Reviews written by Sora
-
Girls' Generation Vol. 1 Repackage Album - Baby Baby
Girls' Generation Vol. 1 Repackage Album - Baby Baby
(10)Our Price: US$13.99List: US$18.99Save: US$5.00 (26%)Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:July 18, 2008 meh....Not terribly interesting or impressive.
The songs 'Girls Generation' and 'Into the New World' are my favourites from the album. The rest of the material is too cutesy, and very redundant.
The cd is still good for a lite listen, although I don't think it's something i will be coming back to very often.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Ready To Go! (ALBUM+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Ready To Go! (ALBUM+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version) DVD Region 2
(3)Our Price: US$39.25Related promotions:May 29, 2008 This is what melody. should beAt first, I wasn't really paying attention to her follow-up singles to Be as one. I've no idea why, i just didn't really notice them. I didn't even listen to Finding My Road until the album was ready to go (pun!). When I did get around to listening to it, I wasn't particularly smitten, or interested.
Somehow, when that track was placed as the opener to melody.'s third album, it really struck me as a very solid dancey-trancey-pop piece. It's a strong opener, and being partway between trance and pop, it really sets the tone for the rest of the album. It's beat is strong and draws you into the catchy melody line. The song often sticks to me long after I've listened to it.
The second track, with you, is a liter, sweeter, poppier number, but it flows well from Finding My Road and holds its own. It's a strong track in its own right, but also serves quite well as a transition track between the driven beats of its predecessor to the tender ballad of the follow-up, Love Story. Now Love Story is a great ballad from melody., but I almost feel like it shouldn't be here. It's placed quite well on the album, so the flow and feeling are kept smooth, but it just seems like a pit-stop on the way to the main attraction. I really like the song, but I find myself skipping it more often than not in my haste to get to the rest of the album.
The next track is All For Love. This track is a sweet and peppy pop-tune that sees the use of a quirky and cute string section that would make Koda Kumi jealous. This is one of those tracks that is just so sweet (without all that sugary taste) you can't help but smile when listening to it. It carries on its merry way, then melts away and leaves us at one of the best tracks on the album.
HOPE carries a lot of the trance production that suits melody. better than anything else. The melody is slow, but builds and adds tension, then pulls back, relaxes and kicks itself off again with an added under beat that propells the song and completes the sound. Layers of vocals drip from all directions adding flavour and something to keep repeated listens interesting and eternally entertaining. I just love this song for some reason. It fades off and brakes into one of the best transitions I've ever heard from an album. They managed to take the dark and moody trance style of HOPE and perfectly, absolutely perfectly blend it into another upbeat, sweet poppy number in Glory of Love. It was a simple solution that took all of eleven seconds, but that would have been simply neglected on most albums. That's another thing that makes this album so wicked: the transitions are flawless all the way through.
Glory of Love is a fairly enjoyable pop song from melody., but being a cover we have some basis for comparison. And sadly, her voice doesn't emote quite as well, and thusly the song seems a little flat in comparison. It's still enjoyable in its own rite as a melody. track though.
Now the title track! READY TO GO! is a track that can best be described in its name. It's hopeful, strong, quick and driven. I find the lyrics are a good pick-me-up when I'm feeling down. The song helps me get back on task and keep focused. It also lends a feeling of "I can do this. I'm going to do this. No one can stop me. I'm ready to go!" In style it's trance-pop fixin's make it feel a little bit harder than the pop tracks, but it's not overly aggressive. It definitely has it's purpose as a 'pushing' song that won't take "I can't" for an answer. Usually I find spoken bits in songs annoying, but in this track the addition of "Are you ready to go?" "Yeah!" in the back fit very well. It was just another affirmation that melody. is going, and we're all along for the ride. I just wish she was a bit more expressive in her vocals. That would make the track fantastic.
The following track, ONE DAY is a little bit poppy again. It's laid back and again, sweet. I can't think of another word to properly describe these tracks. I like it, but there are better tracks on the album. Although, the following track, Lovin' U, retains the 'sweet-pop' feeling of ONE DAY, it's stronger and more thorough. Being a single track, you'd expect it to be better, but the album material stands up, and often outshines the singles. Lovin' U is a good example of this actually. I tend to forget this song exists until I run across it in the album. It fits so snuggly that if you didn't know it was a single, you probably wouldn't be able to tell.
