Song of The Month: September

This is a manifestation of my laziness on reviewing a full album XP. However, for this month i have 2 awesome songs which instantly be the most listened song on my Sony Ericsson M600i (that old phone). I may only have short descriptions on the songs. I promise i'll post the full review on them, someday X3.



Title   : Zero no Chouritsu
Artist : Tsukiko Amano
Single : Zero no Chouritsu

YES! Amano did it again. I know, her Fatal Frame songs used to be very dramatic. But this time, we get such a rushing journey. This song is very edgy. Almost all part were sharply transitioned. Talking about dramatic, this song may be less dramatic. Yet, I really enjoy the coolness (scariness) of this track. Personally, I think this song is one of her best in her amazing discography. 'Just call my name.... Just call my name.....'




Title   : Anata to
Artist : Ayaka x Kobukuro
Single : Anata to

This is Ayaka's second collaborative single with Kobukuro. I really love both of their voices. Same as their specialities that made them famous, this song is a ballad. It's the best ballad ever released in this year, i really swear for that. The music has an excellent harmony. All you need is just to listen to the song. However, you can listen the sample (SAMPLE, once again) here.

Hectic Month Has Ended Successfully!

Sorry for my inactivity for weeks. However, i feel very happy now and i'll tell you why.

1. I won the silver medal on the National Science Olympiad! It means i could enter the university without nasty test that involves more than 20,000 students. But, it wasn't that which makes me this happy. Actually, the money prize did! The prize worth $450 for the silver medal -it worth my school salary for 450 days (it means i can't buy anything to eat/to drink). So, i can buy original singles and albums out there (if there is a sale X3)
2. My father said that he'll bought me a laptop because i've studied astronomy too much so that i need to study for my school grade -although i'll use that to play with XD.
3. The exam week is going to end... I still have to deal with Bahasa Indonesia and Mandarin Exam, though.
4. The fasting month (Ramadan) holiday is going to start. It may be the peak of my inactivity on school thing, which means i can go on blogging as frequent as i can.

However, thanks for your patience and honesty. ^_^

1. 
   

[Single] YUI - Tomorrow's way

This is YUI's second major single. It peaked at #15 on the Oricon Weekly Chart by selling roughly 32,291 copies. This single charted for 10 weeks. The song was also featured as the ending theme in the Japanese movie Hinokio.

Tomorrow's way probably follows almost the same style with feel my soul, but just slower. It's better, because YUI's vocal weren't in that annoying style anymore. Though, people still thought that her voice is annoying. However, this one also has better arrangement and deeper lyrical meaning. YUI perfectly deliver the message to her listeners, including me. She has clear pronunciation, yet the lyrics isn't stated in a complicated way (Please note that she wrote the lyrics by herself). However, listening to this song makes me remember my childhood past. Not to mention, this song has awesome bridge. Thanks for the strings and the electric guitar.
Arrangement: A- | Music: A | Vocal: B

Last Train uniquely has an upbeat country feeling to it. Despite of YUI's mediocre vocal, acoustics and sythetic vibraphone really bring a life to this track. It's so nice to hear this upbeat number after listening to that depressing a-side (it's depressing for me).
Arrangement: A | Music: A | Vocal: B-

YUI's first acoustic version, feel my soul ~YUI Acoustic Version~, marks the start of acoustic version tradition for the second B-side of the single. I just can say that there's only the acoustic and YUI's vocal. In this version, her vocal is much better than the original one; it's just not ear-pearcing. Nice tradition starter, YUI!
Arrangement: A- | Music: A- | Vocal: B+

Favourite Song: Can't choose!
Conclusion:
Overall, i must say this is a good single. Because i've heard those songs so long time ago, i have to say that i've already bored. Still, i don't recommend this single who doesn't really like child-like high-pitched vocal of YUI.

