year. In total, Insomnia sold 1,345,000 units.

The album opens with Gekkou (moonbeam), her second single which gained fame from it's tie-in to the TRICK dorama. In contrast to the album version, this one is string with violin backing. Like alot of Onitsuka Chihiro's songs the piano has a dominant part, often just simple repeated chords. Some strings come in later too, However, the song is driven mainly by Onitsuka's powerful and emotional vocals. Gekkou also happens to have some very beautiful lyrics, even the religious "I am Gods child" kinda fits if you see the lyrics translation.  It's a beautiful, laid back song with a  darker  edge. It's quite simple song, but it carries alot of emotion that makes it quite beautiful and not at all boring to listen to.

The second track is Innocence. This one is alot different from anything else on the album. The song opens with piano and a heavy beat, giving it a dark atmosphere. The repetetive piano continues through the song. Chihiro onitsuka comes in, and her voice is beautiful throughout. There is also good use of backing vocals. The highlight is the way it builds up the rock- like chorus.  It's a powerful and emotional song. The lyrics are emotive and angry, and this is certainly the mood of the song. It's a very dark but beautiful track.  See the lyrics, and in particular the translators interpretation.

Next is the album version of BACK DOOR, which was used as the ending theme for a NHK tv show. Compared to innocence it's alot more toned down. It has a beautiful, sad sounding piano part. When Onitsuka Chihiro comes in she sounds sad, lost and confused. The lyrics support this - "Where is the back door?/ Where is the back door?/ Where is the back door of myself?" Her english carries thick accent, but it's not bad. It's a very sad song, with powerful lyrics. The backing vocals are a bit annoying, and the "where is the back door?" sounds quite sudden. It's still a beautiful song. I love the way it builds up, and the piano part is really pretty. 

Fourth is edge, carrying on the trend of sad piano based (though there's alot more to this song!) songs with beautiful vocal performance from Onitsuka Chihiro. The lyrics are amazing- " Don't go, what hurts these thoughts of mine is that/ I'm living here without having fallen down, so/ Don't disappear, lay waste to my heart in this way/ Without you, I'd rather end it all"- extremly powerful and of course Onitsuka puts alot of emotion in. It's another stunning and emotional song. Onitsuka Chihiro sounds so beautiful.   

Next up is We can go, a very upbeat and hopeful song with a gospel feel due to the lyrics- "we can go to the place where we can get freedom" and the overall rythmn and mood. It's a nice relaxing song with very good instrumentation, and of course Onitsuka Chihiro sounds great. I find the gospel feel (especially with the backing vocals) and the lyrics a tiny bit irritating though.   

After We can go comes call. It's comprable to edge, a powerful and emotional song that is beautifully sung. Onitsuka Chihiro sounds really good both in the deep, low pitch verses, raising her voice for the rest of the song.  See the lyrics and read the tranlators interpretation.

Then it's the album version of Shine. the song relies on the piano and vocals. The piano's rythmn lends a dark atmosphere, as do Onitsuka's sad sounding vocals. The chorus is very emotive- "its presses me [...] it blames me". Despite the simple instrumentation, it's a very dark and emotional song driven by Onitsuka's powerful vocals. It's got a very sorrowful feel to it.  As with Innocence, see the lyrics translation and read the translaters interpretation. Only problem with the song is Onitsuka Chihiro's often bad pronunciation of english, but that' nothing unusual in jpop. 

Track 8 is cage. the song has an upbeat and fast instrumental part, contrasting to the darker lyrics ("Don't leave me alone/God, if you're there/Please let me escape/Far away") and the tone of Chihiro onitsuka's voice- sounding bitter, especially in the chorus. It's another beautiful track with stunning vocals and prominent piano part. 

After cage is Rasen (spiral), a very dark sounding song similiar to cage. Onitsuka sounds very sad, very longing. The chorus hints at hope as does the english bit- "Life/My Life/My Fragile Life/I've finally realized it". Onitsuka Chihiro puts so much emotion into those 4 lines, it's absolutly stunning. I love the instrumentation too. The dark atmoshpere is similiar to innocence, it's almost threatening.

