Trinka Trinka (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)

With only six tracks, the mini-album gets right down to business with opening track Trinka Trinka (Track 1), which may just be the most childishly kinky name for sex ever created. The electronic bubble gum pop style is most apparent here through the extensive use of synthesizer and the constant presence of bass at various speeds. It also shows Olivia having fun through vocals, as her enthusiasm breaks through the electronic modification.

In a similar vein is Collecting Sparkles (Track 4). This time around, the vocal modification is gone, though the style of the arrangement remains the same. It's a comparatively more emotional track, which naturally results in a more serious vocal style. It certainly works better than Miss You (Track 5), an electronic rock ballad that features an annoying redundant chorus that induces memories of Enya.

A far more effective rock ballad is Because (Track 3), which opens in a piano-driven slow-burn style before culminating in a loud and powerful chorus. Olivia shows impressive vocal range here, starting with a falsetto-filled verse before unleashing a torrent of emotions in the chorus, despite the modified sound. While it has completely opposite intention from Trinka Trinka, Because works just as effectively because they both have a very clear tonal intentions, and both achieve them effectively.

Olivia also departs from the electronic style with a pair of rock tracks. Your Smile (Track 6) achieves a consistent electric guitar-driven rock style, but the arrangement - of both the vocal and the music - becomes too chaotic at times, making for a messy ending track to the mini-album. The other rock song, Rain (Track 2), is more pleasing in terms of being commercially appealing with a persistent energy throughout. Olivia uses a dynamic vocal style more suited for the genre here, but does so without losing her distinct voice. It also serves nicely as a bridge between Trinka Trinka and Because by carrying over the same pace of the opening track while also setting up the more serious tone of the next track.

The mini-album format is perfect for Trinka Trinka. It remains dynamic by constantly changing musical styles between tracks, and at just over 28 minutes, it never overstays its welcome. The pacing is quick, but it never feels frenetic or rushed. The result is a nice blend of Japanese rock-pop and Western alternative bubble gum music, which seems to sum up both Olivia's musical style and her identity within the Japanese music world. Olivia has yet to reach true commercial success because of her unconventional vocal style, despite playing to a style of rock that has become the trend of today's Japanese pop world. With her enthusiasm for the phrase "Trinka Trinka" (she ends every blog entry with it), perhaps a reinvention into a more fun bubble gum pop style is in order.

by Kevin Ma