Review by shelagh

To say that this album is a little strange, would be very nice. There's something about this album that is just so weird it at once throws me off and draws me in. It could be MELL's interestingly unique voice, or the range of musical styles -from pop, to ballad types, to happy hardcore techno, to industrial, and to something quite organic courtesy of Eric Moquet- , or it could be that something else that i cant quite put my finger on. Despite the array of sounds and styles present on the album, it all falls back on the wonderful production of I've Sound, and actually holds together fairly well. I'm not sure what to say of MELL's voice though...she can be tender and beautiful, harsh and forceful, and just plain weird. Somehow she manages to pull herself together to suit the music and provide an interesting performance. She can sometimes be insensitive towards the music, but that seems to be part of her charm. Having said all that, there are some very good and solid tracks on this album, but I'm sure its not for everyone. Still....its an interesting listen....and the packaging sure is spiffy! The DVD has some alternate versions of her PVS. New footage is always a plus, and there's plenty of that! It also has photo-shoot footage, and an interview with Eric Moquet of Deep Forest, who worked on the production of the final track of the album.

Satomi worries me sometimes, and surprises me often. After hearing the main track for this single (Yuumachi Kaze), I was afraid we'd been handed another 'Arigatou' or 'Issho ni'. However, the single has much more to offer than that. 'Yuumachi Kaze' seems a touch bland at first, but repeated listens warmed me to it. It's actually quite sweet, if a little lite for a fall release. The other tracks remain on the lite side, but explore a bit more territory. Satomi gives a wonderful delivery for each track, and proves she is more versatile than I had thought. All of the tracks solidify nicely, and complement each other quite well. If we were given a couple more tracks (maybe a short intro and outro and one more full length track), and the instrumentals were removed, I'm convinced we'd have an excellent little mini-album on our hands. The best track on the cd would have to be 'Aoi Hana'. It has a depth and warmth to it that the other tracks replace with a quaint breeziness. It still sits wonderfully with the others, but to my ears it stands out as superior. There's something about the arrangement that recalls 'Mou Ichido Hajime You' from her 'Arigatou' single. Satomi plays around with the track and changes her singing style quite effectively. This is a style I could see her successfully spending more time with. I would love that. :) Also, the first press cover is adorable! ^o^ But for now I'm eagerly awaiting her next release!

A fine compilation of melody.'s career. The inclusion of a few b-sides from her singles is a pleasant surprise, and adds a little bit more variety to an album that would otherwise be redundant for a collector. It's great to be able to sit and hear so clearly melody.'s evolution as a vocalist and artist. Her earlier singles are lite pop fluff, with not a whole lot to get excited about. But by track 5 she really starts to turn up the quality, both musically and vocally. And she just keeps getting better. :) The retrospective might seem a bit premature for an artist who appeared to be just truly starting to find herself musically, but something about this release makes me think that melody.'s time as a jpop artist is over. There is a frightening finality to the release that seems to simply close the door to her. I hope I'm wrong, because with her last few releases she was evolving into a wonderful jpop artist. The dvd is totally complete and offers all of her music videos to us. Its wonderful to be able to see her, even if some of the music videos aren't so fantastic. But like her music, her videos dramatically increase in quality. Some are wonderful, and for the most part, they all do a great job of matching the music. melody.'s beauty is at full force in her music videos, and they make for a pleasant viewing experience. :) Also, the first press poster is GORGEOUS!

This was the first melody. single that really caught my attention. The lite, playful guitar and sweet melody perfectly matches melody.'s breezy voice. The song is too damn catchy for its own good, and sticks with me for a long while after I've listened to it. The b-side is pretty good as well, although it lacks the great feeling of the main track. It's a pretty good single all over, with instrumental versions of both tracks rounding it out. This is the Japanese version, and it feels stronger as a whole than the English version.

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.

An upbeat pop song from Satomi that does away with her typical 'folk-pop' sound. Instead we're given a refreshingly peppy track released in winter (a time so heavily burdened with ballads in the jpop world) which made it stand out a fair bit at the time. While the sound is in tune with a winter feeling, its versatility makes it playable all year round. The other a-side 'Soshite Boku wa Tohou ni Kureru' is a quiet, dark and warm electronicy number that features Satomi's most soothing vocals to date.It's beautiful in a completely tranquil way. Warm and simply gorgeous. A must hear!

cool song. the opening for rah xephon. its quick and has a very urgent and 'stressed' feeling to it. neat. the crown jewel here though, is the b-side, 'Ongaku'. Wow. Like, Holy Shit Wow. Maaya pushes her vocals to the limit in this track. its incredible. both beautiful and strange. fantastic track, with a rather unsettling mood. there's something about this piece that draws me back to it constantly. im not sure what it is, but i get cravings to hear this piece. its just amazing.

Another winner from Maaya Sakamoto. This time, a mini-album. I'm always impressed at how seamlessly this album manages to move from electronic, to tribal sounds, to lite r&b flavourings, to acoustic piano and easy listening, while keeping it all within the realm of pop. I would say that some of Maaya's best songs come off this album, but thats true of most of her albums.

