ULTRA BLUE
Artist: Utada Hikaru
Album: ULTRA BLUE
Musicians: Utada Hikaru (Vocals)
Composer/Lyricist: Utada Hikaru (Lyrics)
Release Date: 14 Jun 2006
| ULTRA BLUE – Utada Hikaru Tracklisting:     01. This is Love *Bold Titles - recommended listening. |
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OVERVIEW
ULTRA BLUE can be viewed as a comeback album. After a lukewarm, failed attempt to go international with Exodus, her English-language album, Utada jumps back into the spotlight with this album after a long hiatus. During this time, it is clear that her style has changed dramatically: her music has a much more experimental edge; songs such as “Passion†show a complete break with her upbeat, cheerful pop-style. Regrettably, most of the songs on this album are mediocre. There is nothing outstandingly bad, and, for the most part, nothing outstandingly good. Overall an enjoyable listening experience, ULTRA BLUE still lacks the luster and shine of previous Hikki albums.
THE GOOD
This is Love
The opening track, “This is Love†is also one of the best songs on the album. A very “classic†Hikki opener, long-time fans of hers will quickly recognize the quick beat and driving rhythm, while first-time listeners will find the catchy melody and her unique voice very attractive. The song itself shows significant evolution from her past styles: it features a larger amount of electronic effects, slightly distorted vocals, and other subtle shifts in style. Her voice sounds different: almost a bit higher and a bit more flat from her older albums. The song itself isn’t amazingly impressive; it is merely the best song on this album, and wouldn’t stand a chance against Hikaru classics like “Automatic” and “Wait and See.” Your basic, catchy, up-beat pop song, “This is Love†opens ULTRA BLUE in a conventional manner while displaying the slow evolution of Hikki’s style.
Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro
Ah, the obligatory Hikki ballad. Every album has had one, and ULTRA BLUE is no exception. Fortunately for listeners, “Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro†is one of her best songs to date. In a clear break from the electronics and effects of the rest of the album, this track is soft, sad, and almost melancholic. She’s accompanied by a piano and a guitar, and her amazing vocals, which aren’t heard very often throughout this album, are exhibited to their fullest in this song. The moving, soft sound of her voice, spanning almost three octaves, truly soothes the soul. A break from the rest of the album, this song stands out as the sole ballad in the hodgepodge of mediocre J-pop that is ULTRA BLUE. A true gem, you’ll fall in love the first time you hear it, and you’ll want to put this song on repeat over and over.
THE BAD
Kairo
As previously stated, nothing on this album is terribly bad. Of course, not much on this album is terribly good, either. As such, “Kairoâ€, the worst song on the album, isn’t exactly a bad song. It’s just the most mediocre of the bunch. The main problem with this song: it’s too mellow. The song is slow moving, perhaps a bit too much. Listening to it once or twice made me fall asleep. To add to its mediocrity, Hikki’s voice is also long and drawn out, almost wailing. This is slightly annoying and grating on the nerves. This song is almost minimalist: there’s almost no accompaniment, the vocals last no more than a minute, and, ultimately, serve no real purpose. While not completely impossible to listen to, “Kairo†gives the listener an idea of what the whole album is like: decisively mediocre.
The Rating: 6
Reviewed by: Akira
