31st January 2014, 11:52 PM
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GAME Initiate
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: nyc
Posts: 5,840
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I'll repost my thoughts from the other thread:
Quote:
Well, it's certainly a gorgeous song. Almost too gorgeous, in the sense that it's actually somewhat boring and MOR.
My first impression is that it's in the same class as HEAVEN and Voyage. Really beautiful ballads at face value, but unabashedly overproduced, schmaltzy, and trying way too hard to capture that "timeless" essence... and well, the sentiment just ends up feeling halfhearted for me.
JEWEL, walking proud, Key, TO BE, Dearest, Together When..., November, Wishing (that's right), no more words, Who... These are just a few of her ballads that best capture that distinct pathos that only Ayu can convey, IMO.
After finishing Pray, I was left with the exact same feeling I had after listening to HEAVEN after its initial leak back in 2005. Just incredibly unmoved.
People forget that some of her most popular ballads are actually pretty subdued and "folky." SEASONS, for instance. Dearest as well. I actually find the chorus of the latter song to be discordant (always have), but it's so inexplicably moving! And so Ayu!
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