Ok here's my impression on the SISTERS album (Not really a review either, I'm in too deep to ever be objective towards anything Idoling!!!
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Rollin' : It's a short instrumental intro again, seems like it's a constant pattern now with album CDs to start off with an intro, I have no problems with that, the more the merrier. The composition itself has several distinct parts and when I listened to it the first time I got scared because I hate carnival music and I don't like clowns. But I didn't think it was the main theme of the whole album so my fears had lasted only while listening to it.
SISTER : I would have picked a different song for the 1st up because the segue from the intro isn't exactly the greatest match, I almost want to separate them apart, and I do in my own imaginary world. When I learned that it was composed by the same people who did SUNRISE, 3dome-no kinenbi, Don't Be Afraid, and Chu-Shiyouze, my expectations were quite high, but I'm not as thrilled with it, it's not a bad song, but it certainly didn't live up to the masterpiece that is 3dome-no kinenbi. I think the problem is that it lacks a solid identity, when it starts off with a cutesy pop melody then turns into rock in parts, I was thrown off-balance and never regained it back, silently awaiting for the song to end with an awkward expression on my face. A cute song should remain cute all the way through, it can't be cute and angry and sad all at the same time. Maybe the composer put in the rock element feeling that the song lacked something without it, which is true, but adding rock element to it didn't really help either, they should've just re-composed the whole thing with whichever theme they ultimately ended up sticking with.
Yarakai Heart - Extended Edition - : I'm not the greatest advocate of remixes, especially when all they do is add extra part at the end, I rather have them remix the entire thing so it would sound totally different instead. As far as this one is concerned, the extra stuff at the end was not really necessary to enhance the original track, but it does add some dramatic effect to it if you like that sort of climax to a song. I really warmed up to the song after watching the PV so as long as the original track isn't destroyed by a horrible remix, I'll live.
Haruiro no Sora : This unit song by a trio of Tonooka, Kaede, and Yuuna is a pure sugar-candy piece that is 100% girly in nature and I as a male person shouldn't even be near from listening to this type of song in public, but oddly enough I rather like the melody because I can get away with it by insisting that it's a legitimate happy ballad and not just a girly song. One would think Idoling already has plenty of this type of song in their discography, but it's not really the case, most are uptempo and fast-paced, not mellow and slow like this. so I welcome this new addition with open arms. The vocal harmony among the trio was quite nice as well, I was glad that Tonooka didn't just overtake the whole song, Kaede and Yuuna's vocals solidly coexist in it.
Me ni wa Aoba, Yama Hototogisu, Hatsukoi : I didn't review this song before so I might as well do it now, I don't like it. It just isn't a very Idoling-like song, it totally catered to the youth movement of the 4th gen. members at the time, this type of song is not for Idoling, any student body can sing it and make it their own.
Poolside Daisakusen : Out of all the single songs on the album they don't touch the one that has the best potential as a remix, omg. It would've been super-awesome if they did a very rock-ish remix to it with pronounced guitar riffs, I can almost sense how it would sound, a great opportunity now forever gone. Anyhow I like the song as it is enough that I don't mind if they don't do a remix for it, but if they're doing remixes for other singles, why not do this one also? Why the inconsistency?
Analogue : It's a very solid B-side song, I like the upbeat melody, and it's definitely something you would play on your car while cruising around feeling like you are the coolest dude on the block. However it has zero emotional element to it, so I'll probably grow out of listening to it after a while.
Bokura no Niwa -eco mix- : Did they really have to put this song in the album? Couldn't they put in Go East!!!Go West!!! instead? I mean, what the fudge! Again, this is another residual scar from the youth movement single that I despise, so I would rather not see it in the album at all.
eve -Voices mix- : So this time they added extra stuff at the beginning instead of the end, which is more of a cop-out than adding stuff at the end because it's almost being treated as an intro instead of a part of the main piece. I also don't get the whole hoopla behind one member missing from saying the "I love you" phrase, jesus, does anyone outside the super-hardcore Idoling fanatic kingdom give a damn? The producer must've been smoking some serious stuff if he ever thought that would get any attention from the mainstream media. I really could do without such circus crap, and stick to making the song great instead.
Konayuki ga Mau Machinami De -Powder Snow Mix- : I can't remember if I ever reviewed this song or not...probably not, well I like it, it's a very good ballad, not great like 3domeno-kinenbi, but still Maipuru's powerful solo alone is worth the price of admission. I don't know why they call it a remix, it sounds the same as the original one.
Queen Bee~Shoujou no Jidai Kara : Now here's a song that is screaming for a remix, hopefully they'll do one down the road, they could even re-write the lyrics to make it even more amazing. The melody does remind me of a Kpop sound, but it has enough Jpop elements to have it's own unique identity, but I'm not sure if funny lyrics alone is good enough to make it a part of Idoling's permanent signature genre either. I don't really care either way, I mean they can be hot and sexy but that's not why I became an Idoling fan either, so yeah oh well, I guess as long as they execute it tastefully...
4U : I have a confession to make, I never liked their first duo song Stay With Me, it sounded cheap and generic. This time around though, 4U really presents just how much the duo has progressed as a vocal unit since Stay With Me, and because of that factor, I embrace this song like a gospel, it's one of those songs where true fans get to enjoy it by ten-fold only from knowing where the duo's vocal genesis originated from.
Caramel Latte Nomi iko — ! Jitsu wa toubun kajousesshu Mix- : Apart from the seemingly lazy metal-rock remix treatment at the beginning, there's not much of a difference to really feel like a true remix. Although Miyake and Serina are two of the weakest links in terms of vocals, the fact that these two sing the first lines each make it a guilty pleasure song for me, and having variety is always a plus, especially when you have 20 members in a group to utilize that aspect.
Ichikoi : Who could've imagined that the once thought most vulnerable and insecure ensemble duo within a single would yield the best song not just from the single, but also from this album?! I certainly didn't expect that at all, but this song is simply a beast. It sounds simple and basic, but the more I listen to it, the more I seem to enjoy listening to it. 4U clearly has better vocals by comparison, but lacks the overall balance and contribution of the composition Ichikoi has. Both tracks have great dance appeal, but I think Ichikoi is hands down superior in karaoke factor.
Makehende - Right off the bat this song feels very nostalgic in nature, and as a ballad that's not a bad thing, I first thought that it was a tad bit boring, but this song suddenly becomes quite sentimental when I let in my emotional element. I guess this song would replace the ever-so-amazing Omoi-no Uta in lives as the sentimental song of choice, as they probably can't keep having some other member sing Rumi's part and upset the purists out there.
StarGirl★StarBoy -BuiBui Mix- : The remix is not as pronounced, but it's definitely there, and it feels more like a live version with beefed up instrumentals and more sound effects. The original version was quite mellow in feel, but the remix feels much more energetic, I really dig that. This is sort of a rarity from me, but in this case, I like the remix ver. better.
Iのスタンダード -Popsicle Mix- : Oh yeah, the last remaining grace from the horrific youth movement single, apart from the old-radio sound remix intro, there's not much that has changed, they also added a sort of an outro this time since this song is the last track, but it's just members chit-chatting about the title of the album, saying "Oh, what does SISTERS mean?" , "SISTERS? it has an S at the end?", yeah, um, do I really need to hear that the members are so disinterested in the album themselves that they didn't notice that it's a plural, and that they don't know what it means? Yeah, great way to promote the group, not! Seriously though, I guess they were just goofing around and being playful, but I think it was a bit too playful.
Topic: [03/16] Idoling!!! 4th album [SISTERS] (Read 32296 times)