Then it's Memai (dizzyness), carrying on the trend of sorrowful piano bases tunes with beautfiul lyrics and amazing vocals. The chorus especially is very strong, I like the way she accents certain notes. It's a beautiful song.

Lastly it's the album version of Gekkou, which unlike track one is solely piano and voice. The same applies for what I said about the first version, because this one really isn't that much different.

This is a fantastic album from Onitsuka Chihiro. It's quite a relaxing album to listen to, despite the dark meanings/ lyrics of the songs. I think it's amazing, simple as that. Each track carries a new emotion, presents something new. Onitsuka Chihiro's voice is powerful, driving the song forwards with heaps of emotions. Her voice sounds amazing both deep, yet reaches higher notes effortlessly. The lyrics are stunning, highly emotive. Her english is thickly accented, but she gets her point across and atleast the actual english lines make sense. This is one of my favourite albums from Onitsuka Chihiro, it shows off her talent perfectly. The weaker tracks are great, and the stronger tracks are absolutly amazing. Definitly something you should listen to.  

Jinkaku radio is a band I had never heard of before, and I really regret that. I downloaded a song of their, an accoustic version of Buranko and was immediatly captured by the simple but emotive composition and the tone of the singers voice. The singer doesn't have the strongest sounding voice, but surpisingly can hold notes a long time and manages to convey a lot of emotion. Naturally, after that one song I hunted out the original. I found it on the B-side of their single, Akui. I'm unsure as to waht single number this is, though I know it was released on 04.12.2005.

Tracklist:
1: Akui (malice)
2: Buranko (swing)
 
Akui is just WOW. It starts with a calming guitar and synth string part which makes you think that it will be some sort of ballad: before introducing the rest of the instruments making for a far more heavier and darker sound. Things quiet down for the verses, with a soft piano part and the vocals sounding blunt- simply conveying the lyrics building up the emotion to the chorus where the singer just lets go. His voice sounds strained, which adds to a feeling of despair and pain instead of being annoying. The chorus is followed by a long and excellent guitar part before again toning down to  the piano and the vocals.  The highlight being the end where the main lines like "yami no ame" is sung out and the vocalist sustains the notes over a beauitful guitar part. The song then ends much like it began, piano and string and guitar in a calming motif, totally contrasting to the rest of the song. Overall It's a dark song filled with emotions particulary despair, the lyrics seemingly depciting some sort of breakdown (perhaps)- "The dull pain keeps coming/Unable to take it, I break".

Buranko is totaly opposite of Akui. Actually, it's a strange beast. A fanastastic beautiful beast but strange. The lyrics are cryptic, the feelings it makes you feel and the atmposhpere of the song is mixed- it in part is a song filled with hopelessness, despair and yet by the end you are feeling hopeful and relaxed. It stars with what sounds like a wooden xylophone  over a heavy bass drum. The  xylophone drops out and is replaced by a repeating piano part and the vocalist comes in, singing softly conveying a strange feeling. The chorus  is  the highlight, beautiful and  sad- yet at the same time hopeful. The vocalist has a beautiful tone to his voice, and it's lovely the way he floats up to the really high notes in the chorus,  The repeating rythms  are like the gentle rythmn onf the swing going back and forth, During the bridge a childish element comes into the song, the simple melodies and the repeation like a nursery ryhme. This is backed up by the ending, where the xylophone comes back in and you can hear children singing. A strange beast, but beautiful and emotional: simply amazing. No to mention, totally unlike anything I've heard before.

Overall, This is a fanstastic single from a brilliant and clearly talented band. They tend to remind me alot of Muse actually. I've not heard alot of Muse but what my sister plays, but the alternate element to Jinkaku's radios music, the prolonged notes and the sense of urgency are all there: especially in Akui. Overall a fantastic and unique single, which is strangely catchy and great to put on repeat for a day or so (note: I've been playing this atleast 5 times a day for the past three days). Furthermore, this is a good intro single to their music and just how awesome this band is. Highly reccomended!

Even though I'm far from calm here is the review of Tohoshinki's 22nd single (ironically, their Japanese Discography is bigger than their korean one). Released on  2008.04.23 it has a riduculous amount of versions: a basic type A with the two songs and the DVD with the PV of Beautiful You and making of clip, a type B which is CD only but has an extra track (a remix of something older) and a a type C which includes the PV for the B-side as well as the A-side and a korean version of sennen Koi Uta. I will be reviewing type C.

