RIZE’s “PINK SPIDER”

RIZE / PINK SPIDER / November 22, 2006
♫ 01. PINK SPIDER / 02. GHOST

If hide’s stint as the lead guitarist of the most popular Japanese rock band, X Japan (now defunct), didn’t earn him a name in his home country of Japan, than his death most certainly did. It’s an old cliche that one can earn more money as a rock star if dead, and while that has certainly proven true for many before, the question is, does this apply to hide? And what does any of this have to do with RIZE? RIZE was brought to my attention during one of my more bored moments of deciding to browse hide’s official site, now less than a shred of what it used to be. The site had plenty of banners advertising yet another re-release (the best albums, the box collections, they’re all getting a bit redundant at this point; and consequently, money grubbing on the part of the record company), this time of his single PINK SPIDER. “PINK SPIDER” is a song riddled in controversy, mostly because of its supine connotations of involvement in hide’s suicide. Without going into too much detail (you can always Wiki it), one of the largest ongoing debates among fans surrounding the iconic Japanese punk rocker is the meaning behind his ill-fated suicide: was it intentional or merely an accident? To this day, the question remains unanswered, the realm where it will most likely stay buried forever.

So what does “PINK SPIDER” have to do with any of that? When fans are split amongst themselves on the debate, the side in favor of arguing the utmost intention behind hide’s act point out both the lyrics and video for “PINK SPIDER,” both which discuss and depict themes of suicide. Claiming this was a “suicide letter” of sorts, the song has become one of the most popular in hide’s discography, particularly due to its official release and subsequent pre-recorded television performances aired just days after his funeral. As such, “PINK SPIDER” is arguably his most cherished and legendary pieces of work alongside “ever free,” another post-suicide release.

So you can imagine the shoes RIZE has to fill, which does nothing but confuse me as to why they thought they could release a cover of the classic. Aside from the official tribute CD to hide, arranged by former band mate Yoshiki and comprised of bands close to hide in his career (OBLIVION DUST, Luna Sea, to name two), nobody has really come close in attempt to covering his songs officially (I am not counting remixes or those piano and guitar solo compilations). As expected, RIZE lives up to none of the standards set up for them. Their cover of “PINK SPIDER” is nothing but a mediocre guitar jam, serving no purpose than to once again allow the record company to re-release hide’s official single in conjunction and bring some dirty promotion to the band themselves, whose own songs on the single are as equally in need of fixing. Admittedly their songs are something like hide’s own solo work; rock with a tinge of ska thrown in and some punk rock influence. Maybe even the lead singer shares some similar nasal quality that reflected hide’s own distinct vocals, but ultimately, this is a terrible let down and further endorses the truth behind a pretty sad sentiment; maybe he is acheiving more popularity and money after his death, or at least some businessmen certainly are.

♫ Official Site
♫ Buy PINK SPIDER

Artist spotlight: Under the Influence of Giants

♫ In the Clouds / Mama’s Room

Once again, I rue the day I composed a top songs of 2006 list because even days before 2007 sets in, I am already discovering great music I missed out on for the year. If I went back to revise my list, you can bet I’d put Under The Influence of Giants on there. No longer just an indie group, they have taken their genre to another level with the 2006 release of their second LP, a self-titled work of alternative dance wonder.

The first time I heard “In the Clouds,” I didn’t even know how to react. Some of the greatest songs I cherish for years aren’t usually insta-hits with me. Some take a few extra listens or even a complete intermission while my tastes develop and I go back and think, My, how could I not have simply loved this before? But probably from the second I put this song on, it grabbed me. “In the Clouds” wastes no time on a fancy introduction or build-up that comprises most of Bloc Party’s discography. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Bloc Party (”Pioneers” does the build-up thing and it’s simply a brilliant track), but sometimes you’re in a mood where you just want things to be sped up a bit more quickly. The chorus, the echoes; it’s so catchy it’s almost ridiculous. Not sure how much this will account for its relevance in the long run, but I refuse to be stressin’ over absurdities like that at the moment.

Some of their other songs are a bit more subdued. “Mama’s Room” still has an upbeat feel, but it’s not something you would get up and bust a groove to instantly. “Stay lllogical” has a similar moody atmosphere, but is equally lovely. The synths are subtle; we’re not talking The Knife here, not by any means. The Scissor Sisters comparisons do it some justice, but altogether, it’s the uniqueness of this band that I enjoy the most.

