Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - View Single Post - LOVE again thoughts?
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Old 5th February 2013, 09:55 AM
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Jawdarna Jawdarna is offline
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Australia
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I finished listening to it a few minutes ago.

I have to say, she's really outdone herself this time. Best album since GUILTY for me. That's a big call, I know, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album.
I felt like I knew where she was going with it. It feels like a completed piece of art. My primary qualm with Ayu albums released in the last five-six years is that they sound like a Grade Eight's Home Ec project: completely random, made with all sorts of different fabrics, and overall coming together as one huge mess. Some songs of the past few years have even sounded incomplete.

To me, LOVE again:
Cohesive, but integrating various sounds.
Vocals are above average, and when you hear a phrase that is sung brilliant, it is delightful. She's really playing to her vocal strengths.
Lyrics are heart-felt, and although she has recycled the usual themes, they just seem...fresh? Like grapes picked straight from the vine?

The only negative I have is that some of the ballads drag on a bit and some vocals (such as that on petal and Gloria's verses) seem slightly awkward (but I correlate this to the arrangement of the songs). But aside from that, this album is nearly flawless.

This is what I needed from Ayu. An album that doesn't sound like a conventional (despite similar sounds from the past appearing) Ayu album, yet could only be made by her.

Last edited by Jawdarna; 5th February 2013 at 10:02 AM.
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