[orbitalaspect]

Well, my thoughts after listening to the Winter diary preview four or five times:

1. This is maybe too similar to what she released on A ONE and sixxxxxx this year.
2. This reminds me of MY ALL, so I think it would fit well as a para para song on tour.
3. The melody is memorable, but what TK and ayu have done with it is not.
4. I really wish this song was slower. I wish it was about 30% slower, more ethereal sounding, and with more of the atmospheric effects, while still keeping the rock elements.
5. As it is, it sounds like a curtain call song, a-la "I Did It My Way" by Sinatra.
6. I wish Ayu sung this at a full fifth lower. Her upper range has become too screechy. I know our voice changes as we age, but I think she's relying too much on what she used to sound like to make her songs pop. It just sounds like nails on a chalkboard if she doesn't use those IIEEEEE's sparingly. You can tell her range is lower because her voice sounds noticeably shrill singing the same IIEEEE today that she sang 13 years ago on July 1.

The cutie/high-pitch girl-type singing isn't working anymore. I would love to hear her sing this with the range she had on Last minute, and really use her head voice for belting notes like she does at the end of Walk.

EDIT: I want to make a point of Ayu working with Kazuhito again. She has done absolutely nothing with him since Mirrorcle World, and at its time was the most well-received release hers in two years. Kazuhito is currently out of work, but his extensive production with alan is proof positive that the man can still make music as gorgeous as he is. Ayu needs to call him. In fact, she needs to kick everyone else out of the studio and work exclusively with Kazuhito for awhile.