A Quick Message

Hello, everyone.

Its exam time, at least where I am, and because of that for the next month or so. I won't be reviewing as much as I have. I will catch up on albums that I miss, because I'll be listening to them any way.

In the mean time I'll have nothing to do in the summer so if there is an artist or album you want me to review leave them below and I'll be sure to check them out.

- Cathryn :)

[Review] Sasaki Sayaka - Junction Heary

01．Junction heart　
I don't know why but I wasn't expecting such a deep voice, it threw me off for a few listens but I got used to it. And I like this song. It's the best but it's better then average.

4/5

02．NEO-DIMENSION
This song is better I think. I like how the music mixes it up a bit and I love the electronic sounds that are sprinkled throughout the song.

4.1/5

Overall this single gets a 4.0/5

 

[Review] Nomizu Iori - Darakena

01. DARAKENA
I love this song. It has a rocking beat that is perfect for my taste. It's fun and the singing is also okay.

4.5/5

02. カンパネッラ
This song doesn't have such a heavy rock tone to it instead it tones it down a bit and adds more electronic sounds to it. I like this song as well. I like that this song has managed to have it own identity and doesn't blend into the first song which is often the case with rock songs.

3.9/5

Overall I give this single 4.2/5

 

[Review] Ueno Yuuka - Diamond days / Dear my hero

1. Diamond Days
I like the rock feel to this song it's a fun song totally made for rocking out to. While it may be generic sounding and it's going t get lost in my music library it's a pleasant enough song.

3.6/5

2. Dear my hero
This song is a ballad but it's not boring and I actually like it. It is also a fairly average song but I like it enough.

3.7/5

3. Yume He No Kizuna
This is however my favourite song on this single. While I'm not overly fond off the background vocals this song is just so upbeat that I can't help but like it.

3.8/5

Overall this single gets a 3.7/5

 

[Review] Dream5 - Break Out / Youkaitaiisoudaiichi

1. Break Out
I don't really like this song. The singing is okay but the music is just plain and the background vocals just sound terrible, terrible. They distract from the song because of how bad they sound.

2.9/5

2. Youkaitaisoudaiichi
I like this song more then Break Out. The chorus is... interesting. This song is different and while I can say I prefer this song I don't think  really like it that much/

3.4/5

3. Happy Day (Shigemoto Kotori Solo)
This is my favourite song on the single. It's upbeat and happy and it makes me smile. Not much else to say.

3.6/5

Overall I think this single deserves a 3.3/5

 



 

[Review] palet - Keep on Lovin' You

01. Keep on Lovin' You
This song is just what I was expected, the really generic sounding jpop song. It was the same song I seem to hear everyday or on every jpop idol group. I like the guitar in this song and unlike in other groups there seems to be no over the top auto tune or extremely annoying high pitched voices, which I appreciate, but the song is extremely forgettable unfortunately.

3.4/5

02. You are My Miracle
Generally how these singles work is that the second track is better then the title, go back and look at all the jpop idol singles and you will see this is a common trend. This single continues the trend. The song is better then the title. It changes it up. In the first song everything was very much the same throughout but this song goes up and down and fast and slow. Even though it's still very much the generic song I'm used too these simply changes make it more interesting.

3.6/5

Overall this single gets a 3.5/5 and I'm disappointed because I wanted these songs to be amazing because the cd cover's are so cute and I want them so bad even though the songs were average.... :(

 

 

[Review] SCREW - Fugly

01. FUGLY
If you listen to this song, don't do what I did and listen to it on full volume. My ears feel like they have exploded. Anyway once I could hear again I listened to this song a few more times and ultimately it's not bad. There is nothing wrong with it, it's a good rock song. I don't like the really deep gruffly yeah yeah yeah but that's just me. I also think at times their is just to much sound going on, too much guitar and drums and not a lot of anything else.