So yeah, once I’m again, I’m the last one to hear an absolutely wonderful release from the year. Do I wish I could revise my 2006 list? Certainly. Just now I’m hearing the releases from Simian Mobile Disco and Midnight Juggernauts (“Tombstone” blew the roof of my house two days ago), but there’s not much I can do at this point but continue to share the love, or in this case, the absolute brilliance of a band gone crazy good.

♫ Official Site
♫ Buy Under the Influence of Giants

2006 in music: Top 25 songs

The top ten albums of 2006 can’t even come close to summarizing some of the wonderful songs released during the year. In fact, some of the most spectacular songs that I’ve heard this year were on album disasters and/or not even released on an album. So aside from the songs already on my top ten albums of the year, here are twenty-five of my favorite songs of 2006 (numbered, although in no particular order).

25. Alexisonfire – Rough Hands [ read full review ]: The piano and slow motion, eerie quality of the song are a delight to listen to, even though the album, frankly, sucked.

24. The Dresden Dolls – Backstabber: Yes, Virginia wasn’t exactly an Earth shattering release, but this song spent a fair amount of time in my top playlist for this year.

23. Emma Bunton – Downtown (Element Remix): Former Baby Spice certainly hasn’t caught my attention, mostly because I really don’t enjoy adult contemporary. Even her remake of the classic “Downtown” is drab. But this remix? Good stuff.

22. Desole – Personal: Desole’s Story To Tell is a pretty fantastic album, especially if you’re looking for music of the post-hardcore persuasion. I had a hard time deciding between this one and “Gossip” so if possible, be sure to check the other one out.

21. Nelly Furtado – Afraid: The fact that so many good songs were contained on one American pop album was enough for me to regard this album highly. Sure, a few of the songs are useless fillers, but most are just plain catchy pop music.

20. Hellogoodbye – Here (In Your Arms): The greatest pop song Darren Hayes never wrote.

19. Belle & Sebastian – Funny Little Frog: From quite possibly one of the worst albums (The Life Pursuit) of 2006 from one of my least favorite bands of all time but admittedly catchy and maybe even quirky, with its rhymes that call on more than just a little imagination.

18. Aya – OVER NIGHT [ read full review ]: I don’t think she could write a better comeback song than she did for this Chevalier soundtrack exclusive. The guitars, the breathy vocals, the ‘bringing it home’ section at the end, the overall almost transendent quality of the entire package…yum.

17. Dir en grey – Ryoujoku no Ame [ read full review ]: New album from the boys coming out in early February of 2007. Their albums, amazingly enough, just get better and better so I’m fairly excited for this, not to mention their concert in Chicago in the same month.

16. Tigarah – Japanese Queen [ read full review ]: Another artist releasing an album in 2007. This is probably one of the only baile-funk-ish songs I will ever put on a year end list, so some serious props to Tigarah for writing an amazing track infused with all the attitude of hip hop and the sweet self-endorsement of pop.

15. Venus Hum – Birds and Fishes: Slow, serene, yet powerful; all the best qualities of The Shanghai Resoration Project with the mysterious synth quality of some of the best electronic groups (I don’t know, Cut Copy, Junior Boys, The Knife, etc.).

14. Green Day + U2 – The Saints Are Coming [ read full review ]: Two huge rock bands everybody is pretty much sick of at this point collaborate on one of the lovliest pieces of arena rock of 2006.

13. Hoobastank – Inside of You: No one likes it when sappy rock ballads are rubbed into oblivion which is perhaps why their 2006 album flew so low under the radar. Regardless, it contains a lot of really good, radio-friendly rock songs (even though the lyrics are painfully…painful).

12. Hikaru Utada – Keep Tryin’ [ read full review ]: No one can put out quirkier art-pop than Ms. Utada and while I’m not apt to acclaim her latest album or even single, a nursery rhyme aimed for children (”Boku wa Kuma”, or “I Am A Bear”), this is still an incredibly well done track.

11. The Killers – When You Were Young: With the release of their sophomore album, it became harder and harder to find fans willing to admit that maybe, just maybe, they sort of really liked Sam’s Town. Enough with the Bruce Springsteen comparisons, it’s a good song.

