Utada Hikaru - Distance
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Free Music Notes for Distance
Free Music Review: Wonderful, wonderful CD!
Hit: 5 Stars
I bought this CD while in Japan. I heard the catchy tune "Can You Keep A Secret" being played on the radios of every store, shop, mall, everywhere I went.I took the CD home, still un-opened and left it that way for a few weeks after I came back to the US. When I finally listened to the album, I was blown away...and hooked!
I know a little Japanese and am studying the language, but I think that even those who don't speak Japanese would love and appreciate this CD, it is truly awesome! It has a wide range of sounds and styles of music, from R&B to Alternative Rock. I think I'll have to buy her first CD, now!
I'm also learning to sing "Secret" in Japanese! Get this CD!!!
Free Music Review: Can you keep this secret from the American music industry?
Hit: 5 Stars
Perhaps it is to the music lover's advantage that the US is currently mired in a noise pollution of rap 'n' roll, neo-punk, and five-part harmony. As long as American audiences continue to settle for the unmusical, smarter listeners can find comfort within the guilty pleasures of J-pop. Hikki's new album is an aural delight: primped and polished, but never over-produced. Every song here could easily have been a hit single, what with their memorable hooks and slick arrangements. Oh, and did I mention that this girl can SING? As if she wasn't good enough on "First Love," her vocal training has improved even further since then. Ms. Utada is no longer afraid to take high notes, and this is best exemplified on the ultra-sweet ballad "Eternally." Of course, there are signs EVERYWHERE that her voice has gotten better, right from the opening "yeeeah" of "Wait and See." Showing a development beyond her natural R&B tedencies, Hikki goes on a stylistic exploration in this album. She goes for straight-out rock in "Kettobase," adopts a jazzy back-beat for "Parody," and does a hip-hop/rock blend on "Drama." Is there anything this girl CAN'T do? Well, she still can't write her own arrangments, but ... already, Hikaru Utada is capable of more than what we ask of the average 18-year-old music performer. I can only hope that the American public never warms up to her -- this girl is too good to be cheapened by the likes of MTV.
If there's any reason to NOT buy "Distance," I'd really like to know what it is, because this album is practically flawless.
Free Music Review: The Sound of a New Japan
Hit: 5 Stars
After just returning from my second trip to Japan, I can just tell you that picking up this album was a enormous way to remember the trip. Not only does it bring in a similar feel which was heard in her amazing first album, but it is quick to add a new touch which continues to amaze you throughout the whole CD. Definitely a great buy for anyone interested in Japanese music. The amazing expirence goes even farther if you are either fluent in Japanese or studying it. I can admit that her first album was great for my listening comprehension. Even if you question it's value just consider that in almost every music store and convience store in Japan they were playing this CD over their speakers and "Wait & See" will be quick to get stuck in your head.Free Music Review: I can't keep Japan's secret: Hikki is ready for the world!
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been listening to popular music for three decades, keeping myself open to rising young talents who take contemporary styles and give them substance...emotionally, stylistically, whatever. I've loved the sound of contemporary r&b/hip-hop from day one, but found that true visionaries like India.Arie are the exception rather than the rule. Based on this album and her debut (FIRST LOVE), the young Japanese superstar Hikaru Utada is in my opinion another of those rare talents that open-minded music fans of all ages live to discover! Hikki, who lists a number of 1970s soul icons (e.g., Minnie Riperton) among her influences, basically has the total package. Her vocals display a soulful vulnerability that one expects of singers twice her age, a trait that creates an irresistable tension when channeled through the vocal cords of someone who is barely a post-teen (think of Michael Jackson at that age). Her tunes almost without exception commit themselves to one's memory--even if one cannot understand Japanese there are still a wealth of memorable melodies and nuances to absorb and retain. Furthermore, the production is state-of-the-art, confidently blending today's hip-hop sound with the beauty of classic soul, and throwing in everything from hip-hop and rock to jazz, rap and reggae over the course of the album. Hikaru turns to such legendary producers as Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis at times, but her musical vision remains consistent no matter who is/are shaping the sounds behind her. Amid all of this, she avoids the shallow plastic/profane images that are a turn off to content-conscious watchers of popular culture.
This CD contains a number of stellar tracks recently issued as singles (ADDICTED TO YOU, WAIT & SEE-RISK, FOR YOU, CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?), several b-sides (with a remix or two), and a fair amount of new material. Even the couple of lesser tracks are still worth repeated listens. Meanwhile, the vast majority of DISTANCE is truly addictive...and a reminder that up-and-coming generations of musical talents will always have a few up to the challenge to walk in the footsteps of their most brilliant predecessors.