karened | Boku no Miteiru Fuukei

Having reread this post, I realised how it paints me as an anti. But no way am I one of them! I'm a fan, a big fan! The following is just a (rather cynical/critical) account of how I found the new album within 1-2 plays.

So, here goes everything!

The term 'dance music' will be used a lot here, so I'll just give you my definition of a dance music.

A dance track has a quick tempo and heavy beats underlying the melody, and usually plays on the rhyming of syllables. My idea of dance music is the very kind that has been taking over the Korean music charts in recent years. The following are some examples of dance music, although they vary even amongst themselves - e.g. the electric ones, the bubblegummy ones...

I consider this the classic dance track.

The mother of female dance tracks...?

Apparently very big at the moment.

No idea who.

Quick catchy, I have to admit.

Seriously! *rolls eyes*

I hope you get the idea. Let's move into the actual subject of this post. I'm just commenting on the feel of the song, without regards to the lyrics. I prefer listening to the music before listening properly to the words...I find that I won't get affected this way. XP

DISC ONE

1. movin' on
Nothing too memorable.

2. マダ上ヲ
!!!!?
I had thought that Jun's solo was the only dance-trackish song in the album (I happened to listen to that first). But no! I was in for a shock. This was the start of many dance tracks to come. I'll have an ending comment on the whole dance track issue later, so let me just focus on the song for now.

I love the background voices of cheer and the background music. The drums and flute/wind-instrument in the background gave a very...African/India vibe. There was an electronic filter effect added to Arashi's voices at parts too, making it a bit exotic. The electronic effect wasn't limited to their voices, but sometimes was applied to the background too.
In fact, I can easily imagine the song to used at some sports event...like the World Cup. LOL.
But I wonder how they're going to perform this live at the con. All the rendering of voices...hmm...

3. リフレイン
I knew beforehand that unlike TIME and DAL, this album scattered the members' solos all around. So, when this song came up and I heard Ohno's voice, I was excited. Even though I had only heard the introduction and less than 2 lines from the song, I was sure that the live perf was going to be amazing. I was already visualising Ohno dancing to this solo. And then...

I heard Aiba and Sho. So....it wasn't a solo. I was disappointed. =P I enjoyed Ohno's voice tremendously in his first part and was hoping to hear more throughout this beautiful song!!! But the disappointment was not for long (ok, I admit being a tad disappointed Ohno wasn't singing the part after the first chorus...). Because the song itself was good enough.
Yes, this is my favourite Arashi song on the album. It got me to sit up and revisit Tracks 1 and 2. And I nearly fell into the trap of listening properly to the lyric...Ohno has got this charm in his voice that makes me want to listen to him.
One of the things I love (other than Ohno's singing at the start), was the single notes played at the introduction. That chain of notes that continued through the song, interlacing with the main melody.
Can you close your eyes and imagine this being the theme song of Maou? I can. I can see it played to the opening credits. It is very Arashi, following the trend their music has been treading on, yet it has the adult-feel that Ohno was talking about.

4. Troublemaker
I listened, and got a bit tired of it...hmmm....

5. T.A.B.O.O　　Vocal: Sho Sakurai
How should I put it? It's very....Sho.

6. サーカス
True to its name, the song's very....showtime-y. Feels a bit like DAL, where everyone's heading for a carnival. Yet, there's a magical feel to it, like Monster.

This is one song where I cheated and listened to the lyric. Am I the only one amused by the fact that they used a lot of English words? Was it to make the song sound exotic? Here are some words I caught:

Wonderland
Mystery
Mark
Showtime
Rendezvous (ok, I know it's odd, but I've always associated this word with secret meetings between lovers, so the use of this word added a 'hot' factor to the song)
Oh baby (omg, Aiba sounds really hot saying/singing this)
Flashlight

I guess one word summarises the song. Wonderland.
I want to follow them into their Wonderland!

7. ギフト
Soft melody. Ballad-like. Another song where I cheated a bit. Listened to just up to the first chorus. XP

I really like this line, by Ohno (not biased!!): 自分の弱さを知るたびに　あなたの温もりを知りました (Everytime I realise my weakness, I found your warmth)
The last line in the chorus was quite sad though: 僕がいつか誰かを　守る時が来れば　あなたの手を追い出すだろう (If there comes a time for me to protect someone, I'll have to chase away your hand)
After checking the official lyrics, the line is actually 僕がいつか誰かを　守る時が来れば　あなたの手を思い出すだろう (If there comes a time for me to protect someone, I'll probably recall your hand), which sounds more beautiful. =)

8. Everything
Beautiful song, something I don't get sick off.

9. Come back to me　　Vocal: Jun Matsumoto
I still stand by what I say about this song being a dance track. Electronic, lots of syllable-rhyming, catchy, repeating of certain words. A very typical dance track, and the very song that set me on the idea of dance tracks even.

Still, Jun sang pretty well, don't you think? This is one of the very few Jun solos that I like before watching the live perf. At some parts, like the parts starting with "Tell me how you feel" resembled parts of Korean female groups' dance tracks. lol.
This was my favourite solo song on the album until I heard Nino's...and it was only because I cheated by listening to the lyric to that song. =P Jun, you did me proud with this song! Just don't do weird things during the con ok?

10. マイガール
Have never liked it much, but watching the drama got me more receptive to it. Now, without the effects of the drama, I just skipped this song. Gomen, Arashi, Aiba.

