[003] Abe Mao - Pop
Abe Mao » Pop
Genre: Rock, Pop
Release Date: 2010.01.27
Sounds Like: YUI, Ai Otsuka hmm?
Adjective: Good
Source: warriorsoul@kmc
01. Mada
02. I wanna see you
03. Monroe
04. Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu
05. Tsutaetai Koto
06. Tsugou no Ii Onna
07. 15 no Kotoba
08. Mou Hitotsu no MY BABY
09. loving darling
10. Wakaru no
11. Poker Face
12. Itsu no Hi mo
13. Salaryman no Uta
♪ DOWNLOAD
change xx → tt
This is Abe Mao's 2nd album. I've been following her since her debut album and am really interested to see what she came up with for her 2nd album.
I really like Mada. Abe Mao's vocals are great! It's an upbeat, rock/pop song full of energy. The chorus is just so damn catchy. ♥ It's a great way to start off the album.
I wanna see you starts with Engrish but Abe's English isn't too shabby. If you compare the vocals in this song and Mada you can certainly see the growth in her voice. It's gotten less nasally. Anyways, this is a nice pop song that Abe sings with sincerity. It's an alright song but there are others in the album that are much much better.
Monroe is one of Abe Mao's "cute" songs. Surprisingly, it's an electronica song. Abe uses her cute voice which used to annoy me but the arrangement really fits her song. I love the lightly distorted vocals - a great touch. The song is great and a real treat to listen to! Yes, it's Perfume inspired.
Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu was her 3rd single It's mid-tempo pop/rock with soft acoustics and a lovely arrangement. For those who aren't familiar with Abe Mao, her vocals can be a little...grating. Anyways, I was always a fan of this song and still am. You can really tell that she's pouring her heart into the song.
The next song, Tsutaetai Koto is an upbeat song. From her debut album, I think Abe Mao's learned to control her "yelling". We get a little taste of it in this song but not to an extreme. It's pumped full of energy, seriously.
Tsugou no Ii Onna calms things down, being an acoustic song. It's so raw and beautiful. Especially the chorus. The arrangement is rather simple - basically Abe's vocals and the guitar. And maybe light strings. I love the part where there's just the guitar and echoed vocals from Abe.
The piano riff in 15 no Kotoba is really nice. It looks like it's cute Abe Mao again. But it's a breath of fresh air from the raw, sincere Tsugou no Ii Onna so it balances things out. Oh gosh, I really love the arrangement. The strings, guitar and music box sound amazing together. I praise Abe Mao for trying something different and it's paid off.
Mou Hitotsu no MY BABY like Tsugou no Ii Onna is an acoustic driven song. It's nice..but I'm not feeling yet. Her vocals seemed to have declined here.
loving darling picks up the mood and pace, a fun guitar-driven song. It's cute Abe Mao again. It's light-hearted and a great song to move with. Hahaha.
The next song, Wakaru no is rockier and edgier than the previous song. Abe Mao has many "faces" - rocky, cute, sincere (when she's all acoustic). This is her rock face. And you can tell her vocals have improved. She doesn't yell as much though there is a tad in the chorus. But damn, the song is awesome. The roaring guitars and drums are infectious.
Poker Face (rofl, I was just talking about faces) is another rock driven song but not as dark as the previous. It's a nice listen but I think that's it. It brings nothing new.
Itsu no Hi mo brings sincere Abe Mao back. It's not entirely acoustic but it's certainly calmer than some of her other songs. I love blend of the guitars, strings and drums.
I loled a bit at the title of the next song. So I didn't expect Salaryman no Uta to be so serious. It's an acoustic song where Abe Mao really just has fun with it. That said, I don't really like the song. It's alright.
Final Note: Those who have heard of Abe Mao and listen to her music will certainly like this. She's improved so much. New fans, it might take a while to adjust to the many voices that she uses (cutesy, sweet, rough etc) and sometimes her voice can be grating. But honesty, she has talent and this album would be a good place to try her.
Rating: 8.7/10