Make Progress (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)

As expected from a pop singer such as Nami, Make Progress is predominantly composed of fast tracks. In fact, the album’s one and only slow track doesn’t arrive until track 10. For 35 minutes, the album delivers an adrenaline rush that starts with the prerequisite Euro-beat track Fly Away to the “80’s rock” entry Kurayami Monogatari (track 9). The fast tracks are what you expect from any female J-pop singer – none of them may be classic songs that people will remember in years to come, but the tone changes on numerous tracks so that the album holds the listeners’ attention.

A slight weakness appears when Make Progress reaches the ballad You. When performing a fast song, Nami’s vocals are perfect, with a sense of energy that one can expect from a 16-year old. However, once the album slows down, Nami has to rely on pure vocals to carry through the entire track, and the song begins to crumble. An advantage in Nami’s vocals is that her voice sounds more mature than her age, but only in her second year as a singer, she’ll need to make a little more progress (just as the album’s title suggests) before really delivering a good ballad.

Make Progress wraps up with three familiar tracks that have been released previously on singles and a remix of track 2 Reason – a wise decision that ends the album on a high, but unspectacular note. Make Progress is not groundbreaking music; this is stuff J-pop fans have been listening to since the days of Amuro Namie and Tetsuya Komuro. The good news is that the album carries the genre admirably with energetic tracks and a production team that knows how to use Nami’s musical strengths to full advantage. Nami’s young age also means that she’s only at the beginning of her career, and judging by the reception among fans of J-pop, she may be very happy that some things indeed never change.

By Kevin Ma