Hyaku Renka / Tooku Hanaretemo [Jacket B]

Satomi Takasugi is fantastic! 'Hyaku Renka/Tooku Hanaretomo' is her second single, and it's better than her first. 'Hyaku Renka' is a gently moody ballad with a penetrating chorus that sticks to you for days after listening. Satomi's vocals are soft, poignant, and spot-on. She manages to evoke emotion without going overboard with unnecessary vocal inflections, and just keeps it simple and clean. Her pure voice is refreshing in a world dominated by screeching divas. And really, the song is just gorgeous! :D 'Tooku Hanaretomo' is a little bit liter. It's pleasant and all, but easily forgettable. Satomi does a good job of keeping the track afloat with an exceptional vocal effort, but the track itself falls into the 'bland' category. It's by no means painful to get through, it just really can't compare to the previous track. The bonus first press remix of 'Hyaku Renka'! It's stunning. Amazing that such a small switch in production could affect the feeling of the song so drastically. The new instrumentation has a traditional flair reminiscent of her first single 'Tabibito'. The sounds match her vocals wonderfully. It's arguably better than the original track. Basically - awesome single.