3.3/5

02. 呪縛は永劫に...
The screaming in this song, is too much for me and I can't help but laugh because at certain times during the screaming it sounds a cheetah. Maybe that's what it's meant to sound like but while listening to this song I just have a mental image of a bunch of cheetahs playing in a band and that image makes me laugh. I like the parts where there is normal singing, I really enjoy those pats and I would of much preferred this song if the whole song was more singing and less screaming. I love the abrupt break in the song where everything just stops and you just get a few moments of silence and the eerie singing before the music just suddenly starts again. I'm sure I've mentioned it before but I really like when songs do this. Even though there were parts of this song I liked the amount of screaming is just too much for.

3.6/5 

03. (Normal Edition A) delete
There was a lack of screaming in this song which I appreciate because I just can't take all that screaming. This song is just singing and that singing is marvellous. I love it. The song however I find a bit bland. It seems watered down and it lacks any real power. While I don't like the screaming in the previous songs I do like that kind of hard rock and this song is a lot more mellow compared to them. I'm happy with a song with just singing but I wish it wasn't quite so mellow.

3.7/5

03. (Normal Edition B) ???
Normal Edition B has a different track but I have conflicted sources telling me what this song actually was. I'm going to go off iTunes and review the 4th track they have there and presume that I this third track on this version. According to iTunes they have a fourth track which is GT solo version of track number 2. So that will be the song I listen to and hopeful sometime soon I'll figure out what track is actually included on this version

So as I've said this is GT's solo version of track number two and they sound very much the same. I'm sure there is a difference but I don't think it's that significant. I also couldn't find out which member GT was so I couldn't even attempt to figure out what the difference was, I think the guitar sounds different. I don't know guys, I don't know.

3.6/5

Update

I think the track number 3 on the normal edition b is a new recording of 至幸を狂わす半解な天秤, I haven't been able to find this track anywhere but when I do I'll be sure to update this article again.




 

[Review] Mutou Ayami - Eien to Shunkan

01 宙 (Sky)
I love the electronic feel of this song and in most of the songs. This song is simple but it's done well. So I just like this song, there isn't much to say other then it's a nice electronic dance pop song.

3.8/5

02 時間というWonderland (Wonderland of Time)
I love the cheerful tone to this song it's quite catchy and fun to listen to and I just think it's pretty good. I love the beat and think it's really fun to listen too.

3.7/5

03 彩りの夏 (Colourful Summer)
I like how this song has a good fantasy feel to it. I love the magic sounds that are scattered throughout the song and I like how fast paced the song is, it's just really fun.

3.5/5

04 桜 ロマンス
I like how this song uses silence to build up the songs and I overall like this song has a darker tone to it. The singing over miniamal background music is really quite nice and I like it and enjoy it. The chorus is also alright although I wish the darker tone had continued because the chorus gets more upbeat and I would have preferred that not to have happened.

3.8/5

05 とうめいしょうじょ (Transparent Girl)
This song is a ballad but I actually like it. The singing is average but the emotions do come across really well though the singing. The instrumental is really great. It goes for a minimalist approach so the focus is on the singing but the music isn't bland. They have fantasy sounds over the piano like a star twinkling and also a submarine sound that creates a really great fantasy feel. Yeah I really like this song.

4.6/5
This song is probably the fastest song on the album. It's a dance track and nothing more. But as a dance track it works. I can't wait to download this song so I can dance around like a maniac because this track is just perfect for that.

3.8/5

07 女神のサジェスチョン  (The Goddesses Suggestion)
While this song is fun and upbeat it's not one of the best tracks on the album. On many singles I've listen to this would be a standout song but on this album it just gets a bit lost because there is really nothing that makes it stand out as much as some of the other songs.

3.6/5

08 永遠と瞬間  (Eternity and the Moment)
This song is better then the previous song because it doesn't get lost among the other tracks but it's still not that good and I wish it was better because it does lean on the bland side.

3.7/5

[Review] SCANDAL - Departure

1. Departure
This single comes in three versions, Limited A + B both come with a DVD and a normal edition. Each version only has two tracks and an instrumental but I always ignore them. So the first track. This song is okay. I like the instruments going on, it makes the song laid back but it's just lacking in that something to really boost this song into a really good song. I don't know how to explain it other then that.

