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Friday, July 04, 2008

CD Review :: ayaka - Sing to the Sky

Tracklist :

1) POWER OF MUSIC
2) Ai wo Utaou (Let's Sing Love)
3) Sky
4) Jewelry day
5) Good Night Baby
6) For today
7) Why
8) Gold Star
9) Mahoutsukai no Shiwaza (The Magician's Deeds)
10) Te wo Tsunagou (Let's Hold Hands)
11) Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu (Love , Lies and Truth)
12) CLAP & LOVE
13) Kimi ga Iru Kara (Because I Have You)
14) Okaeri (Welcome Home)
15) Kon'ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete (Wrapped in the Stars Tonight)
16) WINDING ROAD (ayaka x Kobukuro) (bonus track)
17) I believe (English ver.) (bonus track)

Sing to the Sky is ayaka's 2nd studio album . It was released last Wed in Japan .

Prior to the release of Sing to the Sky , 7 songs were released in which 2 of them are double A sides singles . You might count it as 8 songs instead provided if you consider For today as a single .

Although Sing to the Sky was denied the top spot by the current IT pop/rock quartet GReeeeN's 2nd major label studio album A , Domo . Ohisashiburi Desu . (Oh , Hey. Long Time No See . ) , ayaka's latest offering still managed to shift 315,373 copies in the 1st week which's impressive considering that physical CD sales in Japan have been declining steadily as each year goes by .

Not to mention , the 1st week sales of Sing to the Sky is almost on par with ayaka's debut album First Message which cleared about 350,580 copies in the 1st week when First Message was put out 2 years back .

Sing to the Sky contains a massive & generous selection of 17 songs in which almost 1/2 the album was released prior to the announcement of ayaka's new album . So the question's , are the non singles/new songs able to stack up against the singles ?

The album starts off with POWER OF MUSIC which's a new song . Although POWER OF MUSIC can't match up to the catchy Start to 0 (Love) on ayaka's debut album , I think POWER OF MUSIC's a neat song .

Ai wo Utaou (Let's Sing Love) is track 2 & it's 2nd 1/2 of ayaka's 8th single Te wo Tsunagou / Ai wo Utaou . I like Ai wo Utaou (Let's Sing Love) as it presents a more upbeat & cheery side coming from ayaka . It kinda make sense to put Ai wo Utaou after POWER OF MUSIC since both of them are upbeat songs .

Another non single track is up next . Called Sky , it's quite a soaring uplifting no. . Even though it's somewhat broaderline on the filler side , I still like this song & it might be better if POWER MUSIC was slotted in as track 3 instead of track 1 if you compared both songs side by side together .

At this time , the pace of the album has changed to a slower pace in the form of ayaka's 6th single Jewelry day . I know the song received criticisms when the single was released at that time but I honestly think Jewelry day is a beautiful ballad & it's almost on par with 1 of ayaka's signature ballad/song Mikazuki .

Up next's a non single song titled Good Night Baby which's the shortest track on the album clocking in at 3:08 mins . It follows in the same vein as Jewelry day in which both songs are ballads/slow no.s . As much as I like Good Night Baby , I can't help but feel a bit short changed in that the track sounded like a 1/2 finished no. . If ayaka were to extend the song by a few secs or so , it will be perfect .

Track 6's For today which's ayaka's 1st digital single . When I 1st saw the tracklisting of Sing to the Sky , I was so relived that For today made the cut because it's such a catchy song coming from ayaka & probably 1 of the best upbeat single/s that she has put out in recent time .

Why's the 2nd 1/2 of ayaka's 7th single CLAP & LOVE / Why . The song was used as the theme song to the Square Enix game CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- . When CLAP & LOVE / Why was released , I lean towards Why more than CLAP & LOVE because I feel it's an earnest & sincere ballad that ayaka has put out . It slightly lacks the brillance of Mizakuzi but I still enjoy Why .

Gold Star follows after Sky & it's 1 of the more aggressive/edgy songs on the album . I like the way ayaka's vocals are being wrapped around the melody & it shows in this song & this's 1 of the more stronger non single songs on the record .

Track 9's a song that has an interesting title . Called Mahoutsukai no Shiwaza (The Magician's Deeds) , it's a ballad & I remember when I 1st heard this no. , I was drawn immediately to it as ayaka croons the song without going over the top .

