Beautiful World
Since a lot of people seem to be writing their review on Arashi's latest album "Beautiful World", I thought I'd share my thoughts on it too in case anyone was interested, since I love reading everyone elses' opinion on it. :D
1. Rock This
I don't have anything against rock music, but it's not really working for me here. The opening folk like music is kind of irrelevant to the rest of the song, even if the transition point is interesting (although I do appreciate it as the opening of a journey to the different points of a "Beautiful World"). Repetitive chorus aside, I actually found the rapping from all the members to be the highlight for me (the lower register worked much better for Nino in comparison to "La Tormenta 2004"). It's ok, but below average for me.
2. Mada Minu Sekai e
If I had to be honest, I was disappointed when I first heard the radio rip because the style change to techno was too sudden, even if I knew to expect it. Once the PV came out though, I enjoyed it much more - prettiness everywhere, I could resist. XD Objectively though, "Mada Minu Sekai e" sits much better with me know, I learned to grow accustomed to it because I do actually like some techno, just not most of it (besides, the harmony is still relatively conventional to Arashi, so there's a linking point here). Sakurai's autotuned rap though... I agree that the concept of autotuning rap sounds pretty cool and experimental, but I don't think it really works. Not here anyway. The other tiny thing that unsettles me is one of the high notes (V1: 'sora no mukou', V2: 'ano hi kara') that everyone has a bit of trouble reaching - but I think this might be more of register change thing and is probably intentional, so maybe I should just ignore myself, haha.
3. Love Rainbow
Having only joined that fandom at the beginning of this year, this is my first time hearing this song in full, though I suspect I may have heard a snippet of it somewhere before I knew of Arashi, haha. It's quite Arashi-like, but I don't really have much to say. It has a nice uplifting chorus, so this song works alright for me.
4. always
The opening atmosphere and motif is quite cool. The pace is carefree and reminds me of an upbeat stroll along lit up streets at night, but I also find it quite unsettling at the same time. I don't think I could grow to like this song any more than I currently do though, which is not a lot.
5. Shake it! (Matsumoto Jun solo)
I don't know how much they did to MatsuJun's voice, but whatever it was, his voice sounds flat and nasally almost continuously throughout the entire song. Maybe they should assign him songs he can sing better naturally without too much tweaking, because even if he sings out of tune and can be nasally, I prefer his normal singing voice than one that's had a lot of sound engineering done to it. The song itself is kind of dorky though, haha, but in a fun way. I quite liked it at first, but the more I listen to it, the more it reminds me of some song a teenager singer would debut with. It doesn't really suit MatsuJun in my opinion.
6. Niji no Kakera ~no rain,no rainbow~
The opening really reminds me of theme song for a travel program or something, haha. With Celtic roots? I don't know, but I see an image of Arashi atop a cliff overlooking a waterfall with an endless sky in sight... I have no preference for this song, but it's definitely easier on my ears most of the time.
7. Dear Snow
I honestly think this a very beautiful song, I could never get sick of it. The arrangement blends together perfectly, and it's nicely balanced. I used to find the end of the coda/bridge thing (for a music student, my knowledge of terminology is atrocious XD) overly dramatic ('yuku no darou?'), and it made me want to continue onto the chorus of one of those Yu-Gi-Oh songs ("Ashita Moshi Kimi ga Kowaretemo", I think it was. The set up of the unresolved chord is the same. XD). The melody is nostalgic, and due to it's mediocre range, Ohno's solo breaks out gorgeously over the top, but generally, it's dramatic without being over the top. "Dear Snow" is one of those songs I will always treasure.
8. Hung up on (Ohno Satoshi solo)
I was incredibly curious when the mentioned it would feature Sakurap, but it was nothing to get excited over. I don't see why Ohno couldn't have done that part (it's not really rap anyway), and though I do admit it adds a certain anticipation to the song, it's not entirely necessary either. My Japanese isn't all that great, but I have to say I had a hard time understanding what he was saying mainly because there was so much Engrish mixed in, it made me begin to doubt when he was speaking what. It's not a bad song, it's not brilliant either, but I think the value of it will go up when we get to see how Ohno dances to it, especially that bridging part in the middle - it has so much potential, I get excited thinking about it. XD
9. Joy
The rhythm is incredibly catchy and easy going - it's a song you could join in with ease without having heard it much. Granted, I think the snippets I saw from the training camp were partially influential with the fun atmosphere, but it really is such a great song. The ad libbed interjections in the background add to the laid back feel, and the rhythm - I just can't get over how easily it flows along. I really enjoy listening to "Joy".
10. Doko ni demo aru Uta (Ninomiya Kazunari solo)
Upon my first hearing, the opening piano motif sounded vaguely familiar. The recording of this song in general seems to be a touch softer than the rest though. At first, I thought it sounded kind of average, but it really grew on me very fast afterwards - that's part of its charm, and I think that goes for most of the Nino solos I've heard. The emotional value it carries really works for me along with the harmony and motifs. The only thing I don't really like that much is the way he chose to thicken the arrangement from the 2nd verse onwards - I agree it needed more, but I don't know if the addition of 'rock' elements was the way to go, it got kind of heavy. However, it heightened the importance of drawing back to acoustic only very strongly, so it's not too bad, I guess.
