:+: No Music No Life :+:

Thursday, March 06, 2008

CD Review :: Ken Hirai - SENTIMENTALovers

Tracklist :

1) Omoi ga Kasanaru Sono Mae ni ... (The Memories Pile Up Before Me)
2) jealousy
3) Iwanai Kankei (Unsaid Connections)
4) Kimi ga Boku ni Hyoui Shita !! (You Depended on Me !!)
5) Hitomi wo Tojite (Close Your Eyes)
6) Seishun Days (Days of Youth)
7) style
8) signal
9) Kagiana (Keyhole)
10) nostalgia
11) Kimi wa Tomodachi (You're My Friend)
12) Sentimental

SENTIMENTALovers was Ken Hirai's 6th album . It was released on 24th Nov '04 . SENTIMENTALovers debuted at no.1 on the Oricon weekly chart & sold 1,660,885 copies in 2005 & became the 3rd most sold album of '05 .

4 singles were included in the album which are highlighted in bold .

I only became a big fan of Ken's music recently ever since I discovered his music in mid-Jan this year & the 1st thing that caught my attention of him was his soulful voice & then his looks which have been known to set housewives in Japan fluttering . I'm not spared too & I have to admit , a hot guy is hard not to resist & for the record he's a pure / 100% Japanese & he's not mixed .

& so I took a crash course & listen to his 1st best album titled Utabaka Ken Hirai 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection '95 - '05 which's essentially a 2 disc compilation of all the singles that Ken released since his debut in '95 all the way to '05 to celebrate his 10th anniversary in the music business at that time .

He's gonna release his 7th album FAKIN' POP next Wed in Japan & I thought what better way to review his last studio offering .

The album start things off with his 22nd single Omoi ga Kasanaru Sono Mae ni ... (The Memories Pile Up Before Me) which was his 3rd no.1 single . The song was 1st used in the Toyota Corolla Fielder CM though later in Sept '05 , it became the theme song for the special two day drama Tsumiki Kuzushi Shinsou ~Ano Kazoku , Sono Ato no Higeki~ .

When I 1st heard Omoi ga Kasanaru Sono Mae ni ... (The Memories Pile Up Before Me) , I thought it was an un-memorable track because if you were to compare his no.1 singles Ooki na Furudokei (A Big Old Clock) , Ring & POP STAR against Omoi ga Kasanaru Sono Mae ni ... , Omoi ga Kasanaru Sono Mae ni ... seems to be the weakest outta the lot .

But after intensive drilling of the song into my head , I can remember the song as to how it sounds like & now I'm glad to see Omoi ga Kasanaru Sono Mae ni ... (The Memories Pile Up Before Me) kicking things off on SENTIMENTALovers & I really like the song now especially the harmonica going on in the melody .

The next 3 tracks are groovy no.s in the form of jealousy , Iwanai Kankei (Unsaid Connections) , Kimi ga Boku ni Hyoui Shita !! (You Depended on Me !!) . I love the melodies of jealously & it's such a smooth song & a great track to dance along with .

Iwanai Kankei (Unsaid Connections) was the 1st song I heard from SENTIMENTALovers & this's also another top notch song from Ken . I like that Iwanai Kankei (Unsaid Connections) is extremely upbeat & cheery without going over the top .

Man , I dig Kimi ga Boku ni Hyoui Shita !! (You Depended on Me !!) . It's such a happy song & I also like the keyboards that's backing up in the song . You can't help but realise that all 3 songs are unique & special in its own right . Not to mention distinct too which's fabulous .

Track 5 on the album is the song that started it all for me which's Hitomi wo Tojite (Close Your Eyes) . This's the song that got me interested in Ken in the 1st place . My younger middle sister played me this song which was like the only song she liked from Ken at that time & the next time you know , the rest's history .

Hitomi wo Tojite (Close Your Eyes) is a great power ballad & it's easy to see why it deserves to be the top selling single in Japan for '04 for Ken despite the fact that it did not debuted at no.1 on the Oricon weekly singles chart . It had to settle for no.2 instead .

Soon after , the album picks up the pace with Seishun Days (Days of Youth) which's another very nice no. . I like the trumpets that were used in the song which makes the song stands out & that the melodies takes the song up a notch or so .

Track 7's Ken's 19th single style . It's a cool song which I dig on 1st listen . I don't really understand what's going on in the video especially the ending which was very unsatisfactory . Not to mention Ken shaved his head in the PV T_T & for the record Ken you don't look good bald *guffaws* .

Track 8's signal which follows the same vein as style . I can't help but wonder that the melody sounds strangely familiar & similiar to that of Modjo's Lady , Hear Me Tonight . Not that it's a bad thing but at least style's memorable in its own right .

The next 2 tracks are the ones that doesn't really sit well with me . When I 1st heard Kagiana (Keyhole) , I thought it was really & very very cheesy & somemore the song makes me cringe up to now . I'm not sure what Ken's singing in the song but I have a feeling it's a naughty no. & the lady in the background of Kagiana (Keyhole) ain't helping matters too .

Track 10's nostalgia & it's a ballad but for some reasons , when I heard nostalgia , I find it very depressing . I usually like Ken's ballads but nostalgia was a bit too much for me + the melody of nostalgia switch my mood to PMS mood which's definitely not good so nostalgia is strictly a song that I will listen on repeat mode provided if I'm having a lousy day .

Next in line's Ken's 21st Single Kimi wa Tomodachi (You're My Friend) . I'm feeling the song as it's catchy , has finger snapping beats going on in there + the PV is kawaii too ! It's a cartoon PV & it's an enjoyable video to watch .

I think it's a great way to close the album with a nice ballad in the form of Sentimental . The song was used as a radio single to promote SENTIMENTALovers and it was given its own PV . I really like it & I feel Ken really shines in his ballads .

SENTIMENTALovers suppressed my expectations from Ken & it was even better than I expected it to be . Initally I was skeptical on whether I should gave his last studio album offering a shot but I'm really glad that I decided to went for it .

I'm just really glad that I decided to give his music a listen . He has been around for 13 years & it's no laughing matter . My only regret was that I didn't gave his music a listen a bit eariler than expected but I supposed it's better late than never .

Now that I've been fired up from listening to SENTIMENTALovers , all the more I can't wait for FAKIN' POP to be released in Japan next Wed .