[2008/12/17] 「Love Letter] Ai Otsuka

[daigong]

Ai Otsuka  - Love Letter



Catalog No.: AVCD-23693
Label/Distributor: avex trax
Format: CD / DVD
Number of discs (or other units): 2
Release Date: 2008/12/17

Fifth album release from Ai Otsuka featuring the tracks "Pocket," "Rocket Sneaker," "Kurage, Nagareboshi," "Ai," "Love LEtter," and more for 13 tracks total. Also includes bonus DVD with music video of the tracks "Pocket," "Rocket Sneaker," "Kurage, Nagareboshi," and two untitled tracks.

CD+DVD / Jacket A
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=AVCD-23693

CD / Jacket B
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=AVCD-23694

Related links
http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=553.0

[SomethingWild]

I know many of you didn't care much for 'Love Piece,' but it wasn't that bad at all. I'm exited about this new album + the Love Letter Arena Tour!

I think the DVD will also have the pv for One x Time.

[Ayako-Luna]

OMG! I can't wait for this album!

[Lunar]

yay \o/ Actually I do care a lot about Ai She is still some of my top faves and I liked Love Piece alot - especially Mirai Taxi <3

I should really check for new releases more often >_>

[SomethingWild]

cd


cd+dvd


I love the cd+dvd cover. Still contemplating wheter or not to get it haha. I mean, the euro/yen rates aren't that great, meaning the cd is expensive. Plus, for the same price I can get her first three albums from ebay. Guess I'll have to sell some more h!p stuff 


EDIT:

There's a promo version of the cd floating around! Unfortunately, many people aren't really digging the cd from what I've read so far. I'm listening to the new songs for the first time right now. WIll post thoughts later.

Edit 2:

Pocket: We know this one. Was never one of my favorites, she has much better ballads.
Rocket Sneaker: We know this one too. I liked it, but it's not that special.
One x time: B-side to RS. I like the vibe it has.
Kurage: Her latest single. Again, it's nice, but she has done better, ballad wise.
Ai: Another ballad. Somehow this song sounds familiar. It's ok, but I'm not feeling the last part. Might work better in a live situation.
Love Letter: Sounds really pure, I like it. The vocal lines have a bit of a depressed tone to it.
Creamy & Spicy: wtf was that.. it has a bit of a Mackerel's canned food vibe.
Kimi fetch: I think I'll like this after a couple more listens. slow/mid tempo song again.
Do Positive: Finally we're rocking.
Bye Bye: A bit like Peach I think.
Shachihata: Ai's jazz album never made it, but we can listen to what it should've sounded like. I hate jazz with a passion, but she does a pretty good job with it actually.
360: bit expirimental almost.. 5:09AM meets mousou chop..

Conclusion? It's pretty much what I expected --> many ballads, slow paced songs. I guess Ai's heading into a more mature direction in which there's little room for Sakuranbo and Happy Days type songs. Too bad. Is the album bad? Not at all. At the moment I rate it at 3.5/5.. Nahh, make it 4/5.

Edit 3:

DVD Tracklist

・Rocket sneakers ロケットスニーカー（Music Clip）
・Jellyfish, the shooting stars クラゲ、流れ星（Music Clip）
・Do☆Positive ド☆ポジティブ（Music Clip）
・360ﾟ（Music Clip）
・POCKET ポケット（Music Clip）

※First press only 初回盤のみの特典映像
・愛 ～a cappella version～（Music Clip）

[aKaoNi]

Dunno how it passed me by, think I read she was dropping a new album but just forgot about it, I got the Kurage Nagareboshi single, but didn't think she'd drop a new album shortly after. I'll check it out!

[aKaoNi]

Okay after having listened to the album thoroughly, I'd honestly have to say this is probably one of my favorite albums of hers. It's more ballads so it does have an overall slower pace, which makes it harder to get into the album, I usually check out the first 10 seconds of a song when first listening to it to get into it, but you can't really do that to this album and truly appreciate how good it is. Although I don't keep all tracks on rotation in my playlist, I can honestly listen through the whole album and enjoy it. She's definitely grown musically, but there's the few crazy Ai songs/parts on the album that keeps it classic Ai. If not a 5, definitely a 4.5/5 imo.

[SomethingWild]

^YES! Exactly!

Even though this album is not as 'in your face' as the first albums were, it is definitely a very good album. It took me a while to get into it as well.

What's funny, a lot of people say that Ai's songs have been the same lately. Yet, they don't like this album because it is different 

My Love Letter Livehouse DVD shipped today!! 

Here's Aichin performing Bye bye!

大塚 愛「バイバイ」２００９ライブ

I'm glad Shoichi is back on guitars again for this tour.