10. Tommy heavenly6 – I’m Gonna SCREAM+ [ read full review ]: The arrangement, though strange, is quite lovely.

09. Tiziano Ferro – Stop! Dimentica [ read full review ]: Finally, someone gets the song sampling thing right. A rare, yet delectible hip hop-ish song to make the list.

08. Kill Hannah – Believer [ read full review ]: Why this band is not more huge than it is, is beyond my comprehension. These guys should be stadium big by now, but alas, their 2006 release fell short of some expectations. Luckily, we still have this song to headbang (somewhat) to.

07. The Decemberists – Summersong: The title says it all, can you not smell the twilight summer breeze in this song? I’m practically assaulted with it everytime I press play. Their album The Crane Wife made it to dozens of best album lists this year and although they did not grace mine, this song is still easily one of the best of this year.

06. Pet Shop Boys – Minimal (and bonus! Minimal (Telex Heaven remix)): So Fundamental wasn’t all I had hoped for (and by that I mean, dammit, I wanted Nightlife part two!), but this song is so good, so danceable, so blisteringly hot with its badass finishing bassline, that it definitely gets my vote for perhaps, greatest song of the year. The remixes it spawned? Absolutely fabulous, darling.

05. Cut Copy – Future Unlimited: So Fabriclive.29, though chock full of electronic indie acts, fell short of my ‘everything they touch turns to gold mentality,’ but even so, their original compositions were all fabulous so really, who can blame them when it was all the other dudes’ fault?

04. Gwen Stefani – Wonderful Life [ read full review ]: American pop queen gets two tracks right on her sophomore album, and this track with a reminiscent 80s vibe is certainly one of them.

03. The Fiery Furnaces – Waiting To Know You: Mostly an erratic indie rock group, with some tracks on Bitter Tea sounding more like a collection of sound bleeps than anything else, the group have somehow managed to write one of the sweetest, most sincere songs of the year.

02. Uffie – Pop The Glock: This song is so terrible, it’s good. The lyrics are atrocious, the faux-accent is hilarious, and the psuedo gun shots are ridiculously cheesy, but damn, I love me a good beat and this song delivers.

01. Sandy Lam – Yi Ge Ren: Besides some F.I.R., Ping Pung, and a side of Faye Wong, I still haven’t found a solid, good Chinese pop/rock/whatever band/artist/whatever to really sink my teeth into. Sandy Lam is no exception; her listless pop tunes do nothing but bore me. Buuut…her cover of New Order’s “Bizzare Love Triangle”? Sure, maybe you could say she ruined a classic, butchered a legend…but I love her rendition of the song. It still retains most of the original elements, simply making it a bit more hyper and even more danceable (is that possible?). Maybe it’s not the best song of the year, but it certainly changed mine and that’s pretty powerful stuff.

Artist spotlight: This Et Al

♫ Wardens

There’s something comforting about returning to musical sounds that inspire a bit of nostalgia, regardless of whether or not you can pinpoint the exact memory your brain is attempting to conjure. Music has the power to do that, to make you remember feelings rather than specific moments and This Et Al is one such band, aiding in your loss for words. The moment “Wardens” started up, I could swear I was remembering some better time in my life, though when or where, I have no idea. Admist the riffs and hectic direction of the lyrics, the song is a tumbling trip through a sort of peaceful chaos, and to top it off, it manages to capture and blend the catchy, utopian world of early rock with the edgy approach of punk, or rather, post-punk now, I guess. Remember when it was OK to have a chorus you could sing along to? “Wardens” makes it OK again.

The release of the limited edition Baby Machine (which you can purchase from their official site with a release in 2007) brings even more loud, grunge tunes that rival even the intensity of “Wardens.” “Solemn As My Rifle” comes to mind, as it slows the tempo down a bit, mixes in those drum build-ups and ends with a rather melancholic guitar melody that proves this band is more than just another post-whatever indie band with a few clever hooks and thoughtful lyrics. Although that particular song is only available for preview on their MySpace, “Can You Speak European?” does a well enough job of translating that same experience, with perhaps a bit more angst.

If this album is any indication of the group’s potential success, they have some pretty great things to look forward to. And on a personal level, I am really digging it.