REAL ME follows on a slightly more aggressive note. It uses a strong beat, a little bit of dance, stronger vocals, and a sassy string line as the intro and a layer throughout the rest of the song. I really like the "We once knew honesty and truth, it is hidden in our heart. We once knew honesty and truth, we're searching in the wrong place" layer of vocals. It alternates between being a backing vocal layer and a main melody line, which is quite effective. There's also a pretty spiffy little 'melted' sounding instrumental break that throws off the vocals, but still manages to fit quite comfortably into the track.
Here we have what is probably the only transition from track to track that is lacking. We're taken from a very engaging number to a slow, very typical ballad with no warning, no warm-up, nothing. Just a fade out then, BANG! BALLAD TIME! That probably has a lot to do with why I'm not terribly fond of this track.
The transition out isn't as bad. The ballad quiets down, then Shine starts with a sound like sticks being tapped together before jumping out into a peppy danceable number. Its another cute and happy track with an excellently infectious hook. This is one of few songs where I can actually say that the interjected English is very effective, and really really good. It's not that I usually have a problem with English thrown into J-pop, but it fits so well in this track that the effect just can't be denied. The track clips along happily and completely distracts the brain from whatever else is going on. Complete and total distraction! It quiets down a smidge at the end, then closes abruptly.
We're suddenly launched full force into the final track, Dangerous. A hard-hitting trance-dance number. The beat smacks you around whether you want to dance or not. The melody line (particularly during the chorus) catches every part of the song and holds it together more firmly than anything else. Backing vocals creep in all over the place making the song a little bit startling, but all the more interesting. The album goes out with a bang with this track, and it always leaves me wanting more. The abrupt finish to the track makes me want to turn the album over and play it again and again and again. I often do start it over. :)
~~
READY TO GO! an incredibly fluid and coherent album from melody.. Each track is strong in its own rite, and paired together, the tracklist is unstoppable. I loved that she played around with the trance and dance pop aspect of her music more. I really wasn't just satisfied with getting a couple single b-sides with that type of sound. I'm always really impressed with the way the album manages to balance very strong trance and dance type songs with softer and sweeter pop tunes. While pop is clearly more familiar territory for melody., the hard-hitting songs sounds as comfortable (and sometimes even more comfortable) for her than her usual lite-hearted pop stylings. She could easily make the transition from here into a more serious trance-pop artist, but I think she might stick to the commercially safer arena of pure pop.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Scratch (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
Scratch (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$32.99Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:May 29, 2008 Wicked Fun and Quite BeautifulAgain, this time around I wasn't terribly interested in her singles or anything, but I'm quite pleased with the album. It is a bit noisey at times (particularly the opening track, L.drunk, although it may just seem noisier as it assaults the listener as soon as 'play' is pushed), but it generally bursts with Kaela's energy and spunk. Tracks like TREE CLIMBERS and Magic Music clearly relay that Kaela is still as peppy, off beat (and loud) as ever.
Amid all the hyper poppunkrockiness, there are some beautiful gems. Wani to Kotori has a sweet and innocent sound that pairs quite aptly with the lyrics (basically a little bird tries to convince a crocodile not to eat it). It's one of those songs that makes me smile, and sometimes laugh. It's followed by another fantastic track, dolphin. With a hard, and slightly chaotic sound to the intro and the chorus, it stands appart from the rest of the album immediately. After repeated listens it reveals itself to have more layers and greater depth. I find something new to follow every time I hear this track. The melody is beautiful to start with, but throw in the chaotic guitars battling the string arrangement, top it all with Kaela singing as sweetly as ever, and the song just completes itself.
I found the title track to be another surprise. An almost childish sounding piano carries the track through a dense arrangement without much of a melody. It flows incredibly well relying heavily on the rhythm to keep the song moving. It's a little dark, and more beautiful than I ever would have expected from Kaela. She doesn't appear until very near the end of the song, and only makes her voice heard for about 30 seconds. But it's incredibly effective, and a work to make a lot of artists envious.
Simpler tracks like sweetie and Snowdome, help to balance out the spastic loudness of some of the more energetic pieces. They also show us a liter and more laid-back side of Kaela. It's comforting to know that she's not all noise and sass. Kaela is a serious musician with many sides that develop more as she goes on, but that loud and fun poppunkrockiness is still her trademark. Kirin TAN, never land, JOEY BOY and SWINGING LONDON remind me of her older work. They just have that certain sound that really sounds like Kaela. They're a nice reminder of her previous material, but they're not redundant.
