[A] Your thoughts on 『NEXT LEVEL』 Album tracks

Lanz16 · #1 11th March 2009, 09:23 PM

Now, since we heard the albums tracks, I can say this is really refreshing from Ayu's previous albums.

The musical styling is really different.

Here's my reactions to the samples even though the quality is so horrid.

Spoiler:

Curtain call is stunningly beautiful!

[EDIT] YAY! for I Am... initiate!

MissElin_ · #2 11th March 2009, 10:01 PM

I just copy-paste what I wrote in the download section. To lazy to write again.

This is reaaaaally LQ but its fun to hear anyway! ^^

I think NEXT LEVEL will really be one of my favourites!
EnergizE was really not what I thought it would be like. Its so happy. Kind of like Beautiful Fighters but in a more trance-y way.
rollin' is pretty much like Sparkle, soundvice, just a diffrent melody.
Load of the SHUGYO really brings the trance-ish to the rock-ish.
identity reaaaally seemes like a song that I totally will fall in love with. Great chours (the bakground vocals "ooooh" is amazing) and bridge (from what I can hear).
LOVE n' HATE is a bit diffrent. In some way it makes me think a bit of nmW. Dont know why cuz they arent alike. Maybe its an attitude thing. lol.
Curtain Call is like a mix of JEWEL and untitled ~for her~. Really pretty!!!!

This album seemes better then I thought it would be like. I reaaaly like Curtain Call, its mindblowingly beautiful!

Im sure that this years tour will be truly A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!!

SunshineSlayer · #3 11th March 2009, 10:24 PM

Really its too difficult to tell from such low quality, but my immediate impression at least so far is that Energize and Discommunication sound stupid. Bridge to the Sky and maybe Love n' Hate sound promising. And Curtain Call could be beautiful but I don't like the way she is singing from what I hear so far. It's the same as she has been doing since Jewel ie - Vibratto all over the place and appears out of breath and like it is a struggle for her to hold a note for more than two seconds. Vibratto is fine, but only if it is minimal and controlled - this is totally not. Quite dissappointing since based on the reviews I thought this might be the track I like best.

The rest though, the quality is really too bad to even tell.

And if she really does say "KEEP ROLLIN' ROLLIN' ROLLIN", then wow, its even more like the Limp Bizkit song than I thought...

njanjayrp · #4 11th March 2009, 10:25 PM

The quality of the files is miserable and it's too hard to tell if the songs are good or not.

jbrat2219 · #5 11th March 2009, 10:38 PM

Oh I want to hear so badly, the songs sound amazing! I can't wait to get my copy of the album!

Jason · #6 11th March 2009, 11:13 PM

Despite the quality being terrible, I think the album sounds to be brilliant.

Honestly, the whole thing sounds like a breath of fresh air. She's reinvented herself and most of the songs are catchy as hell. Curtain call sounds absolutely amazing.

I listened to the whole thing on my ipod as loud as I could

Ayumiko · #7 11th March 2009, 11:18 PM

I love all the previews!

EnergizE makes me wanna workout and it doesn't sound like honey to me...thank god. Curtain call is gonna be a great ballad. Disco-munication sounds awesome...too bad its a interlude. I'm really looking forward to the album....so happy!!!

OMG...can't wait for the tour!!

haikudasai · #8 11th March 2009, 11:01 PM

One of these songs is strikingly similar to Beautiful Fighter. No way to deny it.

ALfromHELLSING · #9 11th March 2009, 11:03 PM

I hope it's just 'cause it's very low quality, 'cause I actually liked only NEXT LEVEL and LOVE 'n' HATE. Overall I am not exited at all. <_<

Coelacanth · #10 11th March 2009, 11:44 PM

Bridge~ - No idea what's going on here really.

NEXT LEVEL - Sounds pretty relaxing. Indeed, it does have a few notes identical to BLUE BIRD.

disco-munication - Sounds cool.

EnergizE - I think it sounds pretty fun! Sounds like a better version of Beautiful Fighters.

rollin' - This song is definitely the least audible. I can't hear much, but I hear some Perfume-like vocoder in there.

Load~ - Can't hear much.

identity - I think the melody is very B'z and the vocal styling is very Koshi Inaba. I love the drums. I think I'll really enjoy this one.

LOVE 'n' HATE - HOT. I'll definitely love this song.

Pieces of SEVEN - Kaleidoscope ~episode III~

Curtain call - I don't get it.. The whole thing somehow sounds bizarre. From the melody to the awful way she's singing it.

Jason · #11 11th March 2009, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

Curtain call - I don't get it.. The whole thing somehow sounds bizarre. From the melody to the awful way she's singing it.

Lol, it does at times feel like she's trying to hard to sound soothing or something.