♫ Official Site

2006 in music: #1 album

♫ Saturdays / That Was Just A Dream / A Dream

I figured that since I already listed a maxi-single as part of my top ten albums list, why not continue to cheat a bit? OK, so Bright Like Neon Love was released back in 2004. Big deal. More important in end of the year lists are those albums which you heard and were simply blown away by. And this album didn’t just blow me away, it kicked my ass, rolled me in carpet, set me on fire, and threw me off a cliff.

There are very few moments in my life where I can look back and find albums where every single song enthralled me, kept my fingers far from the “next” button, and left me playing and overplaying the tracks to sweet oblivion, where even the oblivion couldn’t dream of getting tired of the songs. I can count these albums on maybe one hand with hide’s BEST Psychommunity and Ayumi’s Duty coming to mind immediately. When I heard a song off of the album Bright Like Neon Love, whose name sums up the collection far better than any album name I’ve come across, “A Dream,” (actually the last track on the album, but it was a random download), I wasn’t impressed right away. It was kind of a slow electronic buzz with a catchy rhythm, repeating lyrics, and maybe a speck of glitter for flourish in the synth department, but the more I played the song, the more I found myself drowning in the sea of electronic, neon fish. The rest of the album did not disappoint.

The combination “That Was Just A Dream” and “Zap Zap” are incredible. When that violinesque melody comes in for the bridge section on the former, I almost had to press Stop so I could catch my breath and allow time for my brain’s nerve endings to grasp the sheer brilliance of whatever it is they just heard. Over and over again I played the song, everywhere and anytime; in my car, on my iRiver, right before bed, before class started, while studying, while writing, I couldn’t get enough of it for weeks and weeks. “Saturdays,” with its Daft Punk bassline and catchy as all heck melody that grabs you by the shoulders and demands you get up and dance, the simple lyrics that keep it to a minimum but convey so many feelings, thoughts, and emotions in their minimalism, the eerie electric guitar vibe in “The Twilight” and every single other song that simply boggles my mind to this day, so much so that for the first few weeks I heard it, I didn’t even want to share the album with anyone for fear they would tell me they didn’t like it or weren’t impressed, or worse, “Turn that crap off” (so if you don’t like this album, do me a favor and don’t say a word because you will break my heart).

So no, Bright Like Neon Love was not released in 2006, but if I had to pick an album that changed this year in my life, it would be this album right here. From start to finish, this short journey through the synthscape comprised on the disc, where time could possibly, literally, stand still for a moment beyond the between at the point of almost and where words pretty much cease their function so that I have to stop talking about it right now, before I detract from the incredible music that it is… That is how much I love this album.

♫ Buy Bright Like Neon Love

2006 in music: albums #10-2

I hate end of the year lists. As soon as they’re done and posted, I go back and “Oh shit, I totally forgot about this!” or worse, I find this life-changing album in 2007 and I’m all, “Tthis is the greatest album ever and I can’t even talk about how much it’s changed this year of my life because I’m a year too late!” That being said, here are ten albums I really enjoyed this year, released in 2006. They are probably not the CDs that dominated most of my playlist, as most of the music I listen to isn’t always up-and-coming hipster jam. Nonetheless, enjoy numbers 10-2.

10. Ayumi Hamasaki – Secret [ read full review ] [ Buy Secret ]

OK, I pretty much slammed Hamasaki’s album in my formal review but if you had looked between the lines, you’d still find a general appreciation. I left out some of the little bits and pieces which equated Hamasaki’s album to a parts greater than the sum analogy. Plus, it kind of grew on me. The singles were (and definitely are) the poptastic energy one could find spanning all of her discography; “Startin’,” “Beautiful Fighters,” “BLUE BIRD”…maybe even the cheesy “Born To Be…”, if you look at it strictly under the sub context it was produced. The LOVEppears flashback of “momentum” is pretty great, even following the tear-jerking “JEWEL” and the interludes are so wonderful, you wonder why they were never developed into the brilliant full tracks they could have been. Sure, what we’re basically left with is potential, but even that string is strong enough to grip and hang on to, maybe. Nine out of fourteen ain’t so bad, I reckon. As always, I’m greatly anticipating her 2007 releases. (Note: I might have picked (miss)understood, but regardless of its January 1 release date, I consider it a 2006 release due to its leak and even early store release.)

