A ONE thoughts and reviews

[js_surrealism]

Thoughts:

A Bell - Just okay. I'm surprised that so many people like this when she has shown that she is capable of so many other much, much, stronger album openers.

WARNING - Great "Until that day type" song, nothing special.

NO FUTURE - Love it. I really want a trance remix of this song.

Anything for you - I really don't understand why she felt the need to include this song when Walk already exists. It's not a bad song but it just adds absolutely nothing to the album, and makes the whole album sag. I'd rather have one song less than for this to be on it.

Last Minute / Zutto - Not bad. Already liked them on the single.

Out of Control - I really really love the chorus. This would sound great in an acoustic arrangement. I kinda wish this had gotten a PV instead of Zutto or Last minute (though both those songs were great).

Story / The Gift - Boring, not a fan.

The Show Must Go On - Delicious. Please play this every concert.

Walk - Was already my favourite of her 3 winter ballads, and would have been an excellent album closer if not for.......

Movin on without you - Ugh. Don't get me wrong; I LOVED ayu's cover of this song. I just think it's a horribly cheap tactic to just stick it on at the end. Couldn't they at least have called it a 'bonus track' so we can preserve the illusion that Walk was the legit album closer? This song makes absolutely no sense in the context of this album and they're better off sticking it on Colours or A Best 3 when it comes out instead. I can of course just not listen to the song, but now as a fan I have to live with the fact that she + her company allowed an artistic decision like this to pass. Compare and contrast this to I am, where she rerecorded + rearranged Endless sorrow so it would thematically fit the whole album instead of just sticking the album version on to it.

Overall - nice album. To me it's a better version of what Love songs aspired to be, with overall much stronger song writing and production. It's about on par with Love again for me. A nice inoffensive album, with songs that are strong enough that when she performs them one day in a concert 3-5 years from now, we'd go "wow that's a really good song, better check out the album again". Of course I wish she had fully expanded on the dance pop she dabbled with on Party Queen and Colours, but I guess she has commercial obligations to meet. Still a fan can wish.