Lady~Deviance, I hope it is clear in the first post that the context within which I am trying to create a discussion is the quality of Ayu's music and not her sales
Oh, poor My Story. You are seldom loved
Granted, I had to listen to it numerous times, with a really good sound system, from beginning to end without skipping or rearranging the tracks, taking pains to understand the songs in untranslated Japanese (which I recommend to anyone; the specific words at which the music or her voice shifts, changes, breaks, registers emotion, everything so carefully chosen, it adds so much to the listening experience), and allowing some time for the music to seep in, to fully appreciate the nuances and depth of the album.