Review by ico
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RapuntzelCoccoRapunzel
Another powerful album by Cocco. Her voice ranges from soft (T'was on my birthday night), to inspirational (poromeria) to screaming (kemono michi). Overall, this album is more on the dark, pensive side of rock. Cocco's mature voice goes perfectly for this sort of thing. It's definitely not a piece of bubbly j-pop. Solid, fantastic stuff.
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Sora no SphereAkino AraiAnother good album by Akino Arai!
Sora no Sphere continues Akino Arai's characteristic style: whispery vocals, meditative lyrics, slow-tempo percussion, and soft electronic sounds. Most of the songs here lean toward slow and soft. This album is an excellent addition to the library of any Arai Akino fan; and a good, soothing collection of songs for other music aficionados.
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Ashita e no Sankaalanstrong debut!
This is alan's debut Japanese single. It has two strong tracks which showcase alan's beautiful singing voice and artistic "Tibetan wail" technique. The title track is a powerful song with a spiritual new-age feeling. The second is slightly more energetic and uses a traditional Japanese tune in a modern way. Both are great songs, so it's a bonus that the karaoke tracks are included for them. This single is recommended to anyone who likes a new-age flavor to their pop music, or to all alan fans.
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Asa (Shuntaro Tanikawa / Kazutoshi Yoshimura Shishu Calendar) [Calendar 2008 (Try-X Ltd.)]CalendarBeautiful!
Good paper quality, beautiful sunset scenes. Makes a great new year's present. I sent two to friends.
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I willNamie Amurobeautiful ballad
"I will" is an excellent ballad that makes great use of Amuro's voice. The instrumentals are beautiful as well. I got this because I liked the song enough that I wanted the karaoke version, and I am not a Namie Amuro fan. The piano and live versions are good coupling tracks for the single.
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Moonlight DreamS.E.N.S.featuring Suzie Kansimply beautiful
This single is a bit pricey for three tracks, otherwise I would have given it a 5/5. I really love the English version of "Moonlight Dream", which was my motivation to buy this single. It's a slow ballad, with an airy, moonlit atmospheric feel. The singer's English is very good. The karaoke and Japanese tracks are also fantastic, overall making this a good buy for those who like this song.
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acoustic loveAi Takaokagreat new sound
I thought Ai Takaoka's first album, Sunny, was okay, but not particularly interesting. I'm really enjoying this album a lot more! For one thing, the acoustic guitar is more prominent. While I feel her songwriting is kind of simplistic, she tries different things here. "jealousy no wakusei" is perhaps the most creative and unusual sound she has composed to date. Also, the other songs on this album are just as good as the three released singles ("Omoide no Natsu ga Kuru," "Ah Anata ni Ai ni ikanakya," and "Dare ni mo Ienai Himitsu"), which in my book means she put songwriting work into that album. My favorite track is "aozora no shita de." It is just ridiculously catchy. Recommended for those who like catchy folk pop.
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Kaze no Naka no KoshinAnri KumakiRelaxing and melodic
This is singer-songwriter Kumaki Anri's third album. Like previous albums, the songs here are relaxing and melodic. Her voice is soothing and accompanies the music wonderfully as always. The tracks "ichigo ichie", "kaze no kioku", "nora neko mitai ni", and "shinkirou" stand out in particular as being sensitive and beautiful. Overall, this album is even better than her previous efforts. The tunes are in the same vein as her usual songwriting, but are catchier than before. She is also diversifying by incorporating different instruments (brass, banjo/shamisen?, etc). Great pickup for Kumaki Anri fans. Also recommended to people who like relaxing, slow, acoustic folk pop.
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ULTIMATE CRASH '02 LIVE AT BUDOKANChihiro Onitsukamoving performance
I do not usually buy DVDs of artists' live performances, but I had to get this after watching clips on YouTube. Onitsuka's sometimes awkward movements become moving when you can see how she's so concentrated and into the music that she's singing. Of course, her singing is powerful as always. Given the price and runtime, this DVD was well worth the purchase price.
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Nikopachi [Regular Edition]Maaya SakamotoNikopachi
This second singles-and-more collection is a must-have for any Maaya Sakamoto fan. It is also an excellent album for those not familiar with Maaya to give her music a try. This album contains 16 songs of amazing variety and quality. Most were used in various anime. There are upbeat, powerful songs like "hemisphere" and "yubiwa", cute songs like "shippo no uta" and "yoake no octave", sad beautiful songs ("gravity", "vector", "here"), artsy songs ("ongaku"), and more. Recommended for anyone who likes music with a melody and a beautiful female voice.
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AiSaori AtsumiAi
1200 yen for three good, catchy songs is not at all a bad deal. "Ai" is a cheerful, upbeat song with a marching beat. "Ashita ni Nareba" is a slow-tempo, hopeful song which starts out with a nice guitar intro. "Tatoeba kimi no oto," a guitar and Atsumi duet, is my favorite track. It's slow and quiet, but all warm and fuzzy. If you like Atsumi's other music, you may want to consider her album "Tokyo Clumsy Days." The only track on this single not included on that CD is "Tatoeba kimi no koto." But if you like this song as much as I do, the single is worth it.
