[For those who don't know, I just got into moumoon recently. I think it's a really promising band, consisting of two members. Yuka, the lyricist and singer and Kousuke Masaki, the composer and... from what I see in MVs... the guitarist.]
1) DREAMER DREAMER (PAIN KILLER ver.)
This song came from a single that moumoon released last December. It's a pretty upbeat song with a nice chorus. What's different about this version is that it has an added introduction. Otherwise the song sounds exactly the same as the single's version. I really like Yuka's voice in this song, since it kinda reminds me of her earlier work; strong vocals. It's more cutesy than her earlier works, but that seemed to be moumoon's trend after they signed up with Avex (from what I hear. I'm not a moumoon expert.)
8.5/10
2) Banitasu
A new track for the album. It's quite the contrast from DREAMER DREAMER. I would classify this song as a mid-tempo ballad. The piano accompaniment is pleasant to the ears as we listen to the verses. The chorus intensifies, which creates interests to this song. Overall though, I don't find it to be special as a track. It's one of those tracks that I'll have trouble remembering how the melody line went.
7/10
3) Help Me
Another new track for the album. It has a quick, rock beat to it. The syncopation in the song is quite apparent during the verses as you can hear it go off-beat. It makes the song catchy, but once again, nothing memorable about the song. (Besides Yuka saying "Help me, help me")
6.5/10
4) PAIN
Third new track for the album. It starts off with just the piano and vocals in a soothing ballad introduction. As the song goes on, we get more instrumentation, which I think helps the melody line progress into a somewhat power ballad. The chorus, for the most part, seems to be within an interval of a fifth, which to me, creates a stronger impact that way. It strengthens the concept of this power-like ballad.
8.5/10
5) Hanabi
One of my favorite songs from moumoon. Such a beautiful ballad to the ears. It makes me feel all warm inside! The lead up to the chorus is excellent, relying on a, what I'm going to call, a slow trill (repetition of two notes). Then the chorus hits you with such power that you wouldn't normally expect from such a soft beginning (songs like BoA's Smile Again follows a similar pattern). What else can I say about this song... the instrumentation! Absolutely beautiful with the strings playing in the background and the guitar strumming notes. And the harp! (I believe there's a harp!) I absolutely recommend this song! Oh, and they released this song as the title track of a single last August.
10/10
6) Midori No Michi
A B-list song from DREAMER DREAMER single. A very pleasant ballad to the ears that starts off with what sounds like chords on a guitar and vocals. The melody line is quite memorable and I feel like you can really feel the expressions that Yuka is putting into the song.
8.5/10
7) Utsukushi Hito
A ballad that reminds me of a Beetle's song for some reason. Must be the piano chords. This new song didn't quite please my ears the first time through, but I have to say I'm really enjoying the second listen through right now. Yuka belts quite beautifully and controlled in the chorus. The instrumentation is also well done, which helps with the beat. (Piano chords I say!)
8.5/10
8) Anniversary
A new, very cutesy bubblegum pop song. Yuka pulls out her cute vocals, which is actually pretty good! (She has quite the versatility). I'm not sure what else to say about this song. I would say it won't be something that old fans would be to fond of, since it's quite different to their original style.
7.5/10
9) [Love is Everywhere]
A song that was released in March 2012. It's a rockish ballad? It's catchy, yet it doesn't really please my palate. It'll take time for me to start liking this song.
7/10
10) Never Enough
This new song starts off with guitar and vocals. The repetition in the chorus is a nice effect and helps bring the listener in. It's a pleasant... rock ballad? I would say that Yuka's vocals are quite pleasing to the ear. There's not much of a transition between the soft verses and more powerful chorus, but it's not a huge contrast.
8/10
11) Doko E Mo Ikanai Yo
Another B-list song from DREAMER DREAMER. Doko E Mo Ikanai Yo is a slow, sad sounding ballad. When I hear this song, I think of myself staring outside on a rainy day. It's like one of those songs you'll see in a movie, when the main character tried to achieve something, but failed. And when he realized that he failed, this song would start playing. I really like how Yuka's voice fits with the mood of the song. It really creates a mourning like feeling; a sense of sadness and defeat. Yet, somewhat peaceful at the same time. Weird I know!
10/10
Unfortunately, I don't have access to Flowers (Acoustic version). From my experiences with moumoon's acoustic versions, they're wonderfully done. (The two I heard were Sweet Heart and Good Night). Yuka would take her strong vocals and tone it down for the acoustic versions. I'll just have to wait and hear to see if my hypothesis is correct!
OVERALL ALBUM SCORE: 8.2/10
I got into moumoon about one month ago, so I cannot say much in terms of their style. From what I heard so far, they're quite versatile since you'll hear pieces like rock, all the way to bubblegum pop. What I noticed though, is when they signed with Avex (moumoon was signed under an indie label, which was under Avex if I got my facts right), their style changed to strictly more pop like songs. This album is no exception. It's really generic (not really the word I'm looking for since generic sounds so harsh), but it was well done. Out of the 11 (or 12) songs, 6 were brand new. From my limited knowledge of Avex albums (going off BoA's albums), this seems to be quite typical.
I would recommend this album to any new moumoon fan. I'm not sure if old moumoon fans would enjoy this album, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try!
There are four versions of this album!
Tomorrow, I'll be covering BoA's new (well not really new anymore) single: Disturbance. I'll discuss my thoughts on the MV and the song itself.
Since school is pretty much the same: cramming in final assignments before practicum starts!
No comments:
Post a Comment