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Old 2014.11.27, 04:02 AM   #421
Scribble R
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Originally Posted by Inseu View Post
I didn't say it's a good thing...On old songs like Honnou, she could switch from sultry crooning to high-pitched wailing, the way she used her voice were more versatile. Now she sounds like pretty much the same.
This is wrong. What about Roudousha? Ima? Assassin's Assassin? Bonsai Hada? Apple? I can name a hundred more.
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Old 2014.11.27, 01:32 PM   #422
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What about them? She just sounds cheerful and high-pitched. Not that there is anything wrong with it. It's just less gimmicky compare to the early days.

Last edited by Inseu : 2014.11.29 at 10:41 PM.
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Old 2014.11.27, 02:53 PM   #423
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Shiina Ringo 1998-2004, 2014

2014 was a year of rebirth for Shiina Ringo. Earlier this year we had the Reimports record which succeeded in priming me for new Shiina material. Reimports was electric, colorful, bombastic, and saw Shiina at her most engaged in a decade. While I was very interested to see where, if anywhere, she would take this new found energy going forward. Hi Izuru Tokoro comes right on the heels of Reimports, so it seemed likely that there should be some overlap in sound. As well, the image of Shiina attached with the new album announcement was one of her all dolled up, in a blonde wig, an vibrant; though that’s not necessarily how I personally like my artists (I had fun once, it was awful), it accurately portrayed the sound on her previous release. Even with some misgivings on the announced tracklisting (six previously released tracks, one predating the release of her last original full length way back in 2007) I kept an open mind. I held out hope some of the old tracks might be reworked, unfortunately that did not happen. Overall though, I think Shiina extends the good will of Reimports with a solid record with some of the best pop arrangements and production this year.

The seven new tracks on this record are fantastic. They production is bold, fully realized, and at times breath taking. The album opens similarly to Reimports, with a big, brassy explosion. What is most noteworthy about “Shizuka naru Gyakushuu,” and something we here on some of the other new tracks, is that she finally successfully merges classical instrumentation with the rock band instrumentation. This comes after years of (in my opinion) unsuccessful attempts that just sounded like two bands playing on top of each other (see: Ringo Expo.) The trend of these new tracks is that their composition and melody are just passable, but are made up for in the performances, arrangement, and production. All the performances here sound earnest and the track serves as a great intro for what is to come, but thats not fully explained until the next track, “Jiyuu he Michizure.”

Right out of the gates after the intro track we have to address the elephant in the room with this record -- half of the record is odds and ends from the last 7 years. Sometimes the colorful context of this album breathes new life into these tracks. For the most part, they all fit the theme of the album and don’t sound too out of place, but some sound less thought out than the new tracks. “Jiyuu he Michizure” is the song that most readily lends itself to this energetic pop sound, but no matter how inflated the tempo is, the whole song just sounds as lifeless as it did when it came out. If you ever wanted to understand the difference between good and bad production just compare the new songs vs. the old songs on this record. Where the new tracks are crisp and punchy, the old are just noisy and blurry. “Jiyuu he Michizure” chief among them.

Thankfully once Jiyuu ends, we step into the best sequence on the album. From “Hashirewa Number” to “Ima” we are treated to some of the most interesting music we’ve heard Shiina Ringo produce since those low quality “Tametabako” clips. Sometimes its something simple like the flute in Hashirewa Number and sometimes its a toe-dip into the kinds of sounds that constructed her best work like we here in JL005. While no there’s no alt-rock goodness here either, the suits Shiina does wear are executed, not just well, but with a twinge of personality. Her last original full-length, Sanmon Gossip, also featured an admirable collection of influences but what separates Hii Izuro from SG is that on this record Shiina sounds like she imposes her will on these sounds and influences. She’s not just making a pop song, or a ballad, or a showtune; on HIT she makes her pop songs, her showtunes.

As an aside, some songs in this stretch, like Chinchinpuipui and Hashirewa Number sound an awful lot like Life-era Cardigans. Not the first time the two acts have shared a sentence in my experience.

The second half has a higher concentration of previously released tracks. There is a bit of a cool down here, but the back half of this record works well. “Irohanihoheto” is the most Tokyo Jihen sounding song on this record. I did not think much of this song when it first came out and I still don’t, but this is the song I wish most was re-recorded. Its probably the best melody and most ambitiously constructed song here and usually songwriting trumps most in my book, but I just never feel like it comes together. While there are swells, punches, and mood changes they never make as much of an impact as they should. Even if they kept a similar arrangement, I think a redo with the deft production seen on the other new tracks, Irohanihoheto could have been killer. “Carnation” is the song that most benefits being on this record. Real talk, I’m not a big fan of the soft subtle single (at least has been the case with Shiina.) When “Stem” came out, I didn’t feel it (and I still don’t really, I’ll take “Kuki” every single day.) so when Carnation came out I’m sure I said choice impolite things. But, hearing it today with primed ears, listening to it with context that a one-off single doesn’t provide, Carnation is probably the prettiest song she has been a part of. Hey, we don’t get everything right the first time around. “Nippon” is the other song that lives a better life on this record. While it doesn’t enjoy quite the buff that Carnation does, its an acceptable end of album jolt. (Also, another example of smear-y, unspecific production.)