Tracklist: (TYPE C ONLY!)
1: Beautiful you
2: Sennen Koi Uta
3: Sennen Koi Uta Korean ver.
4: Sennen Koi Uta (Japanese Karaoke)
5: Sennen Koi Uta (Korean Karaoke)
6: Beautiful You (less vocal)
7: Sennen Koi Uta (less vocal)

Beautiful You has a sleazy opening but when the voice comes in that annoying sound is dropped and it becomes a sexy sounding delicious song with a laid back RnB feel. Though it took a little while to grow on me, Tohoshinki sound really great, and very sexy. The lyrics are appealing to the fangirls with lines like "you're such a beautiful woman" heartfully sung. Like always, the singing is fantastic. There is also use of voice distortion after the chorus which adds to the "cool" feel of this song. It's  nothing special but certainly not unpleasant to listen to. Tohoshinki are certainly displaying a very mature side of them with this song.

Sennen Koi Uta has yet to grow on me. It's a sad sounding ballad that for me comes across a little boring. It opens with  a piano part then introduces some synth before soft and restrained vocals, as if holding back emotion. By the second  verse the full instrumentation is introduced, and it's perfectly lovely sounding with great  singing: but really nothing attention grabbing. I do quite like the instrumentation of it, especially the heavy bass with the strings. The Korean version of Sennen Koi Uta does not sound much different from the Japanese. 

Overall a very mature single from Tohoshinki, carrying on their success from T and TRICK campaign. Tohoshinki display some very beautiful vocals in this single, and alot of emotion too. Beautiful You is a smooth RnB number, whilst Sennen Koi Uta is a slighlty sadder ballad. Overall a good single,  which is nice to put on and listen to even if nothing outwrdly special.   

DEATHGAZE is a visual kei band, which is pretty obscure and something I certianly had never heard of. The name too seemed rather cheesy, however with a single name like that I was sold. I don't know when this single was released or anything, but I know it actually turned out to be pretty good. DEATHGAZE have a heavy sound with lots of bass and gritty guitar work.

Tracklist:
1: I'm Broken Baby
2: Shisakura
3: SINNERS

I'm broken baby and Shisakura are good examples of this sort of style. I'm Broken baby starts off quietly before introducing a heavy guitar and bass part: it's  pretty screamo and not particularu rythmnic and I'd prefer if the vocalist actually sung  so somehow, despite the good title the actual song deosn't live up to expectation. Shisakura is also another heavy screamo type song, however the vocalist sings and reveals himself to have quite a beauitful and deep voice. Once again, nothing special but alot better in standard than I'm Broken Baby.

The single seems to get better with every track! The highlight of this single has to be SINNER, a ballad which although has a typical arrangement is beautifully sung with enough emotion to pull it off. The vocalist has a wonderful and deep voice, and his tone is quite unique. The use of dynamics with quiet verses and louder chorus is effective. And besides, the intrsumentation despite nothing special is kinda beautiful with a good guitar part. The guitar solo is love.  The song is quite repetetive but just so beautiful. And despite the repetition is also has enough variation to remain interesting.  Somehow, it is filled with emotion and is interesting from beginning to end. I would love to understand the lyrics.

Overall I'd reccomend this band for those fond of heavier visual kei. For those not SINNER is a wonderful ballad to put on repeat for a few days. My personal view on this single is that the first two songs weren't to my taste, and that SINNER is the only track I really enjoyed. However, I think this band is quite talented and will thus rate this single quite high.

This is their 15th single released on 2008.04.16.