♫ until that Day… / momentum / kiss o’ kill

09. The Changes – Today is Tonight [ Buy Today is Tonight ]

In one of the most surprising twists of fate this year, The Changes have somehow made it to my list. Sure, they sound nothing like the rest of the albums featured on this list, but perhaps that’s why it initially stood out so much for me. I can’t even recall where I picked up information about this band or how “When I Sleep” went into heavy rotation in my playlist, but before long, I found myself pleading fellow friends to see them live with me. My dream was never realized, but I did fall asleep that night listening to this CD and it has (at least somewhat) change the way I see the city. And if album picks are based on feeling and emotion, rather than on the basis of composition, then yeah. That is all.

♫ Such a Scene / When I Sleep

08. Snow Patrol – Eyes Open [ Buy Eyes Open ]

Yeah, I’m going there. So the album isn’t really all that great, I’ll admit. The opening two tracks are even lackluster and I never boarded the “Chasing Cars” bus. Ever. But the trifecta. Oh, the trifecta. Tracks six, seven, and eight are one of the greatest triplets ever given birth by a musical outfit, especially if we’re not talking about Ayumi’s “vogue,” “Far away” and “SEASONS.” “You Could Be Happy” drips with melancholy until it’s practically bursting at the seams with sobs. The gentle and soothing music box melody is offset by the bitterly hopeless lyrics which pretty much equals perfection. The pace picks up a bit with “Make This Go On Forever,” a song with crescendos run amok that never reach that pinnacle they constantly strive for but keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. And finally, “Set The Fire To The Third Bar,” that plateau it was constantly striving for, mounted and then descended. The rest of the album, I can’t tell you much about. But if The Decemberists can compose novels, then why can’t Snow Patrol wrap depressing ballads in a sorrowful box and tie it with a ribbon of angst and market it as one of the best albums of 2006? Sure, three tracks do not a great album make. Or do they?

♫ You Could Be Happy

07. Johnny Boy – Johnny Boy [ Buy Johnny Boy ]

Thank you, Good Weather For Airstrikes. I noticed a lot of music bloggers say things like, “I don’t like reading other blogs in case I find something I want to blog about from them and then I’d be repeating and blah blah blah.” Who cares? Spread the love. For all this talk of The Pipettes resuscitating 50s and early 60s pop, where is the talk of Johnny Boy? With the re-release of their tunes on the self-titled 2006 release, “Generation” is still one of the most simple, “Be My Baby”-influenced gems in the treasure box that is the entire collection.

♫ Generation

06. MSI – Straight to Video: The Remixes [ Buy Straight To Video ]

So it’s a maxi-single and I’m cheating a bit. Truth is, the single is longer than some, maybe even most, albums. Some of the greatest bands (Birthday Massacre, Assemblage 23, KMFDM) got together to remix one of the already most amazing songs, “Straight To Video.” Techno, dance, house, industrial, electronic…all of the hipster genres pretty much wave their magic wands over the song to morph them into the amazing products that compose this single. Sure, maybe the original melody gets a bit annoying after sixteen different versions, but the journey is totally worth it. The best are probably the kick your ass “Funker Vogt Remix” and, of course, the insanely good “Dramaclub Remix” by the Birthday Massacre. If the Birthday Massacre doesn’t release some new material in 2007, sadness will most definitely be felt.

♫ Straight To Video (Funker Vogt Mix) / Straight To Video (Dramaclub Remix)

05. T.M.Revolution – UNDER:COVER [ Buy UNDER:COVER ]

I have to give it to Takanori Nishikawa; the dude made an amazing comeback. T.M.R. was one of the first Japanese pop rock acts I got into back in 1999 until his pitiful demise into musical stagnation and anime-con exposure. Surely he could have set his standards a bit higher. But in all honesty, he really whooped my ass with this album. UNDER:COVER is Nishikawa covering the songs of his own discography, although the songs are almost remixes, they’re so different. All of the songs I grew up loving were redone, most with a bombastic rock edge and an almost arena-sized ego, but a perfectly executed ambition. I’m sure he’ll just go back to writing more crap, but for this brief moment, I was one with the past and present T.M.R. simultaneously. Niiiice.

