Hayley Sings Japanese Songs 2 (Special Edition) [CD+DVD][SHM-CD]

I quote Keats to describe this beautiful album. I think if the first Hayley Sings Japanese Songs was the aperitif, then this is the gourmet main course. While it is not as easily accessible as the first album, it is far, far more complex. I think it shows a huge leap in maturity for Hayley and may even be seen as the first album of the second phase of her career. Certainly if this heralds the direction her international albums are to take then we are all in for the ride of our lives. While each and every song has its merits, for me the standout track is Many Times Always, a song to rival any of the best that Hayley has sung to date. The album as a whole is more personal and perhaps more melancholic than her previous ones, with themes about being apart from her mother and the sacrifices they've both made for Hayley's career. The production is more lavish and her voice as always is breathtaking. The DVD is in NTSC format without any regional encoding. I recommend this album without hesitation to her fans while newcomers are probably better advised to come to it after her earlier albums.