Merry go world has quite a poppy feel, but still retains a dark edge ala 12012 style. Wataru sounds much different, not quite so emotional and you know...pained. This song actually feels a little hopeful, though I doubt it is. I really love the guitar part, and the rythmn is quite cool. Overall, perhaps not something I would listen to reguarly but still pretty damn good.  I think it's a little mediocre in some ways though, a little repetitive and Wataru lacks the usual emotion that would make this song shine. It does have a very cool guitar part :)

Lovers is like 12012's old, emotion packed gritty works mixed in with their slow, soothing ballads and new mature sound. Its fucking awesome. Reminscent of "orion" and perhaps even deep forest. Definitly a taste of their older style, whilst as I said... much more polished. Yes, Wataru still sounds so beautiful in a pained, emotional way. The song starts off really quiet but fast paced, before a emotional, beautiful chorus. This is the sort of song you sit, put on loud and listen to again and again without getting bored. It's so beautiful, with a fantastic arrangement, a gorgeous rythmn and guitar solo and of course: Wataru's over-the-top emotional singing that sets 12012 apart. I can't stop going on about this song- it's up in my favourite 12012 songs!! I can't wait for the lyrics, I'm sure they are as angsty but beautiful as hell :P

Miraizu , available on the regular addition, is a very calm ballad, where Wataru's vocals take on a much different tone, one that works very well. The guitar part is really really nice throughout this song, and the  song holds a very quiet power.

I BELIEVE..., available on Type B,  has a very dark tone to it, and the synth in it adds a almost orchestral/soundtrack feeling to the opening! The whole song, contrary to the title, sounds very sinister. Wataru's voice, yet again, takes on a much different tone, almost speaking in the verses. The chorus is very powerful, and once again the guitar part is awesome. I'm not sure about the synth though that really does give an orchestral feeling, one I've not heard from a 12012 song before.

This single is reminscent of heart, with a gritty but slighlty mediocre A-side (Then again, can't remember how heart sounded like....) followed by a beautiful, almost relaxing and highly emotional B-side that's far more like a rock ballad.  12012 has  matured and comapred to their old stuff, their sound has changed, but I don't think this is a bad thing. 

Overall, for the two other songs, based on first impressions I prefer Miraizu however I think I BELIEVE... could certainly grow on me. Both songs are very powerful, and reminscent of their old work mingled together brilliantly with their new sound. I think this is a fantastic single from 12012, one that both old and new fans could appreciate. 12012 have finally found a good balance between their old sound, and their newer expreiments.

Highly reccommended- 5/5 

Are just as good as lovers. (which is a pain as I now really need to decide which to buy ^ ^ )

Miraizu is a very calm ballad, where Wataru's vocals take on a much different tone, one that works very well. The guitar part is really really nice throughout this song, and the  song holds a very quiet power.

I BELIEVE... has a very dark tone to it, and the synth in it adds a almost orchestral/soundtrack feeling to the opening! The whole song, contrary to the title, sounds very sinister. Wataru's voice, yet again, takes on a much different tone, almost speaking in the verses. The chorus is very powerful, and once again the guitar part is awesome. I'm not sure about the synth though that really does give an orchestral feeling, one I've not heard from a 12012 song before.

Overall, based on first impressions I prefer Miraizu however I think I BELIEVE... could certainly grow on me. Both songs are very powerful, and reminscent of their old work mingled together brilliantly with their new sound. I think this is a fantastic single from 12012, one that both old and new fans could appreciate. 12012 have finally found a good balance between their old sound, and their newer expreiments.

This is Ayu's first mini-album on Avex released on  2003.12.17. It was also her first to be released in CD and CD-DVD format. Naturally, it reached one on the Oricon charts. For me, this album is very special. When I was first getting into Jpop  I didn't really know much. Memorial adress was one of my first Ayu songs, and my first Jpop songs away from anime (along with alterna and song for xx ferry corsten mix). This mini album was one of the first Jpop albums I bought from yesasia, and the DVD one of the first Jpop I played on my TV. See how special this is to me?

This mini-album, and the songs on it, are some of my very favourite Ayu songs. Even if I wasn't a die-hard Ayu fan, I would love this album. It is an amazing mini-album filled with emotion and a variety of tracks.

The DVD as well is fanastic, and the lyrics booklet has some fantastic pictures which show a very mature looking Ayu,  she wears bright dressed amongst a gold background. Very beautiful. Scans can be found at Japanese princess.