3.4/5

2. Rainy
This song is predictably better. I like the intensity in this song. It just better then the previous song. I love the ooh ooho ooho part in the chorus, I love the instrument break. This is the kind of song I want to hear more off because it's pretty awesome.

4/5

Overall I give this single 3.7/5

 

[Review] GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE - Never Let You Go

1. Never Let You Go
This song is okay, I'm not fallen in love with it but it's easy to listening to. It has a laid back pop boy group feel, and it's just a pleasant song. I guess.

3.7/5

2.  Revolver
I like this song a lot more then Never Let You Go. it's a lot more interesting as it's a faster paced song. At times the autotune is a bit too much and too noticeable for my liking and the high note in the chorus seems shaky but I will forget about these points because they don't take away from the overall song.

4/5

3. Hot Shot (English Version)
I know this is the English version but the auto tune it so heavy that I'm struggling to make out any English, it just sounds like gibberish to me. I'm not saying the English is bad, in fact what I can hear in the chorus is said perfectly. No, the problem here is that it's been over produced and I literally can't make out any words. I don't speak Japanese but I wonder if this was a problem on that track as well, I'll be interested to no if anyone can tell me. The song is okay but I do think the Japanese version sounds better.

3.8/5

 Overall this single gets a 3.8/5

 

[Review] ZAQ - Noisy Lab

01．overture-Crescentic Lab. noiZ track-
I know I've said I don't like intros, but this is a perfect example of an intro that works. It sounds like some weird mysterious lab and it totally sets the scene for the rest of the album and it makes me want to listen to the rest of the album.

5/5

02．feel the noiZ
After the awesome intro this song was a bit underwhelming. It wasn't as amazing as I was hoping it would be but after a few listens it started to grow on me. The verses aren't as spectacular I was hoping for the chorus is pretty good. It gives off this awesome fantasy feel which I really like when done well

3.6/5

03．Sparkling Daydream
This song isn't as good as feel the noiZ because the singing is too screamy and high pitched. It's also not as interesting lacking the magically feel that I was hoping for. I do like how the song flows on nicely from the previous song.

3/5

04．VOICE
I like this song. The background is more rocking however at times the singing sounds like a vocaloid. It's just goes a little too high and tuned. I love the dramatic chase sounding music in this song. This song has a strong theatrical feel to it and I like that.

3.4/5

05．hypnotize
This song is different because the singing sounds like a ghost. It's creepy sounding. They have but some effect on it which makes it sound scary, like a deranged serial killer. I don't know if I like this song of not because the creepy whispering has completely distracted me from the rest of the song but I think it's not horrible.

2.9/5

06．激情論
The creepy voice is gone but this song seems boring and at this point I'm starting to loose interest in this album. Sure there are some nice parts to this song. The build up to the chorus is really good but other then that it just seems to be lacking in everything.

3/5

[Review] kerakera - KeraKera Riat

01. MAKE UP
I don't really like this song. It's a bit boring and I don't know why it's so popular. It's one of the blandest songs I've heard this week

2/5

02. マシュマロ  (Marshmellow)
Again,  don't really like this track either. It's just straight up boring I can't find one thing about this song that makes me like it. The chorus is boring the verses are boring, the singing is average. I just don't like this song that much.

2.2/5

03. キズナジャンプ
This song is better, it's interesting, the whole song doesn't blend together into one great big mush. This song has changes in it and it makes this song doubly more enjoyable. I'm still not loving the singing but at least this song is progressing into something somewhat enjoyable. The background music off this song is alright, if not a bit standard.

3.1/5

[Review] Negicco - Triple! Wonderland

01 トリプル！ＷＯＮＤＥＲＬＡＮＤ

This is a pop song. It's cute and it's not a bad song but I can't find anything that makes this song different or a song I will want to come back to. It is very underwhelming and compared to other girl groups this song just doesn't match the high standards.

2.9/5

02 ライフ・イズ・キャンディ・トラベル
The first song was underwhelming and this song isn't much better. I mean it sounds different but I still think this song is average and honestly, I don't want to listen to this song when I'm sure there are other songs I could be listening too.