11. Magical Song　　Vocal: Masaki Aiba
What a curious song!

Very magical indeed.
Right from the start I had the image of Jun's Yabai in my mind, because at the introduction, where Aiba sings "the magical song", the same echo effect used in Yabai was used in here too!
And then, after every "the magical song", Aiba will go "yeah~" in a very funny way. The image that conjured was of Aiba doing the 'hawk' pose we see in old Cantonese wuxiang dramas. You know, the one with both arms raised by the sides and the character standing on just one leg? Yeah, that one. I laugh everytime I heard that.
Please help me by listening to the part after "Easy come, easy go" at around 0:36, where he starts singing "Shumatsu made...". Does that part sound like an old childhood 'nursery rhyme'? The one we used to tease each other with...the "ney ney nee poo poo" tune. lol.
One complaint about this song is how Aiba pronounces "magical". I know that's how Japanese pronounce it. But to have him repeat "meh-jee-ka-ru" time and time again in the span of just one song is a bit too much for my ears.
Overall, it's very Aiba. Cute. Just that it sounded a bit Chinese at some parts.

12. let me down
The non-chorus parts was normal Arashi style, but the chorus was again dance track-ish. Especially the 'ah ah ah' parts...they reminded me of SNDN's Gee.

DISC TWO

1. Monster
Another good old song! Can never get sick of this.

2. Don't stop
One of the few songs that feels closest to Arashi's old albums. Something that can fit well into the Time album, along with Taiyou no Sekai and such, maybe?

Still, it's infused with fast and heavy beats, which I usually don't like in Western pop. But I like them here, and can imagine a visually rich dance with lots of leaping and stretching of the limbs as they fly. XP

3. 静かな夜に　　Vocal: Satoshi Ohno
Ohno's solo fit the stereotype I had of members' solos.

His took the position of "Will not like when listening on cd, but will fall for it forever after the dvd". For now, it's only partially true, but I have high hopes for Ohno to bring me a surprise.
For now, I can imagine a dance similar to Take Me Faraway. <3
Although I said I didn't quite like the song, I don't dislike it. What I meant is that the song itself, the melody, the arrangement hasn't caught me yet. It's a pleasant and rather soothing song. I like Ohno's falsetto near the end of the bridge (it's so beautiful!) and, to a smaller extent, throughout the last part of the song after the bridge. But I need something more, and that something will come in the live perf. I hope.

4. むかえに行くよ*
Another old style song! I'm not complaining! After so many fast dance track-ish songs, it's heaven to have soothing, melodious ballads.

I haven't listened to the lyrics, but I've caught a few lines here and there and it seems like the song is the encouragement type, the very type I love Arashi for.

5. 1992*4##111　　Vocal: Kazunari Ninomiya
My favourite solo song on the album. The opening of the song striked me. The simplicity of it all, along with the harmony of backsingers gave a very relaxed mood. And then Nino entered. At that moment, a Yuzu-deja vu hit me. It was a song which I feel would go well with just the guitar.

It's my favourite solo because of how it was written. As a message to someone. Who's that someone? Us? =D I hope so lol. In any case, the lyric is beautiful, and I nearly died when he said in the opening verse 恥ずかしいから　君には暗号で　送ることに決めたんだ　そうしよう (Because it's embarrassing, I've decided to send to you via a code.) A code! That title of his. I wonder how the first fan discovered that... Anyway, that is sooo cute! Nino sure knows how to make us flail. A bit of Himitsu's cheekiness, with sincerity and yasashisa added in. A pure message from himself, bearing all his thoughts and beliefs. Tell me how can I not make this my top solo from the album!?
If only I wasn't spoilt of the meaning to the track...then I could have enjoyed Nino's hints better as I try connect the dots and figure it out myself. =P It's such a fun song!
I know they're not getting any younger (on paper), and soon, one or another (or maybe two together!) will wed and have children, or have children and (maybe) wed. But to have Nino write this in a song...is odd. Like...odd. He wrote もしも僕にも子供ができたら　迷わず最初にこれを教えよう (If I have a child one day, without hesitation, this will be the first thing I'll teach him/her).
But this track sounds a bit out of place with the mainly upbeat and heavy songs in the album. =/

6. 空高く
Ok, I think many fans will throw choppers at me, but I have to say that I've never found anything amazing about this song. In fact, I found the chorus noisy. =X

7. kagerô
The usual Arashi fare.

8. Summer Splash!
I was pleasantly suprirsed when the rap part was attempted by every member! They must have had a tough time hehe. I particularly enjoyed Nino's part. ^_^

This song gave me a...jumpy feeling instead of a...splashy...fruity one the title suggested. And I can totally imagine the song being used as the CM song for C1000.
Ending thoughts

Is this what Ohno meant by the album being more adult? Because it has more dance trcks instead of the usual lovelorn ballads and encouragement songs? Well, I have to say that the songs on the album are nice on their won. But I think I'll enjoy them better if the old style songs were included as well, put in between those fast and exciting songs.
Dance tracks. I hope Arashi is not heading towards that direction. I have contradicting thoughts. On one hand I'm afraid of K fans saying how Arashi is imitating the very popular dance tracks of K. On the other hand, I'm excited for their venture into a new genre and in fact adding the Jpop element into this imported style.
This year's concert tour will be amazing. Can you imagine the types of dance they can attempt with all these songs?! It will be a great concert. I hope it'll top Time and Iza, now! Mr dvd editor, please make sure you do a decent job ne.
My favourites as of now are in this order:
Nino's, Jun's, Ohno's, Aiba's, Sho's

On a side note, I'm trying to write a thank you card to my family...and I'm trying to find a good replacement for "kore kara mo yoroshiku!". Any ideas? Lol..yes, the influence of Japanese on me.