As usual with Kaela, I found myself liking the singles a lot more in the context of the album. The rest of the material fleshed everything out, and brought it all together for me. The singles aren't my top favourites in the album, but they feel better now than they did on their own. I don't know how that happens, but I'm not complaining.
The album wraps up pretty quickly with the upbeat Ground Control that sees Kaela trying her hardest to make Engrish into English. It doesn't really work, but the song is fun enough to override that or the most part. I wouldn't say that this is my favourite album of the year, but I like it enough to keep it in mind as steady listening material. I found it to be a little more mainstream than her previous works, and while that bothered some of her more steady fans, I don't mind. I don't really find it an album worth analysing in great detail either. It's just a fun album with some wonderful surprises.
Just another stop in the ongoing journey of Kaela.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Thinking Out Loud (ALBUM+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Thinking Out Loud (ALBUM+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version) DVD Region 2
(1)Our Price: US$39.25Related promotions:May 29, 2008 Dissappointing!I was really rooting for a sister album to Golden Tears, and while this album does continue a bit with the synth-pop used there, the main feeling of is much more rock oriented.
Actually, I was rather unimpressed with this album. I have hardly listened to it at all, I've hardly had any interest in listening to it more.
And really, I know it's an ok album, but it just doesn't do it for me.
I found the singles misrepresented the album, and while they do an 'ok' job of fitting in with the album material, they were very misleading. It threw me off pretty harshly when I first popped in the album, and I still can't seem to get into it.
I also don't really like the new version of A Perfect Sky. It's pretty neat and all, but it's not as strong as the original.
I'm confident Bonnie will put out a better album sometime. I know I can't like all of her albums. This is probably going to be one of those ones where I have a select few tracks that I enjoy, but generally think that I don't like the album. Just like Even So.
That's ok with me.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
May 29, 2008 Surprisingly Tastey
I've always thought that Hilary Duff was cute, but I've never been a fan. Her music has been of the sweet, bland, 'safe' pop that went over well with the young'uns, but failed to interest me at all. When I kept hearing that her new album, Dignity, was completely different, I checked out some clips and was impressed.
This album has a lot of electronic work, its darker and leaps and bounds more mature than her previous music. Hilary actually has something to say with this album, and she's not afraid to just say it straight out. The disc moves over heavy dance numbers, brighter electro pop, and some songs that are just darn interesting. I was quite impressed with her ambition on this album, and it gives me great hope that she'll stray from the typical pop scene and really do something interesting in the future.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
quite life (Album+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
quite life (Album+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version) DVD Region 2
(1)Our Price: US$38.25Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:May 29, 2008 IncredibleLaid back, mellow slightly electronic, and wonderful.
Nobuchika Eri features as a vocalist for much of the album, but she proves herself quite versatile by completely removing the vocal style used in her own album. She uses a style here that is much flatter and less expressive, but it blends right into the music. She becomes just another instrument, and its flawless.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Kingdom (ALBUM+2DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Hong Kong Version)
Kingdom (ALBUM+2DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(7)Our Price: US$25.99Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:May 29, 2008 Kickin it up a notchPretty spiffy. Gotta say, I hated all of the singles prior to this album, but Kuu really turned it around and pulled everything together.
With its mix of various pop styles, a little jazz and lots of attitude, Kuu has created another work that brings me back again and again.
It's like secret part 2!
Although...I did find the 'cute' material to be formulaic, it didnt detract too much from the feel of the album.
Oh, and the 'Black Cherry' track was a waste of time.
The dvds are great as well. The pvs are mostly top-notch entertainment. And the Fever Live in Hall performance is worth the price alone.
Its easily one of Kuu's best ever live performances. With a full live band and string section backing her, she sounds fantastic and puts on one hell of a show! Its stunning, and actually brought tears to my eyes in some parts. She's a wonderful performer with fantastic stage presence that can be felt even through a dvd.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
-
LOVE & HONEY (Japan Version)
LOVE & HONEY (Japan Version)
(4)Our Price: US$15.49Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:May 29, 2008 fun, but not awesomecutie honey is a great track. its sassy, jazzy and fun. kuu sounds pretty good, and really finds a fun groove to play around with. shes at the top of her game here.
the bsides are valuable entertainment....but theyre not necessarily very good kuu tracks. :PDid you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Change (Japan Version)
May 29, 2008 WickedFriggin' fantastic collaboration of artists. monkey majik's indie sounds mixed with Yoshida Brother's firey shamisen.