Besides I think the transition is there as soon as Mahoutsukai no Shiwaza (The Magician's Deeds) is done , up next's Te wo Tsunagou (Let's Hold Hands) which's the 1st 1/2 of ayaka's 8th single Te wo Tsunagou / Ai wo Utaou & just like Mahoutsukai no Shiwaza , Te wo Tsunagou follows in the same vein as the latter in which it's a smart move to put both songs side by side together .

As soon as Te wo Tsunagou is done , in comes another new song titled Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu (Love , Lies and Truth) . The melody for Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu is interesting to say the least as it presents a slightly more poppy sound from ayaka . Reminds me of a less poppy Blue Days .

CLAP & LOVE is track 12 & it's the 1st 1/2 of ayaka's 7th single CLAP & LOVE / Why . I remembered when I 1st heard CLAP & LOVE , I was extremely surprised as this's possibly her most poppy single that she has put out to date . I didn't like CLAP & LOVE at 1st because I was very used to her pop/rock no.s but being 1 of the most unique & unusual songs on the record , CLAP & LOVE is a keeper alongside with Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu .

Kimi ga Iru Kara (Because I Have You) is up next & this's 1 of my fave songs on the album , non single wise simply because it's such a great catchy pop/rock no. which showcases what ayaka's good at - creating fantastic & catchy pop/rock songs & it's evident in Kimi ga Iru Kara .

Track 14's Okaeri (Welcome Home) which's ayaka's 9th/most recent single that she put out , a month prior to the release of Sing to the Sky . I have a soft spot for Okaeri the 1st time I heard it as the melody of the song charmed me instantly & it's refreshing that ayaka used bagpipes in the melody of Okaeri which's really cool .

Kon'ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete (Wrapped in the Stars Tonight) is the last new song on the album & yes the title's really interesting & cool but how does the song stack up ? I adore Kon'ya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete as there's just something about ayaka's ballads in which she doesn't make 1 song that sounds like a fellow carbon copycat of another .

In Sing to the Sky , you get 2 bonus tracks . I start with WINDING ROAD which's credited as ayaka x Kobukuro . WINDING ROAD's ayaka's 5th single & her 1st collaborative single that she did with fellow label mate , the folk rock duo Kobukuro .

I'm so glad that WINDING ROAD is included as a bonus track because it's 1 of the best collaboration that I have heard in recent times . Also I personally feel that ayaka & Kobukuro's vocals compliment each other extremely well .

& speaking of collaborations , it's rumored that both artistes will reunite for another round of a collaborative single which's titled Anata to (With You) . If the rumors are true , Anata to is scheduled to be released in Japan on 24th Sept & this will be the 1st single that Kobukuro will released this year with the last one that they put out was way back last Nov which's Aoku Yasashiku (Bluer, Kindly) .

Last but definitely not least , an Eng version of ayaka's debut single I believe . I admit , my 1st reaction when I found out that there will be an Eng take of her debut single , I was worried as ayaka might butchered an already masterpiece soaring uplifting ballad when she sings the song in full Eng but all my doubts were cast aside when I finally heard it .

Unlike the original , I believe (English ver.) is shorter clocking in at 3:17 mins while the original stands at 4:57 mins so basically I believe (English ver.) has some parts being cut out from the original .

I have to give credit for delivering a decent Eng take on her debut single as it takes guts for her to do such a thing considering that Eng's by right not her 1st language . At least I can understand her Eng dictation & she managed to sing it pretty well although there were some parts that she went a bit off key but still it's a commending effort .

Unlike First Message , Sing to the Sky presents a more mature & grown up musical approach from ayaka . I can definitely tell that ayaka has grown stronger musically & then some after I listened to Sing to the Sky as it has been 2 years since First Message was put out .

That's not to say that the album doesn't have flaws . Some of the non singles songs are quite weak & un-memorable on 1st listen & I realised that's the case when comes to the 1st 1/2 of the album where the new songs were laid . But at least in the latter part of the album , the remaining new songs were good especially Kimi ga Iru Kara (Because I Have You) .

It's good to know that the sound consistency of Sing to the Sky is there which's great . I guess you need to listen to Sing to the Sky a few more times in order to appericate the music efforts coming from 1 of Japan's talented female singer/songwriter .

If you're looking for some good pop/rock music with a few surprises thrown in for good measures , then Sing to the Sky might just be the album for you .