♫ Yume no Shizuku

04. Puffy – Splurge [ read full review ] [ Buy Splurge ]

Puffy was one of the big surprises of this year, mostly because I never liked Puffy and probably still don’t. Sure, I met them at a signing, they autographed my CD, and a good time was had by all after the two hour wait, but their music was never something I could really get into. At the time I met them, it was all hide this and X Japan that and, “Can they not attempt crossing over a Japanese musical act without the anime tie-in thing, for Chrissake’s?” But the album turned out to be pretty nice and after I climbed over the wall of hate I had erected between us, well, what I discovered was a beautiful world of 60s pop songs, except with lots of alternative. Let’s just forget about that “Basket Case” cover, shall we?

♫ Koi no ETUDE

03. AFI – Decemberundergroud [ read full review ] [ Buy It ]

I liked this CD, then I didn’t. Then I liked it. Then I plateaued. Then my love wavered and dipped again. Yeah, I’ve been on a tumultuous journey with the boys of AFI, but it turned out for the best. Maybe they do wear too much makeup, but who cares? Maybe they are producing music with a pinch or five too much pop, but who cares? The results are still lovely. “Prelude 12/21?” Bad. Bad asssss. That foot stomping entrance takes me to dizzying heights I’d rather not come down from, thanks. “Miss Murder?” Maybe too radio-friendly, but me likey. “Love Like Winter?” C’mon, must I seriously go on? “37mm?” It almost leaves me speechless. Instead of commenting on AFI selling out and messing up their organic punk sound, I would just like to take this moment to congratulate them on their commercial success. OK, moment over.

♫ 37mm

02. Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye [ Buy So This Is Goodbye ]

2006 was a pretty shitty year for me, on a personal level. There was this really shitty part in the beginning, right after it looked like shit was going to happen this year and that shit was gonna’ rock. Instead, it did not. And so, I listened to a lot of sappy, teenage cry-cry music for a long time, and then lots of angry music, you know, like whatever Tommy heavenly6 had put out to that point, alongside mainstream nu metal. I mean, Adema, Seether, Alexisonfire, Hoobastank, Killswitch Engage, Tool…I was all over that. And then the shit cleared and I stepped into the world of bubbly electronic music. Again, not sure how I stumbled across Junior Boys, but I stumbled and fell. Hard. Head over heels. “In The Morning,” is such a catchy dance hit, it was like getting knocked in the head with perfection. The rest of the album turned out to be just as amazing. I mean, when I hear a song like “In The Morning,” my first thought is usually, “Surely, surely the rest of the album cannot be as great, for this song can almost move mountains with its awesomeness.” I mean, the beat, the melody, the breaths, the bass line… I don’t use this word often, but I totally have to bust it out here; majestic. There I said it. A veritable magic carpet ride through the greatest, most brilliant montage of a sunset ever beheld. But if this song was the jelly filling in a delicious donut, than the rest of the CD was the necessary dough and powdery topping, and honestly, this is a bad, maybe even the worst, analogy, but the album leaves me without words. It’s like a delicious donut and while the center is the delicious part (and maybe it’s not strawberry or raspberry, just insert your favorite confection or pudding flavor), it’s really the other pieces that bring it all together and bring out that taste even better. That is this album and if it was sitting there in front of me, there is no way I could not just eat it all up in one sitting and come back for seconds and thirds and fortieths…

♫ Count Souvenirs / So This Is Goodbye

Ayumi Hamasaki’s “Secret”

 

Ayumi Hamasaki / Secret / November 29, 2006
♫ 02. until that Day… / 08. momentum / 13. kiss o’ kill

It’s that time of the year again. The wind begins to sting, the snow begins to fall, everybody lumbers around in puffy, marshmallow coats and Ayumi Hamasaki will be releasing another album. I remember, year after year, gleefully awaiting the arrival of her CDs from the postman, bounding home after school, hands frostbitten and frown apparent when it still had not arrived. I loved the concept of Hamasaki releasing a new album; I was in love with everything she put out. Her lyrics, the songs; without fail, a new album meant at least ten new favorite songs. Everything she touched turned to gold. And then she began to sour.

Before long, the number of bad songs began to outnumber the amount of gems. Though she stuck to writing her own lyrics, she stopped composing her own music and started wearing less clothes. By the time I heard of the release of Secret, I was already mixed with anticipation, although it was apparent I was no longer waiting as expectantly as I once did.

