Arashi LOVE Album Review Pt. 1
HELLO! I know there are probably reviews out there already for Arashi's New album Love, but this is the first time that i really adore all the songs on an album, so i am attempting a review. i'm sorry it doesn't help you. xD i have no idea what is the correct way to write a review. this is all opinated and proabably highly biased.
Have you received your copy yet? Writing this at this moment, i haven't either (IT'S COMING! XD), but people were kind enough to share it with me. At this time that i downloaded the album, i was rather in a sad state. Though with the power of arashi, they manage to make me feel okay again. ^^
To start with! The album cover!
It's pretty simple no? in my honest opinion, you can't go wrong with black and white photography. There is a sense of beauty in them isn't there? The title of the album is (depending on which one you got) Pink for LE and Blue for regular. Since the photo is b&w, LOVE is the only colored thing on there placed at the torso or right at the center of the space creating attention not only to the title, but to arashi's faces. the cover on the regular has been cropped, but same design never the less.
[booklet] i haven't received my copy as of yet, so i will do the booklet design review later.
[Song reviews]
Songs (all english lyrics can be found here at yarukizero)
the song consists of 3 singles and 13 new tunes. The theme is love, but mature love and you can clearly tell with the constant jazz sound in most, if not all of the song. All the newer tracks really do have a soft touch to them. they aren't super harsh as it would to a song with lots of beats and mixes. Even if there are tracks like that on this album, it holds that softness in the tunes.
Ai wo Uta (Lets sing of love)- This is a SUPER powerful song. this song really opens up the album to the different kinds of love that consists here in this album. I don't know how to describe the melody, but i can say for sure it's pretty unregular, but a nice unregular. the style of the song is definitly something new that ti haven't heard before in the 4-5 years i've been a fan. BUT oh sakurap is just WONDERFUL. just as encouraging and powerful. Their voices really sound great in this song. I"m so picky with how a singer sounds while singing, but i can say for sure, this song and their voices are just fantastic! Definitely a great opener to an album like Welcome to the Party for Popcorn.
Sayonara Ato De- This song is somewhat sad but such a catchy and soft tune. Their voices again are exquisite. i really feel that the feeling of this song was sung and conveyed really well. The chorus is my favorite part. the melody is wonderful. Singing about regretful love is something some if not all of us go through. Even though it's sad, it's somewhat heart warming.
Confusion- lol this song starts out immediately with a rock-ish tune. definitively fun to dance to. Again, voices are great and palatable to my ears. though of course they are singing about foolish love. xD you know how you start to like this person because of this aspect but as you get to know that person, a sudden change comes and they are totally a different person. this is exactly what the song is singing about. in the English parts, arashi sings that "i'm a love fool" but they can't help it because they love you so much and want more of you. so foolish to love a person like that even though they are not what they expected? sounds like an adventure lol.
Hit the Floor (ohno solo)- Being the ohno bias i am, i have to say i didn't really like the song as much as i did. i do love the tune feel though that is being presented in the album so far. it has a mature feeling and so does ohno's solo. Many say it was about a protective type of love. How i see it however maybe a little bit of obsessive or seductive love too? XD The song is about ohno meeting a 'stranger' and coaxing her to dance with him saying sweet words that would make one go doki doki XD. His voice is as heavenly as ever. maybe if i continue to listen, i'll come to love it. hehe just a note, the song starts and partially ends on an auto tune note. it bothers me because i am reminded of jin, but you can clearly tell it's ohno singing. :)
P.A.R.A.D.O.X.- x3 yall know paradox. do i even need to talk about it? lol it starts with ohno's high yeah as it transitions to a heavy popping beat. Aiba's and Jun's seductive voice then comes into play. x3 and oh sho's singing voice shines so much in this song. Nino comes after. Then it transitions to a Broadway feel like music. it's really great. It's very sensual in a sense. Discreet lyrics, yet you can still make up that it's not really discreet at all XD not until you get to sakurap anyways. and all stop here. this song is definitely a change from their first 4 songs. it's more pop and more intense jazz compared to the softer tunes.
Salt and Sugar (sho solo)- Personally i love sakurap, so i really like this song. As the translator of the song says, he really goes back to his Hip Hop Boogie days. It has that slow jazz feel giving it the adult feel. Definitely a seductive kind of love with him wanting to whisper into your ears and all. XD if you love slow jazz then you'll like this song too. i have a thing for old sounding songs and the jazz incoprotation really gives that old feel.
NOTE: i wont' do a review for the single tracks. why? just because. x3
20825 Nichi Me no Kyoku (nino solo)- AT LAST! this very special song was written by our favorite brat to his one and only mother. sweet isn't it? it starts out with a happy tune and he starts singing about the relationship between him and his mother. it's cute really. he really loves his mom. This song was written by Nino and composed by him for his mother's birthday which is 20,825 days from release day. As expected from our lyricist and composer. in the end, he thanks his grandmother for birthing his mother. ^^ a cute and soft tune all the way through. the tune sounds like something it woudl be played in paris. hehe
That's the end of Pt. 1! hopefully i'll write part 2 soon. x3 JA NE!