The record calls in a ringer to end the album. After hearing the new tracks, I’m a little disappointed to not hear a new track to close as usually Shiina kills it with closers. (“Usually” as the camera holds on Sanmon Gossip.) “Ariamaru Tomi” is a fantastic track. Its one of Shiina’s best, no asterisks, exceptions, or clarification. If we’re talking about the classic Shiina tracks: “Honnou”, “Tsumi to Batsu”, “Shuukyou”, we’re talking about “Ariamaru Tomi.” You can place this song at any point on this record and have it work. Hell, you could put it on any other Shiina record and have it work. (Except Sanmon Gossip apparently…) Classic song, but I kind of feel cheated out of hearing how a real Hi Izuro Tokoro closer would have sounded.

Apart from some of the older songs not feeling as fresh baked as the newer songs the only real area this record leaves me desiring a little more is with Shiina’s vocals. Now, they do not sound as disengaged and labored as they have in years past, and at no point do they take me out of the songs. Songs more traditionally Shiina like “Arikitarina Onna” she really kills, but some of the songs like “Sekidou wo Koetara” and “Chinchinpuipui” put more emphasis on the singer by construction and I just think maybe a little extra spice could have been applied. Maybe break out a growl or peak into her screech a little bit, just to add a little more flavor.

Hi Izuro Tokoro continues the “third wave Shiina” trend started earlier this year. Reimports is slightly more ambitious (that almost-entirely-instrumental track doh.) and HIT is slightly more mature. The instrumentation is gorgeous and Shiina sounds as engaged (performance and composition) as she did at her peak. The album’s impact is slightly softened by less well-produced older tracks, but overall it is one of the most unique pop and jpop albums to hear this year.

I would not mind Shiina continuing down this path of taking ownership of the pop form. Maybe she can take the form further off the rails in a tUnE-yArDs way or even if she reincorporated Reimports frenetic energy into a slate of new tracks; could be killer. Leaving 2014, Shiina Ringo is an artist born anew. Its time to start getting excited about new Shiina Ringo material again.
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Old 2014.11.27, 04:09 PM   #424
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Nice review.
You've put a lot of thought in, as expected.
I like reading this.
I can't say I agree with you're enthusiasm for this one though, it actually surprises me to be honest.
There are many things I want to ask (clipped peaks = "crisp production"???) but I'm trying to stop being a negative cunt and enjoy this "album" for what it is.
I am glad though, that at least someone else like Reimport, and that you're finally warming to Carnation instead of being an Ice Queen about it :-p Onna no ka wa Daredemo next? :-p
It's like old times, but with Sunny our roles seem to have been reversed.
It's starting to feel like EMF again :-p
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Old 2014.11.27, 04:38 PM   #425
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Yeah, that's right people have complained about the mastering. It didn't take me out of the album. It's obvious it was happening and I don't necessarily buy it as a style, I don't think its necessarily evil. Some people take a hard line on clipped peaks, and I get where they come from but I don't find it distracting here (which it occasionally was on Reimport.) The mixing and production greatly helped in this regard.

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Old 2014.11.29, 10:57 PM   #426
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Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad View Post
Leaving 2014, Shiina Ringo is an artist born anew.
The only thing born was the second child.

Sunny is just SG 2, aka rehash, very kawaii rehash
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Old 2014.11.30, 08:27 AM   #427
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I really love Arikitarina Onna and the mixing is part of why. If it were a Tokyo Jihen song, the bass/Kameda would have been hogging the mix at the expense of the guitar and Ringo. On this album it sits comfortably in the rhythm section with the piano where it should be. In all honesty, I think Arikitarina Onna should have been the closer while Ariamaru Tomi was the opener. But, you know, symmetry and all that crap.

On the other hand, I'm not really feeling Hashirewa Nanbaa. The flute, keyboard and the wah-wah guitar just aren't doing it for me this time. Ringo's great, but nothing else flows well for me.
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Old 2014.11.30, 05:36 PM   #428
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Originally Posted by Inseu View Post
The only thing born was the second child.

Sunny is just SG 2, aka rehash, very kawaii rehash
I have to say I did laugh at this.

----

Although I really like jihads review. Pretty much how I feel about the album with a few things I didn't think about. I was trying to think of why this album was so different in terms of the blends she usually comes up with but you were spot on with her hitting the mark with classical instruments blending with the rock band.
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Old 2014.12.07, 03:35 PM   #429
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Pretty good review here.

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/6...koro/#lastpost
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Old 2015.02.07, 03:49 AM   #430
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any place with some good lyric translation for this album?

I was basically fed up with my once beloved Apple but one of my friends has recently discovered her from my collection so I thought I'd finally relisten to this album and spent the time to pick apart the lyrics of 静かなる逆襲, mroe for Japanese review than anything....is that tongue in cheek anti-consumerism I'm hearing? Or have I forgotten all my Japanese?

My Japanese is by all means conversational but I often need explainations for her lyrics
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