Seeing as I have yet to write a review on my most listened to Ayu album, I shall write one.
First off, let me say that the album STINKS of old. This works in Ayu's favour because I am a nostalgia-crazed person. Most of the album is tacky, old, awful and feels like grandma music. But I love it.
Love song
I love this song. One of my favourite songs ever. I love the lyrics, arrangement, and even Ayu's voice. This song IS the album.
10/10
crossroad
I wasn't a huge fan of the song at first, but I grew to appreciate it. The 'breakdown' after the 2nd chorus is crack. It MAKES me want to listen to the song (nostalgia). If it weren't for my rampant nostalgia craving, this song would be tossed into a bin like the (few) weaves this album was able to snatch
7.5/10
MOON
The opening of the song is crack, which is why I like it. It melts me every time I listen to it. I love the chorus, too. I love how the song is a rock ballad with emotion. Ah, yes. The song does tend to drag after the first chorus. But I'll let it slide with the emotion in Ayu's voice.
9/10
sending mail
The chorus is amazing! The opening is weird. The versus are alright. The melody of the versus are alright. That's all I can say about the song. That, and the end of the song is the best part, with Ayu repeating the chorus. In a nutshell, the chorus is the song.
8/10
Last angel
Somebody posted that this song reeks of LOVEppears. That couldn't be more true. It works well, however. I love how the song has 2 climaxes and how the song sounds like it's fresh from the 90s bandwagon. Kinda like You & Me, but this song snatches You & Me's weave and burns it. This song doesn't want that weave.
9.5/10
insomnia
It's fairly dark and dance-y. I liked it from the first time I listened to it. But it's nothing to get crazy about.
7.5/10
Like a doll
My friend says that, when Ayu says "like a doll", it sounds like "raikou (pokemon) doll". Funny. Besides that, I don't have much to say about this song other than 'alright'. But, there's this synth part that comes around 2:35-2:36 and 2:39-2:40 that I LOVE.
7/10
Aria
Very cute. Not the bad kind of cute. The good kind. The one that Koda Kumi dreams of achieving. The kind that Perfume/Tommy february6 can pull off flawlessly.
8/10
blossom
I don't know why I like this song, but I do. It's got this OOMPH that draws me in. And I love the 3rd chorus. The way the song builds from the breakdown to the 3rd chorus and then finishes always gets me. I love the melody at the end. I don't know why. This song makes no sense to me. It should be basic and dry like Perfume's lyrics, but it isn't. It's the nostalgia again. The intro is nostalgic fodder.
9/10
Thank U
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I'd rather listen to You & Me.
3/10
*Note: 3/10 means the song has merits, but they're few and far between. Also, The song is so bad that a review isn't worth my time. I wasted enough just writing this*
Sweet Season
The only reason I like this song is because of the PV. This is my Sweet Season listening habit:
- Before I watched PV: total of 9 plays from January-June.
- After I watched PV: skyrockets to 63 plays in 2 weeks.
It's sappy, old, and sounds like grandma music. But I like it. That PV, man. That PV.
9/10
overture
I was NEVER a fan of this intro. It is alright, nothing special. It really does sound like Ayu snatched the overworld theme of a rejected video game.
6/10
do it again
I like how the song builds up and then explodes. There are many interpretations as to how both the title and how the song builds up can be related. But that's not appropriate for this forum and it takes away time from the review. It's a really nice song. The instrumentation when Ayu sings in Japanese is great. The end of the song is like sending mail. Better and better.
9/10
November
Sappy, old sounding and a sound that ONLY Ayu would do. Koda Kumi wouldn't touch this song with a 10 foot pole. But that's okay. The song is great. The harmonica, which I HATE, is used so well in this song that I ain't even mad.
9.5/10
Virgin Road
Ugh. I don't even wanna review this song. But I guess I should for the 2 people who are actually gonna read this review. It's boring. It's too long. The lyrics don't do much for me. Overall sound is okay, though.
6/10
I ain't even gonna review SEVEN DAYS WAR. Ayu sounds like shiz in the live version. I don't even wanna touch the studio version.
Overall, the album is one of her best 'new' albums. There are a few blips (Thank U and Virgin Road), but I know for a fact that there are people on this form who like that/those song(s). So if you like those 2 songs, or even 1, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with this album. NOW, if you aren't a nostalgia-addict and you're reviewing the album without nostalgia flowing through you, then this album is gonna be a bit lower than other Ayu albums. It's still worth it for Love song and November, though. Those songs are better than the entirety of Namie's latest single collection/Ayu's latest best and Koda's latest flop Remix (which I like). Even my semi-eternal jam, In the Spotlight, doesn't hold a candle to Love song and November.
9/10