2.6/5

 

 Okay this single gets a 2.7/5

[Review] Kotobuki Minako - Believe x

01.Believe ×
This day gets better and better. I keep expecting soppy ballad songs and thankfully for the most part we don't get any of the. It's so nice not having to listen to any ballads. This song is a fee good song for jamming out when no one is around. It's not the best or the most interesting thing I've listening to today and it lacks points in the originality department but it gets some brownie points for not being horrible to listen to.

3/5

02.交差点
I knew it had to end. I knew I would eventually get a ballad. This is fairly average and you guys know me. I sturuggle to talk about songs that are average because I don't know what to say. The song is average all over. It's okay to listen to, but nothing special at all. I song I wouldn't change the radio station but I would forever skip on my mp3.

2.7/5

 

Overall this single gets a 2.9/5

[Review] Solidemo - The One

01. THE ONE
This song is a vocal song done right. This song melts my heart. I love these guys voices. They sound so good together, like a really tight knit vocal group. This song is just really nice. I'm surprised because I thought this song would totally be a sappy boring ballad song and it isn't, this is the best feeling ever. Thank You boys for giving me this glorious song instead of the dull boring ballad I was expecting.

4.4/5

02. Next to you
Speaking of dull, boring ballads. This song could well have turned into one. But it didn't. Hoorah. It manages to stay far away from sleepy land and stays well within I'm awake while listening to this song land. It's a really smooth easy listening to song but I can listen to this and not be bored. Thank you once again for this songs.

4.4/5

A solid single getting 4.4/5

[Review] THE KIDDIE - 1414287365

01 1414287356
This song was not what I was expecting. I was totally expecting a hard core visual kei sounding group and that is not what I got, although this song is a rock song it's not nearly as heavy as I thought it would be. The lead singer has a nice voice and this song is really nice and easy to listen to. Where his voice goes deeper with the low sounding string instrument is golden, I love that part and the parts that totally rock out are enough to not put me off but enough to keep fans of the really heavy stuff interested. I feel like this song I more public friendly then most and for that reason I quite enjoy it.

4.3/5

02 全てはこの掌の中に
This is the song I expected the first track to be. At times this song sounds a bit sloppy and I wish parts of it had been tightened up but otherwise it's a really nice sounding song. It's heavy enough without destroying my ears and have a mentioned I really like this guys voice it's really nice to listen to.

4.4/5

03 蝕
I like this song as well. One thing bands struggle with is making songs sound different while keeping the same colour as the others and so far this group seem to be really good at this. This song is different then the first two. I love how this song plays around with sound having parts with just a guitar and drums and singing to parts with just drums to parts where they go all out on the instruments.

4.4/5

04 (Normal Edition Only) イデオロギー
At this point I hate this group. With the new Exo albums coming out next week plus albums I still haven't got I can't afford to be liking more groups. But here we are. I like this song too. I like how this song keeps it's own identity and is just another rocking song. The question now is which version of the album do I get. I'll post an update when I finally decide.

4.3/5

 

 This single gets a solid 4.4/5

[Review] Morning Musume - Jikuu wo Koe Uchuu wo Koe / Password is 0

01.時空を超え 宇宙を超え
This song has a strong electronic fantasy vibe coming from. It's interesting but also not interesting. I want to listen to the song but at the same time I want to stop listening to it. This song confuses me. I think I like it because the music is just so interesting but the singing doesn't seem connect to the song that beings played and it just creates this disjointed song that doesn't sound right. I think this song may need time to sink in before I decide if I like it or not.

3.6/5

02.Password is 0 
Those autotuned voices are really creepy and I think they may give me some nightmares. Apart from that this song is also interesting. It seems slightly more connecting then the above and I really like the chorus. It's catchy and the whole song is really futuristic sounding I actually quite like this song.

3.9/5

03.(Limited Edition D, Normal Edition A+B)Password is 0／モリ娘。Ver.
I don't understand what this version of the song is all about. It's the different to the song above, it had small variousions and has a horrendous lead single who can't carry a tune to save her life. I'm sure there is a reason why this is including on the album and maybe someone can explain to me why this is on the album because I have no idea why this song would be on this single.