Overall, I give this single the score [93/A-] for this single

[Single] Tomiko Van - Flower

Flower is Tomiko Van's debut single. The single peaked at #10 in Oricon Weeky Chart by selling 18,802 copies total. It was released at June 7, 2006. The a-side song "Flower" was used as the TBS Drama Oishii PROPOSAL theme song, and a piano version of the song was used for the sound track of the drama. The b-side "Brave" was used as the ending theme song for Playstation 2 game "Sengoku Basara 2".

Flower is quite reminecent to the songs that she sung as Do As Infinity's vocalist. This is an upbeat summer pop-rock song. This song starts in a real promising way, but when it comes to chorus, it's just break everything apart. The arrangement of chorus doesn't lift the pace of the song, even lowering the excellent verse. As a veteran in music industry, i don't have much to say about her unique vocal; it's as good as she usually did. Anyway, i'll only say this is a fairly good song.
Arrangement: B- | Music: B | Vocal: A-

Banchan really saves the best for last, Brave, is an amazing b-side. It still follow the same style with the previous track, but much, much better. It has an amazing arrangement. The piano, percussion, flute, guitar, with additional synthesized strings and pop touch were fused together to make this gem. This song has a breathtaking climax, especially when the bridge comes. For her vocal, it's just in a right song. This song really suit her vocal. Not to mention, she also wrote the lyrics of this song, like she did in under the moon. This is my favorite song in her solo career.
Arrangement: A+ | Music: A+ | Vocal: A

Favourite Song: Brave
Conclusion:
After that disbandment, Banchan comes back with this solid single (i mean the b-side, actually). As for Flower, she should be selective on choosing the song or the arranger. I really hope that she can release singles that has the quality of Brave, because that song kicked off her old works with DAI (not all, just partially). Very good job, Banchan!

Overall, i give the score [92/A-] for this debut single.

Behind the Lunar Eclipse

There are 4 of reasons why i choosed this title:

1. I love astronomy. There's no such that subject in my school, sadly.
2. Involved by the sun and the moon (remember the one and only DAI's double a-side single, yet one of my favorite single)

3. Moon (Tsuki) is one of my favorite song from the artist who have "moon" element in her name, Tsukiko Amano.

4. I was opening Tsukiko Amano's website, and then knew that her new single is going to be released on July 31, 2008. It's called "Zero no Chouritsu". The title track used for the game "Fatal Frame IV: Mask of The Lunar Eclipse" (In Japan, Zero 4: Tsukihami no Kamen"). Since all of her songs that used for Fatal Frame always amaze me, i have very HIGH expectation on this single.

[Single] Eri Nobuchika - Lights

This is Eri Nobuchika's debut single. It was released on December 8, 2004. It peaked on #73 in the Oricon Weekly Chart by selling approximately 7,172 copies. The title track was used as the theme song for the movie "Shinku" and for PSP game "Lumines".

Lights starts off with funeral-sounding piano chords. But when Eri's vocal comes, i started to take attention to this song. With addition of strings and percussion just before the chorus, i took more attention. Then, when the chorus come, i instantly AMAZED by this song and her voice. It's very powerful. Something very rare for ordinary J-Pop artist. Not over, complicated strings bridge which is very beautiful and sweeping instantly made me her fan. Words aren't enough to describe how beautiful this song is. LISTEN TO THIS !!!
Arrangement: A+ | Music: A+ | Vocal: A+

The b-side is a dance song with only one line sung "I hear the music in my soul" in a distorted style. It's so damn catchy. This song may sounds repetitive. Nonetheless, it's normal for a dance song. It makes me want to sing "...I..I.I.I I hear the music in my soul" ^^.
Arrangement: A | Music: A | Vocal: A

The acoustic version of Lights just prove how powerful and beautiful her vocal is. Gladly, there's no more that lifeless piano chord. The piano was replaced by the jazzy ones. But still, i prefer the original version.
Arrangement: A+ | Music: A+ | Vocal: A+

Favorite Song: Lights
Conclusion:
This is the best debut single i ever heard. It's just so sad that Eri didn't get what she deserves. So, this single is near perfect. EXTERMELY RECOMMENDED!

Overall, i give the score [98/A+] for this amazing debut single.