The mini album begins with Angels song, which I don't much like because of the brazen opening. However, once it gets going it's a upbeat pop number. At some points Ayu's voice hasn't been distorted right (the bridge I think), but otherwise it's really good. Despite being a pop song, there is a strong guitar part in the background and also lots of synth and strange noises. Ayu sounds hopeful, fitting to the lyrics however the lyrics also have a bittersweet feel to them. A good, fast paced opening and a classic Ayu pop song.

Greatful days is also a pop number. It's is insanely catchy, and very strong with Ayu belting out "yeah" in a synth type way. Again, the guitar and synth is very prominent. This song has a happier feel about it, as judging by both the lyrics and the title it is about finding love and being greatful for it. I remember watching this PV, where Ayu looked very pretty but there were some wierd bits? Either way, I don't really like this as it feels a bit too standard.

Moving on to the good stuff. Ayu moves into rock with Because of You. The song  starts with piano part before introducing a loud, rock inspired guitar part and Ayu desperatly singing about her lover  who neglects her. The lyrics are the strongest part of this song, tinged with angst and desperation. From the first verse, we can tell the girl is aching after somebody, the second shows her pain, and the rest shows how she cannot understand her lover and her lover doesn't rely on her. Well, that's what I get. I also remember this PV, which is one of my favourite PVs of Ayu's. The PV is full of symbolism. A girl stuck in a relationship where her boyfriend is cheating, hints of abuse, and the anime type clips shows her dreaming of him being by her side, and the white room perhaps suggest something more sinister again. The actual song is a gritty rock song, fast paced with brilliant guitar and piano parts. Ayu belts out the lyrics with the  perfect emotion. Somehow, this song even manages to be catchy. My favourite part of the song is the ending:
"Why sometimes I can't say honestly?
Why sometimes I can't be tender?
Why sometimes we hurt each other?
Why sometimes we check each other?
Why sometimes my heart aches so much
Why always my heart goes out to you?
I can't think of anyone but you
I can't think of anyone but you"
This song is just so powerful, so emotional. I suggest you listen to it, watch the PV and then her perfomance of it at countdown.

The good songs continue with Ourselves. Except the album takes a 180 turn back to pop. almost.  Ourselves has an arabic feel to it, and relies heavily on synth and layering of Ayu's vocals. It has a darker feel to it over Ayu's more hyper pop.  It is like the better version of "real me".  The lyrics are criptic, though I guess Ayu is talking about the importance of love.  I love the chorus and the ending repetetion.  Once again, Ayu's vocals are strong and emotional, especially at the ending. Another outstanding track.

The mini-album continues it's high  quality with the beautiful, heart breaking ballad Hanabi-episode two-. If you've seen the PV, you'll know why this song always makes me feel slightly sad. Hanabi episode two opens with an amazing guitar and synth, and a flittery type sound. The first chorus is quite and restrained, as if Ayu is holding back her emotion. Then the chorus kicks in and Ayu breaks down, her voice becoming strong and emotional. The backing vocals are a welcome addition. This is indeed the continuation of the Hanabi story, with Ayu reflecting on that time of Hanabi.  she questions her decisions "Did I choose the right way?" and then
"I gently lock the memories away

Leaving them to be beautiful

This feeling, this feeling, go up into the sky
And be dispersed beautifully like a firework"

The lyrics are so beautiful. The PV is also exceptional. It is shot at the beach, and basically it shows Ayu crying at some points. Lying on the beach (looking stunning) at others. Fake guitar playing a few shots. And then the ending she is standing, crying her eyes out with the fireworks behind her. Ayu looks so stunning in the grey dress, and the side ponytail. The way she portrays the emotion really makes you feel waht the song is trying to convey. A beautiful, emotional ballad. The song ends with her simply ad-libbing, as if she is letting go. The synth guitar things brings us back out of the song.

Then No way to say. At first I didn't really like this song, however it has grown on me. This song isn't exactly pop. But it's not rock. It relies on synth alot. The lyrics are what I really like about this song, as they are something I can relate to. I think this is almost like a ballad, with Ayu refelecting on her past and her feelings in the present. A great song, but not a favourite of mine.