This song is eerie and beautiful. kokia's golden voice floats across each note with such sweetness and beauty. she's matched the epic and foreboding string arrangement. its stunning, just gorgeous. dark and ominous like a storm cloud, this song sounds like a doomsday piece. its really friggin amazing actually. yoko kanno has created another epic and moving piece, matched uncannily with kokia's other worldy voice. amazing.

very sugary sweet maaya song. its not diabetically sweet or anything like that, but it sure is 'cute'. actually, its a lot of fun to sing, although by now it does sound a tad bit aged. the b-side, 24, is a nice accompanying track. its an acoustic poppy bit sung entirely in english. its a bit of a play on the cinderella story (using the 24 hour clock). both tracks are pretty enjoyable, and some fun to sing ^_^

As Atari Kousuke's first venture into pop music, this is a very impressive release. The mini album is packed with gorgeous melodies, great arrangements, perfectly complimentary production, and Atari's stunning voice. Track 1, "Ieji", is sweet and beautiful, and really gives a nice traditional spin on contemporary pop music. The strength of this song is truly realized in the popularity it has brought Atari, as well as the numerous versions of the piece he has recorded. But this is the original, and easily the best take on the piece. Each of the other tracks truly allow Atari's vocal forte and versatility to shine. From a Mariah Carey pop-ballad (track 3, "HERO"), to swinging acoustic pieces, to tracks that are just simply beautiful, this release covers it all. It may be short, but the music is wonderful, and Atari's voice is something no one should miss. Although he has had numerous major label releases since, I still find this to be one of my absolute favourite releases by Atari, and easily one of the best mini-albums in my entire collection.

With only two tracks, some might be hesitant to buy this single. But truly, both tracks are beautiful and well worth the money. "Itsuka Kaze ni Naru Hi" is a gentle, calm and breezy summer tune. Chitose's voice is as beautiful as ever, and she really takes you away on this lovely, relaxing tune. Track two, "Sanpo no Susume" is another bright and beautiful track that compliments the title track very well. And of course, Chitose's vocals never disappoint. :)

This DVD contains mostly live footage of Hajime Chitose, but also contains footage of her home island of Amami set to the music of her live performances. The scenery is gorgeous, and gives real weight to her unique sound. At one point we even get to see Chitose singing quietly to the ocean, showing the inspiration for her traditional Shima-Uta style. The live performances are excellent, with Chitose carrying her difficult vocals along without a hitch. She even plays the sanshin for one song! Many of the song have somewhat different arrangements than the album versions. (For example; 'Kotonoha' has an extended vocal introduction, and 'Seirei' is sung with only drums as a backing.) While the performances are excellent, and the DVD as a whole is well put together, I would have liked to have seen some extras, or maybe a little bit more conversation with Chitose. All in all though, a Great DVD!

The title track of this single is a beautiful, sweeping piece full of emotion. Chitose is spectacular in her delivery; conveying an onslaught of meaning and deeply felt emotions. The piece continues for nearly six minutes but is so engaging I find myself wanting to play it over and over again. The second track, 'Byakuya', keeps the same kind of feeling as the previous track, but with more of an adult-pop-rock vibe. Production of this track is excellent as it successfully and deliberately warps Chitose's voice for one verse. The hypnotic beat, wonderful melody and instrumentation along with Chitose's superb vocal performance make this one of my favourite Chitose songs. 'True Colours' is a cover of a Phil Collins song. This version has Chitose singing gently atop a simple acoustic guitar arrangement. While it is nothing spectacular, this track gives a real feel for Chitose's ability to change the mood of a song with her voice alone. With its slowed tempo, soothing atmosphere, and considerably dark feel, this track is an excellent finish to a fantastic single.

The title track of this single is just gorgeous. A slow, heartfelt piece with a very traditional Japanese flavour. The simple, but strong drum beat, and minimalistic arrangement along with the beautiful melody allows Chitose's vocals to shine. While the song is very beautiful and soothing, it is also rather dark and saddening. The second track (Ai to Iu na no Okurimono) is an upbeat song with a pop-rock feel. Chitose handles the vocals well, and the song carries well enough. The track, though enjoyable enough, isn't particularly memorable. The final track is a cover of Fairground Attraction's 'Perfect'. Something went wrong with this track. Chitose's usually powerful and sweeping vocals have been confined to a song that is entirely too small. She actually sounds like a little old lady for much of the track, and the instrumentation sounds hokey. Her pronunciation of the English words is quite good though. The song itself is not a bad one, and Chitose certainly isn't a bad singer, but this is clearly an example of poor choice of song. Despite the obvious failings of the final track, this single is quite enjoyable and well worth the money.

Utada Hikaru has evolved. She has gone from a cute little R&B singer to an artist of epics proportions. While others may say that 'Passion' isn't as catchy as 'Hikari' or 'Simple and Clean' were, there can be no doubt that with this latest single Utada Hikaru has taken a step forward into the unknown. The song is simply gorgeous, a breath of fresh air in the often redundant world of pop music. The melody is strong and vibrant with incredible backing music and vocals. The 'muttering' or 'gibberish' in the song is actually Hikki singing "I need more Passion than you know" in English - but the phrase has been flipped backwards and inserted into the song. It adds an exotic feel and a cleverness to the track so lacking in many others. The PV is a perfect companion to the song - fresh and breathtakingly beautiful with an inspired vision that only Kiriya Kazuaki could imagine. The 'after the battle version' is a different arrangement of the song which, sadly, omits the bridge. All in all, this song and this single are spectacular. A real treat for fans of Hikki, or just music in general.

Acoustic versions of most songs are good, but the acoustic versions of Hitomi Yaida's songs are excellent! The new arrangements give new life to old favourites. Yaiko's vocals are spot on throughout the entire album. The audio and video footage are booth top notch. However, only eight tracks on the cd and four on the DVD make for an experience that is entirely too short. I highly recommend this release, but wish it had a bit more content.