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GeminiMaika ShiratoriRocking out
Maika Shiratori's third album rocks out somewhat more than her previous two. The theme seems to be "twins" in some sense. All tracks in Japanese come with English translations, and vice versa. This album includes the singles "koware mono" and "sora kakeru niji," but the other tracks are just as good. There are slow quiet guitar ballads, loud grungy guitars, and all the variety and catchy tunes you can expect from Maika Shiratori. Recommended!
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Voice of Earth [CD+DVD / Jacket A]alanGood First Effort!
alan's debut album is a tribute to her voice. Almost every song is crafted to allow alan a brief chance to showcase her signature "Tibetan wail." Otherwise, the songs are cautious but catchy pop songs. Favorites from this album: "Ashita e no Sanka," "my friend," "RED CLIFF ~kokoro.ikusa~"
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Love PieceAi OtsukaLove Piece
This album is a little stronger than her previous effort, "Love Cook." The tunes are just a little more catchy, and there's more variety in the way of upbeat songs (Mirai Taxi, PEACH, Frienger), strange over-happy songs (CHU-LIP), and slower songs (HEART, Yumekui, Kumuiuta, Ren'ai Shashin). Basically, there's a little of everything that anyone who likes Ai's music and vocals will appreciate, and can hum along to. If you've already heard the singles, you may be disappointed that there aren't many new songs, but if you were looking to collect them here, this is the perfect album for you.
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Heart StationHikaru UtadaHeart Station
This is the first Hikki album that I enjoyed listening to. I have heard her previous work, but none of it really stuck. The songs here are definitely more on the uplifting and sunny side (moodwise) than her previous album. Of course, the singles are good and there is a decent amount of variety overall. "Heart Station," "Stay Gold," and "Flavor of Life" are my favorites.
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HikousenMaika Shiratorihikousen
Shiratori's new album is a lot more sunny and uplifting than her previous albums. Hanazono was brooding, Tougenkyou was subdued, and Gemini was a tad aggressive. As always, the vocals are superb, and the songs have a lot of acoustic and luminescent guitar. Note that track 3 is a self-cover of "usuaka no hana" from her debut album, and "taiyou no uta" is a self-cover of a song she wrote for the drama. The only thing that could make this great album better is if it were longer.
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Tobira AlbumRie fuOpening the door to a new sound
Rie Fu brings something old and something new to the table with her 3rd studio album, aptly titled "Tobira Album." Her songs retain her familiar soothing vocals and melodic guitar. At the same time, she ventures slightly into new musical territory with tracks such as the surreal "dreams be", regal serenade "Tsukiakari" (ending theme to "Darker than Black"), and relaxed "Anata ga Koko ni Iru Riyu." Overall, there is not one unlikeable song on this album. "Mellow" would be a perfect descriptor of the CD's mood. However, "dreams be," "Tsukiakari," and the other 3 pre-release singles are the standout tracks here; it would have been a pleasant surprise if the new songs were all just as great.
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ChorionRurutiaA Good Effort
Rurutia's 1st independent album, 5th overall, is a great effort, but doesn't quite compare to previous works. Many songs on this album sound similar to songs from her previous albums, but do not surpass the bar that they set. The opening track, "ABINTRA" works the same way "Pavane" and "Hallelujah" do respectively, but not quite as well. "Mizu Keshiki Hoshi Moyou" is uplifting, but "Lost Butterfly" (from "R'") is comparable in scope. "Time Traveler" may be the most original song from Rurutia yet, a piano and vocal duet. The other standout tracks, such as "Reirei Tenohira" are mostly her singles. While the 5 instrumental tracks are a nice touch, the album would have been more cohesive with more original tracks instead. The songs on this album, when taken out of context of her other work, are excellent in and of themselves. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to hear Rurutia for the first time. Those who were expecting more from Rurutia's proven songwriting talents may have to wait longer.
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Collection Simple Plus [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]ALI PROJECTCollection mostly complete
Quite simply, this album is a collection of most of the music (not just singles) released by ALI Project on the Victor label, arranged in chronological order. For those like myself who were hoping to obtain their most well-known songs without buying out their discography, this is the album to get. Because ALI Project's musical style has changed a lot over the years, the more cheerful, cute songs in the beginning contrast greatly with the darker, mantra-like singles of their recent work. Depending on whether you are a fan of past-ALI Project or present, your mileage may vary. If you have never heard of ALI Project, this album might not be useful as it presents a catalogue of music by the duo without attempting to unify the collection. For me, the best part of this album was the first half, which included all of the hard-to-find songs that ALI Project wrote for CLAMP's "Wish."
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Eleven Fire CrackersELLEGARDENA Sonic Firecracker
Ellegarden's 5th album is a complete sonic firecracker. From beginning to end, each track is catchy, well written, and melodic, while managing to maintain an overwhelming rock atmosphere. If Ellegarden is considered "power pop," it is certainly not perjurative in this sense. If the album had been a little longer, or if the opening lead-in track were vocal rather than a short instrumental, I would have given it 5 stars. Definitely not to be missed for Ellegarden fans, and recommended for people who like melodic, powerful music.