Forgiveness. Ah...forgiveness. Another song that moves me to the point I could cry. Ayu is quiet during the  verses but her voice shines out in the chorus'. The dynamics and the emotion in this song, and the way it quietly simply builds up to the ending and that english ending you just cannot understand- truly amazing. The instrumentation and use of backing vocals is spot on. I love the piano. Furthermore, like most of the PVs, the PV for forgiveness is simply beautiful. At first I didn't like it, but slowly I begin to see it's faerytale beauty. All I remember of the PV is Ayu sitting with the dress floating around her as if she had wings. Her expressions is sad, but hopeful as she sings about  "Maybe everyone did so to protect love". An amazing song, truly about forgivness. About forgiving people's faults, on not giving up.  Ayu  knows how to get her message across.

Then the last track, and one of my favourite Ayu songs EVER. Memorial adress. Memorial adress is about Ayu's father, and is a very emotional song. The song starts with just Ayu over simple  piano chords. Gradually the piano becomes more complicated. And after the first chorus, the guitars come in and Ayu begins to belt out the lyrics, sounding angry and bitter and sad. If you've ever seen her perform this where she begins to cry, you'll know how personal this song is. It's the sort of song you put really loud. the lyrics are  fantastic, never quite showing that they are about death and bitter endings.
"Sayonara --- Even my last words don't reach you
I'm made to realize the coldness of the parting
I wish I could have heard from you
That you never regretted the days we had spent together
Only once, even if it had been a lie"
Then, just before the song ends the guitar dissappears and it becomes just Ayu and Piano again. This is an amazing, unique and emotional rock song that blows me away every time. Amazing.

This mini-album is just fantastic. Just so fantastic. Unique. Powerful. Emotional. Every song sounds polished, mature and complete. Ayu fans and non-Ayu fans will love atleast one song on this album. For me, it holds a special place in my heart. 12/10

lyrics source:Divine Ayu

12012 new single is finally out!! Can't believe I forgot about it o_o

This is their 15th single released on 2008.04.16.

Merry go world has quite a poppy feel, but still retains a dark edge ala 12012 style. Wataru sounds much different, not quite so emotional and you know...pained. This song actually feels a little hopeful, though I doubt it is. I really love the guitar part, and the rythmn is quite cool. Overall, perhaps not something I would listen to reguarly but still pretty damn good.  I think it's a little mediocre in some ways though, a little repetitive and Wataru lacks the over-the-top emotion that would make this song shine. Cool guitar part :)

Lovers is like 12012's old, emotion packed gritty works mixed in with their slow, soothing ballads and new mature sound. Its fucking awesome. Reminscent of "orion" and perhaps even deep forest. Definitly a taste of their older style, whilst as I said... much more polished. Yes, Wataru still sounds so beautiful in a pained, emotional way. I love this band- but why do I always listen to their B-sides more? The song starts off really quiet but fast paced, before a emotional, beautiful chorus. This is the sort of song you sit, put on loud and listen to again and again without getting bored. It's so beautiful, with a fantastic arrangement, a gorgeous rythmn and guitar solo and of course: Wataru's over-the-top emotional singing that sets 12012 apart. I can't stop going on about this song- it's up in my favourite 12012 songs!! I can't wait for the lyrics, I'm sure they are as angsty but beautiful as hell :P

This single is reminscent of heart, with a gritty but slighlty mediocre A-side (Then again, can't remember how heart sounded like....) followed by a beautiful, almost relaxing and highly emotional B-side that's far more like a rock ballad.  12012 has  matured and comapred to their old stuff, their sound has changed, but I don't think this is a bad thing. 

If I hadn't had just bought a load of books I would go buy this RIGHT NOW. 12012 has to be the only visual kei band I listen to religiously, and lovers atleast will certainly be added to that playlist of "12012 songs I love". They are so awesome, and as expected...this single is awesome too. As a side note,  I also love the single title and song names.

Highly reccommended- 5/5 (simply for lovers neh?)

Looking for something different? You'll find it in this collabration between a someone or somebody called RK standard and Kokia.

I was gonna introduce you to Amber Kuo today but I think first I'll get you just to try something like this.

Goes on Forever is ЯK STANDARD's third single, though their first featuring KOKIA.

