Review by ico

After 6 years of being part of Plum Planets and other acitivites, Yuko Sasaki's solo comeback is her first single since 2000. "Sajou no Yume" is a mid-tempo, somewhat dramatic song similiar in style to her "PURE"-era work, but sounds more serious. Although she doesn't soar to the amazing choruses heard in "GRADUATION" and "PURE SNOW," the song is solid, and has that recognizable Yuko Sasaki sound--whether you think it's squeaky or cute (I lean toward the latter). The second track is a quiet, lounge-ish guitar piece, showcasing Yuko-san's maturity. I enjoyed this single and hope she continues to make more music!

Younha's single, used as the ending theme to the "Juousei" TV anime, is a good departure from her previous sound. Although you can't hear her piano work too well in "Te wo Tsunaide", the guitars and beats are cleanly mixed and the upbeat tune is fairly addictive. The second track is nondescript, but the third one, a piano ballad, might be the strongest track on this single, showcasing her great singing voice.

Ellegarden is a band that never disappoints. There are no duds on this single, just one catchy, melodic, well-arranged track after another. Ellegarden might be a "power pop" band, but they are simply good at what they do. Recommended if you like melody with your rock.

For 3200 yen, 28 tracks is an excellent deal. This 2-disc best-of collection covers all of Garnet Crow's major label singles up this point and most of the other memorable tracks from their career, mostly in chronological order. If you've been thinking about getting a Garnet Crow CD but never did, this is the perfect item for you. If, on the other hand, you have all of their CDs, there isn't that much new material here. Either way, this album contains the essence of "jpop/jgroove" that defines Garnet Crow, and is worth a listen.

Following on the acclaim of her debut album R', Rurutia's second album is no sophomore slump. Presenting 10 tracks in a fusion of rock, pop, highly imaginative lyrics, and the artist's etheral and sometimes tortured voice, "Water Forest" smooths out some of the rawness and wrinkles from Rurutia's debut (such as off-key singing), and moves from the alt-rock sound toward more esoteric territory, retaining a blend of both. The opening track, "Pavane" is possibly the best song on this album, ranging from quiet, luminescent verses to dramatic choruses accentuated with hard guitar--a truly artistic achievement. The three singles on the CD are as varied and good as the other tracks. Once again, Rurutia has released an excellent album. The only thing that would make it better is if it were a little longer.

Rurutia's third album is no less than an eclectic masterpiece of sound. From the opening notes of "hallelujah," a melodramatic violin leads into a driven, mystic-sounding song. Tracks such as "neo" make use of electric guitar for powerful choruses, while "gola" is a fluid work of piano genius. "Traumerai," the only single included on the CD and probably the closest to being a mainstream ballad, is far from the best track on the album, but is charmingly nostalgic nonetheless. Things take a brief dip with "merry," which sounds uninsteresting in comparison, but the sheer volume of good, original, and imaginative music on this CD definitely outweighs that. As always, Rurutia's lyrics are poetic, complementing her expressive voice, seemingly fragile and sometimes tortured. I can't recommend this enough to anyone who wants to hear one of the most talented, creative, and unusual singer-songwriters of jpop.

As expected from singer-songwriter Tomoko Tane (who also sang the Gasaraki OP and ED songs), this single is not only fitting to the anime series, but also beautiful and atmospherically melancholic. Although the lyrics are in English, odd pronunciation/grammar isn't much of a problem here. Both songs contain excellent piano and instrumental arrangements, making even the karaoke tracks worth getting.

Akino Arai's 20th anniversary compilation is a good, but not quite complete collection of her work. All 16 tracks selected are excellent, mostly anime related themes showcasing her wispy voice and soft instrumentals, but one can't help feeling that just 16 tracks are not enough to represent the broad spectrum and musical talent of the singer, lyricist, composer, and musician that is Akino Arai. This album is a great introduction to those who have not heard of this talented artist, and a decent collector's item for those who have.

Akino Arai's 20th anniversary compilation is a good, but not quite complete collection of her work. All 16 tracks selected are excellent, mostly anime related themes, but one can't help feeling that just 16 tracks are not enough to represent the broad spectrum and musical talent of the singer, lyricist, composer, and musician that is Akino Arai. What really makes this edition great is the DVD, which comes with footage from her 20th anniversary live. This album is a good introduction to those who have not heard of this talented artist, and a decent collector's item for those who have.

The first collaboration of Yuki Kajiura and YUUKA is a step in a good direction. With sereval hit singles, YUUKA's singing talents are clearly brought to light by Yuki's intricate instrumental arrangements. Yet after listening to this CD, something is still left to be desired. Perhaps it's the feeling that, even though the songs have varied instrumentals, something sounds the same. Or that YUUKA's singing, while it is good, fails to stand out in a way that is truly excellent. Overall, this a good CD and I look foward to more from this duo in the future.

Aoi Teshima's debut album is a relaxing, acoustic collection of songs in the spirit of her single, "Therru no Uta" but with sparser accompaniment. Her soothing voice glides through all of the piano, fife, or guitar-driven songs with ease, but because the music is so slow and quiet, it might put you to sleep. Even the piano arrangement of "Therru no Uta" on this CD is more quiet than the original. A good effort from newcomer Aoi, and a great image album for the Gedo Senki movie, but I hope she sings songs with more variety in the future.