“Ultra Blue” Utada Hikaru

June 13 2006 was such an exciting day for me. I was anxiously anticipating this album, finally, she was releasing her 4th Japanese album. i was so happy to take it out of the box and hold it in my Hands. It was something new, not just as in a new album, but a new exciting sound from Hikaru, and i just had to have it.

Even though “Colors” had no right to be on there, considering it was already on her greatest hit compilation, it was still a great song. There was “Be my Last” and “Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro” Two ballads i absolutely love, not to mention their use of real instruments. Also “Passion” the new Kingdom Hearts theme song which was a sonic experience. “Keep tryin’” which i was addicted to. And the news songs like “This is Love” , “Making Love” “One nIght Magic” “Nichiyo no Asa “  All songs with great energy and lots of cool production and beats.

Then there was “Blue” a great ballad and “Kairo” also a ballad, but one composed of what sounds like electronicly produced strings, it’s so pretty and haunting, i love it.

This album was Hikaru introducing her electronic sound with more energy and creativity then she was going to display on her fifth album. And though the sound of the album is not unified, her ability to use mulitple genres and the strength’s of her songwriting are evident here.

“HeartStation” Utada Hikaru

As previously stated on places elsewhere on this blog, Hikaru is my japanese musical goddess. She has not too long ago released her fifth Japanese album. There are those who love it and those who could leave it. It seems there’s no inbetweeners. But alas, we’ll start with it’s weaknesses. First of all, all of the a-sides and their b-sides are clumped together, which means as soon as i got it i was already skipping to the second half of the album, i just think she should have scattered around. So the tracklisting sucks. Secondly, “Boku wa Kuma” which litterally means “I’m a bear” was included. This is a children’s song with a very simple arrangement and the message that she’s a bear, a bear a bear, she’s a bear. Also there are two version’s of the mega-hit single “Flavor Of life”. I think she should have just picked one, so that people who owned the single wouldn’t feel so cheated out of their cash, also the ballad version is so ovbiously better than the original, it didn’t need the other one. It just seems like a track added to make the album longer. My last gripe is that “Fight the Blues” is a sub-par opener when you compare it with “This is love” off of Ultra Blue.

Okay. Now one of the Good things is also one of the bad things. This album is “cohesive”. it feels like an album not a just a compilation of singles. But also, in that respect the album is a little bland in it’s sameness. They are all, created on her computer dance-music numbers. The song “Hearstation” took a really long time to get stuck in my head and even then it’s a little boring.

However “Beautiful World” is still as awesome as it was several months ago, and so is “Kiss and Cry.”

“Prisoner of Love” and “Take 5″ are my other favorites. i absolutely love them. These maybe the two songs that really save the album for me.

MAny people don’t like “Nijiiro Bus” ~Rainbow bus~ but i  like the simple drum beat and it’s nice cuz it’s not all computerized sounding. “Celebrate” sounds a little corny but it has a cool little section where the beat gets really sweet, so that part saves it.

All in all, it could have been a lot worse, but I do like several of the songs. But i just feel she’s written better songs in the past, and hopefully her next album with have more Flavor!!!