Love Paranoia (ALBUM+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version) DVD Region 2

Shibasaki's team sets up the energy immediately with opening track Rabaso ~ lover soul ~ (Track 1), which is apparently her first rock track (Kiss Shite doesn't count because it's under a pseudonym). From Kenta Matsukuma's composition to Nao Tokisawa's bombastic arrangement, everything in the song is out to capture attention, and to do it as quickly as possible. Tokisawa also plays to the right vocal range for Shibasaki, allowing her to let loose her rock side without straining her vocals too much.

Hit maker and frequent collaborator Jin Nakamura makes his first contribution of the album with Love Minority (Track 2), a fun and energetic track that mixes techno with bubble gum pop. Like Masaharu Fukuyama's Kiss Shite, Love Minority also features electronically-modified vocals. However, unlike the Masaharu Fukuyama-produced track, Nakamura's composition is better suited for Shibasaki, and his arrangement also knows how to employ the vocal modification without diverting attention from her voice.

In addition to frequent collaborators like Nakamura, Love Paranoia also attracted unlikely guests, like the horn section of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra in Yoku aru Hanashi ~ Mofuku no Jyohen ~ (Track 3). Like an amped-up version of Shibasaki's Glitter, the acid jazz-big band fusion carries the energy of the first two tracks effectively. Shibasaki's voice borders on wailing when it's stretched too far, and the producers of these three songs wisely avoid that, making Love Paranoia that much more comfortable to listen to. Instead of an exhausting assault of fast-pace songs, the producers also fit in a few ballads in between to slow things down. First up is Hyakunengo (Track 4), an elegant ballad written by Kenjiro Sakiya. The composition by the veteran composer/musician is exquisitely written with plenty of extensively-held notes for dramatic effect. However, singing at a key or two too low, Shibasaki's voice fails to deliver the beauty of the composition. Shibasaki's vocal is far better on Masaharu Fukuyama's Saiai (Track 8), which she sings again under the KOH+ pseudonym. With an affecting composition and an emotional vocal performance, the ballad proves to be the better collaboration between Fukuyama and Shibasaki.

Love Paranoia's strength is ultimately the work of those behind the scenes. While Shibasaki is a proficient vocalist, the success of her music often hinges on the ability of the producer's ability to adjust to Shibasaki's vocal range, which is only strong in the mid-range. The album is more successful in the faster-paced tracks, where the arrangement is more important than the actual vocal. Akirastar's Sweet Dream (Track 12) is an example of this. Jun Ichikawa's Europop arrangement complements Akirastar's bubble gum pop composition, elevating the maturity of the song to match Shibasaki's persona, which is fairly different from the bubble gum pop idols Akirastar has worked with. The result is a fun song that surprisingly matches Shibasaki. Even ex (Track 13), a mid-pace R&B-pop with a heavier emphasis on vocals, is effective because it plays well within her range, allowing her to perform comfortably without having to stretch too much.

While the instrumental elements make Love Paranoia a fun album to listen to, Shibasaki's vocal persona doesn't successfully adapt to the lighter tracks. The producers try to use the arrangements to give the songs a more mature edge, but she never sounds to be having fun as a vocalist. Nevertheless, even though Shibasaki may still be lacking vocally as a pop performer, Love Paranoia proves that a clearly-defined direction and a good studio team can still produce a good pop album. At least it's a good teaser to her upcoming nationwide tour, where Shibasaki will surely have to pull off a couple of dance moves to complement the songs on the album; now that should be a Kou Shibasaki performance worth catching.

by Kevin Ma