Track by Track Review - ‘Love songs’ by Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki - Love songs (2010) Review
Score: 83
1. Love song
The opening of this album come out with this sad yet powerful rock ballad, with organic feel into it with those unforgettable tingling piano along with the thumping beats in the intro, interlude, and outro. very beautiful.
2. crossroad
and here ayu bring us back to hear Far-East root, with clever layers of Japanese shamisen, Chinese strings, and acoustic guitar, Tetsuya Komuro did his nice job to make this track a little bit too beautiful.
3. MOON
and here comes another typical medium rock ballad of ayu with a little strange yet interesting string-synthetizer in the intro. This track at least worth a listen
4. sending mail
ayu always brings a surprise to her listeners. For an album title as light-hearted as “Love songs”, “sending mail” is a one dark number, beginning with a layers of synth and ayu singing then ending with epic violin, this track is like another “Mirrorcle World” which is truly a miracle.
5. Last angel
with an epic string intro and electronic beats and robotic ayu’s voice in the background makes this downbeat electronic ballad worth a listen
6. insomnia
an interesting interlude with thumping beat, fading out the “dark” segment of the album
7. Like a doll
finally, a light-hearted medium-electronic-ballad with acoustic piano lullaby which really fits the title, ayu sing in her lower register how she’s Like a doll (yes, really) along with organic electronic beats. Doesn’t really work at first listen
8. Aria
another interlude with a bunch of layered strings and synths which brings us yet to a more light-hearted segment of the album
9. blossom
ah, a nice medium rock ballad with great ending will surely make her listeners crave for more
10. Thank U
a poppy-bubblegum-song-dedicated-to-fans-for-concert’s-encore. Not her best
11. Sweet Season
a medium happy ballad with sparkly bubblegum elements. worth a listen.
12. overture
an interesting interlude with layers of strings and orchestral instruments, brings us to the “romantic” segment of the album
13. do it again
this song start with a promising intro, a complex-play of acoustic piano with impressionistic feel in it, but comes out flat in the end because of the repetitivenes of the “do it again”. yeah, she probably always wanted to do it again and again and again
14. November
this track start with cute call and answer intro and bang into a sweet medium happy ballad.
15. Virgin Road
ayu ends this album with powerful voice and a lot of emotion in this admiring piano driven ballad, makes a conclusion of the whole album
this is her best album of the 2010s decade so far with beautiful collaboration with the producer Tetsuya Komura, makes Love songs a pretty cohesive album and perhaps ayu’s most truthful album with its ”love” concept.