0/5

 

 This single gets a 3.8/5

[Review] Shibasaki Kou - Love Searchlight

01. ラブサーチライト (Love Searchlight)
I really like the siren sound effect used in this song and the drums leading up to the chorus are really nice. This song is very electric heavy and maybe a bit too much for my liking. A times it just sounds all the same and it's hard to piece apart the song and hard to tell what's singing and what is noise. the song sounds like it's meant to be this bombastic club anthem but it just seems to fall flat on it's face.

3/5

02. 誓い
And no single is complete without a ballad. Just for once I would like to not have to listen to these ballads but I guess I will have to endure another one. This song as a nice chorus but it is just nice. Nothing about this song is that exciting but you could probably already guess that this song is another ballad that won't be making onto any of my music playlists because it's just so bland.

2.7/5

 This single gets a 3.5/5

[Review] Chikasugi Princess - Mujounaru Chousenjou

01 無情なる挑戦状
Okay the third song by this group, the only debuted at the start of the year but are already on their third single. I hadn't listen or heard of them before listening to this song and I can see potential in them. This song had a really distinctive sound with the wild western feel to the song. It's different and memorable. The singing could be approved on, some of the girls aren't the best but some of these guys do have nice voices. I like how there is a range of pitches in this song. I also like the use of the creepy voices in the song to make it more interesting and the chorus is insanely catchy.

4.3/5

 

[Review] ClariS - STEP

01. STEP
This album come in three different version but they all have the same tracks. I quite like this song. It's upbeat and happy. The singing on this track is also not horrendous. I'm surprised I thought I would hate this song but I actually quite like it. It's managed to keep everything I like about J-Pop and perfect it.

3.8/5

02. ドリームワールド
Another cute song with song good vocals. This song isn't as catchy as the title but as a side track it does it job. It complements the promoted song while giving us an interesting sound. It an easy listening to track and I like how they kept this song simple.

3.7/5

03. 桜咲く
This is what I expected, it's a ballad track and it's a nice ballad track. It's nice to listen to but it doesn't blow me away but at the same time it doesn't put me to sleep. I find it average but I guess if you prefer ballads then you would like this song a lot more then I would.

3.6/5

 This single gets a 3.7/5

[Review] Honey L Days -- Kimi Iro Days

01. 君色デイズ (Kimiiro Days)
This song is really pleasant to listen to. It's nice and relaxing without being boring. The singing is good, the instrumental is good. It's just a nice song.

4/5

02. The way of my life
This song is a ballad type of song. The voices are really high pitched which is not what I expect from guys I expect that from the guys. When the voices aren't going an octave too high I do really like their voices. It's not the kind of song I personally listen to but I really do appreciate these guys voices. I really like them even if I don't like this type of music.

4/5

03. (Normal Edition Only)  タイトル未定 (Move)
This song is totally rocking and I think this may be an anime song. It sounds like it could be and the album cover looks like anime. Either way this song is totally rocking. I've already mentioned that these guys have great vocals but haven't sang the style of music I like but this song is right up my street. I played this song like 7 times because I liked it so much. I'm so glad I decided to review this single since I found this gem of a track.

4.8/5

I can thankfully give this single 4.3/5

[Review] KYARYPAMYUPAMYU - Family Party

01 ファミリーパーティー
Okay she's back with her latest song. The model turned singer who is known for being weird is back with her latest single, Family Party. Forgetting the video which made no sense to me. We'll just focus on the song. It's not my favourite song but it's not the worse. I feel like this song is actually listenable and isn't going to destroy my brain.... although that chorus does get annoying and repetitive after listening to this song more then once.

3.6/5

02 Scanty Skimpy
This song is so much better then the title track. It's cute and fun. It's basically the artwork on the Type A come to life. It's just adorable and the kind of song from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu I enjoy. It's just 3 minutes and 38 seconds of fun and happiness.

3.8/5

03 インベーダーインベーダ― -extended mix-
This is just an extended version on Invader Invader so I won't rate it because it sounds just like a longer version of the original song

 

I can give this single a 3.7/5