11. negai
"negai" doesn't really do much for me, it just sits nicely in the background, but if I had to say whether or not I liked, I would probably have to say no, even though I like it more than I dislike it. It has a semi-exotic sound to it, but the emotional feel of hoping and searching is there, so even though I wouldn't purposely listen to it, it passes enough for it to be an ok song.
12. Lotus
I like to think of Lotus as an their way of easing us into their more techno influenced songs, given its lesser and more subtle use of techno elements. When it was first released, I was addicted to the melody - it has an interesting contour, but not the easiest to remember, haha. As a stand alone song, I think it's great - nice arrangement (though I think it could do without the brass sometimes), it catches your attention, and makes good use of textures. When it comes to the theme for Bartender though, I think it sounds a little too intense, but I guess people like it for it's lyric value in that respect.
13. "Janakute" (Aiba Masaki solo)
Although I love Nino's solos very dearly, the humour in "Jankute" completely won me over. The opening made me think of animals straight away just because it resembles some of the humourous music from Disney's Tarzan and Jungle Book, so it was a direct connection to Aiba for me (maybe also because it has the potential to work like a musical number? A comedic skit during the bridging section would be awesome). XD The song itself is very straightforward and very tight in how it all pieces together, and I love the jazz ensemble-like instrumentation. I'm usually not big on lyrics, despite how much value they can contribute to the meaning of the song, but with this one, you will enjoy the comedic element a hundred times more if you understand and know the lyrics.
14. morning light
For some one who doesn't listen to a lot techno, this was overwhelming for a while, and even now the opening doesn't sit well with me, and I'm not overly fond of the chorus. I think could do with less "Woah~~"s and "Oh~~"s, but otherwise the verses and bridges, etc are cool with me. I particularly like the ebbing feeling it sports, and you could almost do it throughout the whole thing, but if they did it'd be pretty annoying, haha, so in the parts where they actually do reiterate the words makes a point of interest for me.
15. To be free
For some reason, I had the impression I'd like this song a lot more than I do, maybe because I've read about it lot without ever listening to it. It sounds like a song they'd use for the closing credits of a movie after the protagonist has finally achieved what he set out to do. Me and my weird imagination again, but I picture Arashi riding a jeep across a barren land... The only part I don't like is the the two lines they sing after the low rising cello motif before they connect to the chorus. Another Arashi-like song, but this one isn't anything special for me.
16. Kono mama motto (Sakurai Sho solo)
Having only heard Sakurai's T.A.B.O.O., I couldn't help but laugh that his previously sexy beast image song would be so quickly torn down by a sweet and cheesy song like this. I'm not fond of the wind solos at all, and if Sakurai's not singing/rapping, it actually irritates me a bit at how cheesy it sounds. Speaking of which, Sakurap? Here? It doesn't really trend with a natural and peaceful sounding song like this, but it's not atrocious either. It just ends up sounding like one of those old pop tracks I used to dance along to on DDR. Despite everything I've just said though, I actually quite like the song overall, and it suits Sakurai - I can totally imagine him as a cheesy romantic. It's a refreshing change from T.A.B.O.O., but I do think he carried the latter off better.
17. Hatenai Sora
"Hatenai Sora" is one of my favourites because it's conventional to the type of music I like, especially the harmony and instrumentation. Though I have to admit, I'm generally a sucker for anything that has a prominent piano part, haha. The lyrics also hold some sentimental value for me - I don't remember when I came across it, but it really lifted my spirits up when I listened to it during that time, so that's also the part of the reason why I like it so much. It has a very free feel, and the music effortlessly reflects the title in so many aspects.
18. Tooku made
I was a bit sketchy about this song at first - it seemed too light, but has quickly become one of my favourite tracks. It really makes me want to just get up and travel somewhere with friends and have a lot of fun. The arrangement is playful and pleasant, particularly the use of texture - it draws back at just the right times while still retaining interest. There's still something that bothers me when I listen to "Tooku Made", but I can't seem to pinpoint exactly what. The one thing I'd change is the drawn out "Woah" that some one (presumably Ohno?) sings over the beginning of the final entry of the chorus, I don't think it really worked that well. I love the opening/ending, and verses though, they're awesome. :D
For those who don't want to read, just to summarise:
General Overview
I felt Arashi tried to jump on the techno side of things too suddenly and too quickly - it's a bit of a leap from their previous styles. I feel like this resulted in a few songs sounding out of place - not full fledged techno, but not close enough to their previous style that it feels a little awkward to know that this is Arashi. There are elements to be appreciated everywhere though. :) The solo's were quite impressive overall, on the other hand. Like their previous album, some I just loved straight away, and others you'd eventually warm up to, even if it takes a little while.
Recommendations (not including pre-released singles)
Solo: Aiba Masaki's "Janakute", Ninomiya Kazunari's "Doko ni demo aru Uta"
Group: Joy, Tooku Made
Putting it like that, I feel a little biased, but I've listened to these songs for a week and even longer some others now, so this is what I've settled on. I'd be happy to hear your opinion too, so feel free to leave a comment or link me up with your own. :D