It's still quite a powerful and beautiful sounding ballad

Jason · #12 11th March 2009, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

Curtain call - I don't get it.. The whole thing somehow sounds bizarre. From the melody to the awful way she's singing it.

Lol, it does at times feel like she's trying to hard to sound soothing or something.

It's still quite a powerful and beautiful sounding ballad

wannajoin_Team Ayu · #13 12th March 2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

Bridge~ - No idea what's going on here really.

NEXT LEVEL - Sounds pretty relaxing. Indeed, it does have a few notes identical to BLUE BIRD.

disco-munication - Sounds cool.

EnergizE - I think it sounds pretty fun! Sounds like a better version of Beautiful Fighters.

rollin' - This song is definitely the least audible. I can't hear much, but I hear some Perfume-like vocoder in there.

Load~ - Can't hear much.

identity - I think the melody is very B'z and the vocal styling is very Koshi Inaba. I love the drums. I think I'll really enjoy this one.

LOVE 'n' HATE - HOT. I'll definitely love this song.

Pieces of SEVEN - Kaleidoscope ~episode III~

Curtain call - I don't get it.. The whole thing somehow sounds bizarre. From the melody to the awful way she's singing it.

i thought "Kaleidoscope ~episode III~" rather be Marionette -prelude-

kotora · #14 12th March 2009, 01:05 AM

Only a sentence to comment the whole album

It is ayu version "confession of dance floor", aka Confession of NEXT LEVEL.

prussian blue · #15 12th March 2009, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kotora

Only a sentence to comment the whole album

It is ayu version "confession of dance floor", aka Confession of NEXT LEVEL.

hahaha so true!

i've sense she's so yasutaka nakata inspired in this album! all of the tracks are so catchy and danceful! especially rollin' ! its so rare of her to use so much vocoder and edited voices, i'm sure i'll love this song!

about the others... NEXT LEVEL sounds okay, a cheerful song at last. discomunication sounds good too. LOVE n HATE is okay, i like it too
, pieces of seven, just like the ppl here said, sounds like RAINBOW instrumental. and at last, CURTAIN CALL sounds AMAZING! it reminds me of jewel so much! i love it

SunshineSlayer · #16 12th March 2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prussian blue

hahaha so true!

i've sense she's so yasutaka nakata inspired in this album! all of the tracks are so catchy and danceful! especially rollin' ! its so rare of her to use so much vocoder and edited voices, i'm sure i'll love this song!

Which honestly worries me. I've been thinking that Ayu's voice has been losing its power for a while now. The only song on the album that seems to contain her raw vocals is Curtain Call and that is the song where her voice sounds the worst imo. Very much like the scattered and kind of broken vocal performances she gave on tv last year and to a slightly lesser extent the year before that. This is another reason why I think it would be better for her, her fans, and her music to take a much needed break for a while and really recupporate everything. I don't want Ayu's voice to have to always rely on good studio engineers and vocoder effects and then have her actual live voice on music programs and what not sound shot.

Zeke. · #17 12th March 2009, 01:06 AM

^ Madonna's album wasn't rockish. It would be amazing if Ayu could do a song like "Get Together" though. Lol.

PoetGirl · #18 12th March 2009, 01:12 AM

its really LQ so i try not to say much, but i love NEXT LEVEL, energizE and LOVE n HATE the best. bridge to the sky is useless, identity kinda reminds me on GUILTY album.. like it was a reject or somethin' lol. pieces of SEVEN sounded nice, im sad its not a full song. and curtain call seems nice

love in music · #19 12th March 2009, 01:09 AM

Bridge to the sky - beautiful! i love it, it sounds so happy and fresh
NEXT LEVEL - same as bridge to the sky. it's soothing and mellow and just really pleasant to listen to
Disco-munication - i usually am not a big fan of interludes but this is just amazing, seriously.
EnergizE - it's very upbeat, i can see it being the next 'independent' or maybe even 'boys and girls' and imagine her using it a lot in her future tours. the 'let me sing forever' part is cheesy but oh well, i still am loving the music and overall sound

rollin' - this reminds me of an ami suzuki song but i am loving it - i really enjoy that type of music
Load of the SHUGYO - another great interlude, sounds kind of dark
identity - i love the 'woah'. and 'yeah yeahs' i am so going to love this in HQ
LOVE 'n' HATE - i think my favorite, i'm going to be replaying this one a lot. i love her voice SO MUCH in this one

Pieces of SEVEN - it's okay, nothing special though. reminds me of reBiRTH
Curtain Call - beautiful. it reminds me of JEWEL or teddy bear

umm this album is probably going to be one of my top ayu albums, none of the songs seem like fillers to me and i feel i'll be able to listen to a lot of these songs over and over again.

pommy48 · #20 12th March 2009, 01:13 AM

i love it <3<3<3 everything is just amazing!! and the interludes are great! i love the next techno-dance style ayu is going with