Let's review some albums!

[Sean]

Here's something I know I'll get some enjoyment out of, since like any humane individual, I love music. Let's post our impressions of our last listened album or CD soundtrack. This means talking about what you liked/didn't like about it, rating it, making shout outs to your favorite songs, what have you. This is not a "what are you listening to now" topic; try to talk about how the album performs as a whole and not just a single song from it. You're basically writing up mini-reviews about recently listened albums, whether you're checking them out for the first time or revisiting old favorites, and hopefully this will promote discussion and encourage people to check out more stuff. Your posts don't need to be essay-length or super analytical, just a paragraph or two will do.

I looked into two new ones today, the first being Manners by Passion Pit. I listened to

a while back (great video, by the way), which was shown to me by a friend, but I never pursued the entire album until now, and I'm disappointed in myself for not having done this sooner. Nearly every song on it is great; they couldn't have picked more uplifting songs to begin and close the album, Seaweed Song leaving it on a very satisfying finishing note. I also remember hearing Sleepyhead in a commercial before. Being the band's most publicized song apparently, it's pretty okay, but that chipmunk-like voice sort of gets on my nerves after a while, and there are far better songs by them - it's all about Little Secret and Folds in Your Hands if you ask me.

The second is Sound G. by Korean pop girl band Brown Eyed Girls. It starts out with frantic technopop and ends on emotional, soft-sounding R&B. Sadly, I'm not too keen on the latter (but Yeojada Itteodo definitely caught my attention in a positive way), so I personally think that Mot Ga and Jalhalgeyol are pretty weak songs to end the album on, unless you count the remixes and instrumentals, which I decided to gloss over. As for the first half of the tracklist, I was addicted to Abracadabra for the longest time before I discovered the rest of their songs, so like with The Reeling, it's been my gateway to B.E.G. My personal highlight for this release would be Strange Days due to its playful, bubbly tone that separates itself from the rest. Candy Man is also just catchy as hell.

[SefHighwind]

The last soundtrack that I've been listening to a lot is the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 OST. Now I'm a huge sucker for Techno, and when your at a local arcade spending about $20 on Max Tune alone, the music gets in your head. When I found a copy of it, I bought it and immediately started to listen to it. The music is just fantastic! The bass beats are very strong, which is something I absolutely love, and the synths in the tracks are also very well done. There are also a few tracks that have vocal accompaniment to them, and some times the vocals can be a bit on the "eh" side. No disrespect to the singer, she has a wonderful voice, but there are just times when it feels like vocals aren't necessary.

Out of all of the songs I tend to listen to over and over again, the one song I come back to a lot is Phantom of Blue, the theme of the Devil Z. The Devil Z is the main focal car and character of the game since everyone on the Wangan wants to overtake the car. So the theme for the Devil itself is really well made. The beat is very solid, the synths are very catchy, and above all the adrenaline that rushes through your body when you listen to the song just makes you want to race in any car.

Above all this sound track is very fun to listen to, and it's even better when you listen to it in your car! It captures the spirit of Max Tune, and it's just great techno. If I had to rate it, I'd give it 4 out of 5.

[edge.]

Right now I am listening to the single WHATEVER by Ayumi Hamasaki, who is one of the biggest pop stars in Asia let alone Japan. This particular single was released on February 10th, 1999 and is the first single off her million-selling album LOVEppears. The single features two versions of the song, one which is all techno and electronic-like titled Version M, and a more pop-rock version of the song, titled Version J. Version M is the main version that everyone listens to or think whenever they think of the song. This particular version is the one that made the album as well. It starts with a Ayu bursting out first with fast lyrics, leading into the actual song, and her really high-pitched 'wow's. Version J did have some recognition, as it was the version used for the commercials promoting the single. It has a slightly creepy going into the song and then the first lyrics come, sounding slower and more natural than the more famous counterpart M. My personal favorite is Version J, because of the pop-rock vibe and synths that go down like a scale arpeggios. I do love Version M because of the dance vibe and fast delivering of the lyrics, along with the video which features her in a water-soaked room with it pouring down the walls and past her feet while she performs the song; the video also features an all-white angel in a post-apocalyptic world, roaming around.