Goes on forever starts with a beautiful piano part before introducing the other instruments and Kokia doing her ad-lib thing- very ethereal and totally beautiful. It is an upbeat, hopeful ballad which features a really nice piano and guitar part- and full on classical singing from Kokia. I'm not joking. Her voice soars effortlessly from the low notes right up to some really high ones too. Her voice sounds low and silky in verses, yet high and pure in the chorus. Quite astounding how fantastic her voice is. I think there may be a male singer in there too, but if there is Kokia is overpowering him. It's a pleasant listen however when Kokia goes up really high singing english the lyrics are sometimes lost. Forgetting this and I think once this grows on me it'll be something I listen to quite often. The high notes grate on me a bit though ^_^

Kaze (wind)  starts a little strange but soon introduces the piano again and really high pitch vocals from Kokia. Compared to goes on forever it is more subdued, and sounds slightly sadder/regretful in tone. Kokia's high pitched vocals suit this song more. Her ornaments are fantastic. I suppose she is a opera singer. This is a very slow ballad, and drags on a bit for me (who hates ballads). Thankfully about half-way in it picks up a litttle in pace and becomes a little bit more intresting. The flute and other instrument (saxaphone?)  is a welcome addition, as is Kokia's ad-libbing. A very slow song in compared to Goes on forever and rather average despite wonderful singing.

Overall, though not really my taste this is very high quality in music standards. In pop music standards I'm not sure how popular something like this would be, even though it managed to chart at 70 for a week. It's very different for sure, and a pleasant listen. Not my thing. :D

Younha is about to turn twenty, so she realesed this "best of" album to celebrate/ get more money from the music she released in her teens. Released on 2008.03.26 it is a collection of her previous singles as well as some new songs. The only Younha I've listened to is "A perfect day to say I lvoe you" which sounded too much like Kelly clarkson for me to like, however due to the pretty cover I'm willing to try out Japanese Younha.

The album starts with the Japanese version of Yubikiri. This song starts off with a nice electric guitar part before younha comes in. Her voice sounds very deep and smooth, yet she still hits the higher notes nicely. However, the higher notes in the middle of the verses sound a little out of place. The chorus is very expressive and sung well, but overall this is a standard pop song and nothing really stands out from it. The ending is quite pleasant though with the added dynamics.  Still, really nothing special so far.

Next up is HoukiBoshi. HoukiBoshi was the  second official single from Younha and is well known for it's association with bleach.  It starts with furious and fast paced guitar and piano then younha comes in and she is also singing very fast. The chorus is awesome with the prolonged notes and once again is very expressive. However, I still can't feel that this is anything more than an average pop song. A nice listen but nothing more.

Looking at the cover of HoukiBoshi compared to the cover of this teens album shows striking contrast to how Younha has certainly matured.

Anyway, after HoukiBoshi is Motto Futari de, her third official single. It stars off with the piano then adds in a jazzy sort of part. Younha's vocals sound very pretty in the verses, and slighlty more polished than in Yubikiri and HoukiBoshi. At first I didn't really like the staccato in the chorus, but it will grow on me I think. This is certainly a lively and lighthearted pop tune. Strings are used well in this song and it's a pleasant listen once again: and maybe better than Yubikiri. The piano part at the end is excellent and adds a cool variation.

Track four is Touch, her fourth official single and a cover of song by Iwasaki Yoshimi in 1985. It starts with the electric guitar and then Younha comes in. Overall, it has a strange atmosphere, almost something comedic about it, and certainly sounds remiscent of something you could get in the 80's: even if the only J-music I've heard from that time isn't much. This song comes across as very flat and as I mentioned, it sounds quite...strange...for a reason I can't place. Naturally, her singing is excellent and  also you can note that so is her english.

Yume no Tsudzuki is track five, and is a change of pace for it's slow ballad that relies on accoustic guitar, piano and soft, bitter vocals from Younha.  This was the B-side to Touch.  the chorus is very dragged out though and it comes across as very boring. Younha does capture alot of the emotion of a ballad well, she sings it well and dynamics are also used well but I've never liked ballads unless they are exceptional, and this presents nothing new.

 Track 6 is My lover which has a strange english introduction and sounds a little like something Avril Lavigne would do. Younha sounds a little more tougher here, a little rebelious. This was her 5th single and also the opening to a bleach game. I don't like this song as it's flat and boring. The distorted english is also quite stupid and unncesary.