The disc seems rather superfluous at first glance and it was apparent that right away the strength of the album would depend on the album tracks, as of the fourteen tracks, four were previously released singles, one was used in promotion for the album, and three were short instrumental interludes, leaving us with basically six tracks to dissect after Ayumi commented, “I’ve encrusted the entire album with secrets…secrets of people…secrets which have various meanings of various assortments,” which is totally not vague. That being said, the first album track was pretty glorious. Though it took some time to grow on me, “until that Day…” is a pretty fun(ky) pop rock track with lots of speed and soul. “1LOVE” is the opposite, being an edgier rock number, though the pop influences are plenty. However, this song falls rather flat and even wears thin after only two listens. It’s also worth noting that although the power and ability of Hamasaki’s voice has oscillated over the years, her pipes have once again taken a noticeable dip in this album. It’s probably most distracting in “JEWEL,” an absolutely stunning piano solo where Hamasaki’s voice cracks and splits worse than a winter in Chicago without mittens.

“It was” is a mellow pop track, and rather dull. Luckily, the disc picks up somewhat with “momentum,” a “RAINBOW”-inspired ballad with plenty of Final Fantasy (the video game, not the band) influences. Although it’s a pretty track, with plenty of subtle pianos, violins, and synths, it still falls rather flat and it takes the most terrible track placing ever to pick up the album (three upbeat summer singles in a row which is just bad arrangement). “kiss o’ kill” is an interesting number, as it was originally to be on (miss)understood. The song is actually very nice, though its resemblance to the opening pop rock numbers is uncanny. Uncanny and unprofessional. The album closes with “Secret,” the big closing mega-ballad. Yeah. This ballad has the yawn-inducing qualities of “Close to you” and the nauseating hackneyed vibe of any ballad Koyote has ever written. I cannot express how disappointed I was with this final song.

This album has taken many elements from RAINBOW, most notably the interludes, which should have been developed into full-length songs as they are probably the best pieces on the entire album. Sure, “Not yet” has lyrics, but at 2:01, it still leaves one wanting more. “LABYRINTH” is almost as delicious as “Kaleidoscope” but it’s still smushed in the oddest place. These comparisons to her previous songs are inevitable after eight albums, but they still don’t merit a dismissing wave. The fact is that Hamasaki is not coming up with anything original anymore; a lot of her work is rehashed. What used to be an erratic suspense has turned into, “OK, yes, three distinct genres…what else ya’ got?”

If I had to sum up this album in one phrase, I would say I felt like I had just crossed the Sierras with one cup of water and five jars of peanut butter.

P.S. The bonus DVD with PVs was just…OK, some were interesting, but on some, she really outdid herself this time. Especially the “1LOVE” PV. Sure, bitch looks fantastic as usual, but…she certainly never would have pulled this crap four years ago, lemme tell you. I will leave you with a quote by Hamasaki herself: “The pole dancing hurt. The next day I was covered in bruises! Even at the time, I had never really done so much tossing of my head and bending of my body. I reconsidered how amazing pole dancers are!”

1LOVE PV ░ [ YouTube ]

So true, Ayumi. So true.

Tommy heavenly6’s “I♥Xmas”

 

Tommy heavenly6 / I♥Xmas / December 06, 2006
♫ 01. I♥Xmas / 02. THE CASE

I was really getting concerned about Tommy heavenly6 for a bit there. Her last single was a holiday themed track of epic length with an accompanying promotional video that rivaled even the cheesiest music videos (can’t think of any off the top of my head, though “Thriller” comes to mind). Straight off the heels of that debacle, I was expecting something a bit more irritatingly cheerful and…Christmas-ey with this single. Perhaps jingle bells or those salt shaker sounds. Instead, Tommy surprised us once again and instead, kept it simple by penning a standard pop rock track, no holly jolly cheer involved (save for the PV, of course), and for that, I thank her. That being said, it really is just a regular, everyday pop rock song; no innovation, no frills. The c/w track, “THE CASE,” is even less innovative, if that’s possible. Even Tommy’s vocals remain void of emotion, leaving the song blase and somewhat droll.

This is not one of Tommy’s better singles. Without even another cool bonus acoustic version like she did with her previous two singles, the disc leaves one wondering where the angry, rocker grrrl we love went. Things are looking bleak for her upcoming album; girl needs to come up with a new gimmick.

 

I♥Xmas PV ░ [ YouTube ]