One awesome Track.
b-sides are spiffy too. :)Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Poetic Ore (CD+DVD)(Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Poetic Ore (CD+DVD)(Limited Edition)(Japan Version) DVD Region 2
(1)Our Price: US$41.25Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:May 29, 2008 Excellent!ooooooh.
orange pekoe adds an electronic element to their bossa jazz stylings.
after the way 'modern lights' disappointed me, this was a welcome and refreshing change.
the accompanying dvd is a treat as well!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
TV Anime Tsubasa Revelations ED: Saigo no Kajitsu (Japan Version)
TV Anime Tsubasa Revelations ED: Saigo no Kajitsu (Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$14.49Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:May 29, 2008 better than anticipatedAt first listen I wasn't impressed with this single.
It's had some time to sink in now, and I must say, its a very engrossing number, particularly from a Kanno-free Maaya. It's one of her best singles in a while now.
The b-side is fantastic too, and the packaging is stunning. O_ODid you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Mariah Carey - The Emancipation Of Mimi Repackage Deluxe Version (Korean Version)
Mariah Carey - The Emancipation Of Mimi Repackage Deluxe Version (Korean Version)
(1)Our Price: US$17.99List: US$25.99Save: US$8.00 (31%)Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:May 29, 2008 Surprise for a non-believerI'm not a Mariah fan by any stretch of the imagination, but a cheap price and the single "We Belong Together" was enough to get me to buy this album.
While the first track is crummy noise, and the tracks featuring other artists are uninteresting and unoriginal, the solo-Mariah material really surprised me.
The overall feel of it is a sort of, corny, laid-back, old school hip-hop/r&b/pop that goes down easy. Mariah's range and the ease at which she accesses it is incredible. But she still manages to keep it musically pleasant by leaving the dog-whistle notes mostly to backing vocals, or for the occasional splash (once or twice per song) in the melody line.
I enjoyed this album enough to have my interest in her current release E=MC2, aroused.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Macross Frontier OP : Triangler (Japan Version)
Macross Frontier OP : Triangler (Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$13.49Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:May 29, 2008 Return to work with Yoko KannoAfter some bumpy roads, I was anticipating Maaya's return to Yoko Kanno's magical composition with GREAT INTENT!
HOWEVER! What we were given, isn't all that fantastic. Musically, it sounds like something that could have easily come off of DIVE. It's corny, very anime centered in both melody and arrangement. Maaya's voice sounds a little off too. It's a wee bit too childish, and almost nasal. She's certainly lost some of her vocal purity and charm, and apparently some of her range as well.
The b-side is pleasant, if a little bit boring.
A fairly weak return after so much anticipation, but really, not all that bad.
And it comes with a pink plastic traingle!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Strawberry Chips (Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Strawberry Chips (Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$13.49Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:July 22, 2007 One of HALCAI's Best!This single is just whole, and totally complete. It couldn't get any better.
The title track is a slower, more laid back song, but still is full of rapping. A great chorus and catchy verses make this a home run HALCALI song.
This version of the single comes with three bonus tracks, two of which are not available on the regular edition. Each song is great in its own rite, and they work together to make on fantastic release.
Nifuku Hoshi is great, but the real winners are the other two. Kono Sekai ni, Kono Ryoute ni is a sweet, happy tune with a christmas flavour. It's so happy and cute, but its no over powering or diabetic. It's just a good blend. Slalom '03 "Queen of the Slopes" has a much more wintry/holiday feel to it, but it doesn't feel stale or overdone. You can listen to the track anytime during the year, and the jingle bells don't feel too awkward or strange.
Really, this is just an excellent single all round. This is the one to get if you're going to try HALCALI.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
July 22, 2007 Collector's Item
I'll be the first in line to defend HALCALI, but this remix cd......it's really a collector's item. I wouldn't suggest a casual listener to buy this cd.