Te wo Tsunaide might just be a track that I really like. Younha sounds very mature, as do the backing instrumentation. I would compare this song to  Aya Kamiki in style, as it sounds almost gritty and pretty angry.  It was her sixth singl and also the ending song to the anime Jyu Oh Sei. Jyu oh sei is quite a dark anime so this might explain the sudden turn in style for Younha. No matter what, I like the gritty feel  and  mature bitter vocals from Younha. I think there might be some english in the chorus, but her higher pitch distorts the lyrics slightly. Either way if there is english it's effective.  I really like the ending instrumentation, even if it's feel like the song could have gone on longer after that.

You can tell by the cover too Te wo Tsunaide that Younha is growing and maturing as a artist.

Ima ga daisuki starts and continues with some very strange sounding instrumentation. Younha however still maintains her more matured vocals, and this is once again a pleasant pop song. I don't think there was any need for the sudden reach up in pitch at the end of the chorus, and the church bell (neh?) sound is a little odd.

Inori starts like it's going to be quite a dark sounding song, but then Younha and piano come in and it becomes quite light-hearted. This, I think, is a new song. It's nice and all, and the bridge at the end is pretty cool but really nothing special.

Hakanaku Tsuyoku has a cool guitar opening and when Younha comes in her vocals are very deep and like Te wo  Tsunaide, this is a darker and more mature song.  This is her latest Japanese single to date, released in 2007. I like the guitar part and the darker sound of this song. Younha's vocals are very strong, she prolongs the notes wonderfully,  as is  the guitar and percussion making this almost a pop-rock song. almost. I think Younha should definitly experiment in pop-rock, it may suit her deeper vocals.  : )

Next up is Scratch on the heart, which may or may not be a new song. Younha's vocals again are very powerful, and are the hightlight of the song. Guitar is very prominent, as is the piano but I personally find the flat guitar part boring  and annoying in many ways. The piano sort of fades into the background. As I said, this is worth a listen for Younha's part alone.

Kono Kokoro starts of quite nicely, and I like the background instrument that creates the feel of a heartbeat fitting to the title, but I don't like the sudden use of brass. Thankfully the brass fades out and Younha comes in and she sounds excellent as usual. The chorus is very powerful and the high notes sound far smoother than in previous songs. The english "I love you every day" and "I want to be with you" are very well pronounced. I suppose this is a hopeful love song, a girl in love with a boy but perhaps unrequited? At some points Younha sounds quite bitter, almost longing  so I'd presume it's unrequited  or not to be. The brass is very annoying in this song otherwise it's really good and I love Younha's vocals, especially at the end. 

After Kono Kokoro is the  Japanese version of Password 486. I wasn't a massive fan of the original but it was afun love song worth a listen.  This version isn't much different except it's in Japanese. After  being used to the Korean version  the Japanse sounds strange, I also think Younha is singing her part a little too high in the begining of the chorus'.  The  energy  of the Korean version seems lost in this one... I really do think they've slowed it down and it's a shame as it comes across as feeling dragged on and lacking the hyper energy of the Korean verison.

Lastly is Yubikiri...again.  I suspect it's in Korean, and after checking on wiki.ppn it is. This was her first single, released before her official debut.  I think Younha sounds far better in Korean, as does this track. It's far more expressive and a little more interesting than the original.  Her deep vocals really shine and dynamics are used wisely and to good effect.

Overall: (8/10) (It's decent and there are a few really good tracks)

Overall this album is a pleasant listen, and could be effective background music and if listened enough perhaps would be catchy. There are no real bad tracks on the album, apart from my lover and the Japanese version of Password 986 which I really didn't like. There are some highlights on this album too, mainly Te wo Tsunaide and the original Yubikiri.  I don't regret not listening to Younha for so long, but I'm glad I've discovered her. I will certainly be listening to this album more and I'm sure that tracks I've not liked that much will grow on me. Tracks such as Yubikiri (Korean) and Te wo Tsunaide already have a place on my playlist.  Her music is very pleasant (as I've mentioned numerous times...) and I think this could be a good introduction to Younha's Japanese music career.