The remixes aren't all that great. Many of them are too disjointed or unorganized to be really really good. Some are quite enjoyable, but the majority fall flat and are quite forgettable. It's really a shame, because as some of the tracks prove, HALCALI is prime remixing material. I guess it just takes the right touch.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
July 22, 2007 Fricken Wicked
GiriGiri Surf Rider is the single responsible for a large chunk of HALCALI's fan base. The song is ludicrously catchy and entertaining. It's a hyper and fun beachy inspired poppy rap track that just begs to be put on repeat. There's a hecticness to the song as the girls try their hardest to keep up with the pace of the music. You can really hear how much fun they had recording it. It's so infectious!
This single also has HALCALI's first real b-side track. A ONE TWO is a cute, semi-spastic track that suits HALCALI well. It's a good deal of fun, and makes a decent companion for the title track.
The Half-Rider mix is probably the best HALCALI remix so far. It goes a long way, and is a nice addition to the single.
This single only comes with one karaoke version. But that's alright. You can still challenge your friends to a rap-off. :D
Greeeeeeaaaaaaaat single!!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Electric Sensei (Japan Version)
Electric Sensei (Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$10.99Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:1 people found the following helpful
July 22, 2007 Hooray for HALCALI!!HALCALI's second single.
A whimsical, electric rapping pop tune that's just as fun as you'd expect from HALCALI. Not as hard hitting or fantastic as their first single, Tandem, but Electric Sensei is nothing to be overlooked.
I actually don't think I can acurately express how much fun this song can be....it's just fantasticly original and daring pop music.
The karaoke versions allow you to take the part of either Halca or Yucali. So you can practice both parts seperately and then rap attack your friends on the version with neither of the original girls vocals.
Again, the remix isn't anything to get too excited about, but it rounds the single out nicely.
This is just another HALCALI single that way too many people are missing out on.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Tandem (Japan Version)
July 22, 2007 HALCALI's First Single!This is HALCALI's first single, and it's still a huge fan favourite.
TANDEM is completely off the wall. It's a crazy fast-paced rapping pop attack. The girls really give it everything they've got, and the result is a track that you couldn't forget even if you wanted to.
It's seriously crazy, especially for the casual pop listener, but this is good stuff. You'll have trouble finding more original music under the 'pop' section.
The karaoke versions allow you to take the part of either Halca or Yucali. So you can practice both parts seperately! How cool!
The remix isn't fantastic or amazing, but it's a nice addition to the single.
Bottom line - HALCALI kick butt!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Look (Single+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Look (Single+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version) DVD Region 2
(1)Our Price: US$16.99Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:July 22, 2007 Alright.LOOK is a very poppy HALCALI tune. The melody is cute and catchy, and it goes over well, but its lacking just a bit of something to make it a Real HALCALI track. I do like the song quite a bit, but if you're more used to the old HALCALI, this song might surprise you.
sister ship is great! Why is the b-side better than the a-side? This track is a strange rapping dancey number that only HALCALI could pull off. Its upbeat, but still manages to be a little dark and silly at the same time. Really, a great fun very HALCALI track.
I smile just thinking about it! :D
The dvd that comes with this version is alright. No great shakes, but its worth the extra couple bucks. It features a cartoon version of Halca and Yucali as pigs singing a song about a moth and a butterfly. Really cute and sweet, but fairly short.
Overall, this single is pretty decent. Not amazing or anything mind blowing, but its good pop fun. :)Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Togenkyo / Lights, Camera. Action ! (Japan Version)
Togenkyo / Lights, Camera. Action ! (Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$13.25Usually ships within 7 daysRelated promotions:July 22, 2007 Ok.....I'm not too terribly impressed with this single.
Togenkyo is a strangely catchy tune. The girls voices sound sweet, and there is a pretty cool bit where they 'break it down' and throw down some rapping. The guitar riff the song is based on is painfully generic though. The girls do manage to spice it up a bit, but its really not enough to cement this track as something memorable.
Lights, Camera. Action! is very generic jpop fluff stuff. It reminds me of Tip Taps Tip, but less HALCALI. There is a bit of a rap....but to be honest...I don't really remember what it sounds like.
This single is entertaining enough when you're listening to it...but the songs just really aren't memorable. They're not strong enough to be singles.
I'm fairly disappointed with this single. It's easily the weakest single HALCALI has ever released.
:(Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
Bookmark & Share