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Old 2014.07.12, 05:07 AM   #351
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Originally Posted by FadedSun View Post
Man, how do you guys treat your friends that speak English as a second language?
I speak English as a second language and I would never make fun of someone because of their accent but there is a difference between singing and talking (I'm positive she sounds great talking) and more importantly, she chooses to sing in English when she could be singing in Japanese. I find it distracting - I can actually feel my jaw tensing, as if I'm the one struggling with the foreign sounds.
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Old 2014.07.13, 02:11 PM   #352
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More impressions:

Le Moment (forgot Japanese title) wouldn't impress me if it were created by any other artist. It sounds like a ballad/serious song on a pop album, or the sort of thing that would impress American Idol/X Factor audiences if it were sung by someone with more conventional vocals. But I like this arrangement anyway because that poppy ambiguity has always been part of her appeal. At first I didn't like the opening because I though it would lead into something more unconventional song. Now I like it because it reminds me of a prologue (and the epilogue) of something grand.

Private initially screamed J-Pop , but it strongly reminds me of KZK.
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Old 2014.07.15, 12:48 AM   #353
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After this album resurrected Ringo onto my radar I will say this was great to listen to in a park. Kind of smirk and relish in the memories of when the song could have been written.

Her english isn't a bother to me as much as I actually find it extremely quirky, not that the lyrics make more sense or even rhyme at times. Its slightly interesting that her english tracks hold so much weight even though they feel a bit forced at times. But I will agree these last couple of of english tunes with Jihen show lots of effort.
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Old 2014.07.27, 12:41 PM   #354
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Originally Posted by makenshiww View Post
After this album resurrected Ringo onto my radar I will say this was great to listen to in a park. Kind of smirk and relish in the memories of when the song could have been written.

Her english isn't a bother to me as much as I actually find it extremely quirky, not that the lyrics make more sense or even rhyme at times. Its slightly interesting that her english tracks hold so much weight even though they feel a bit forced at times. But I will agree these last couple of of english tunes with Jihen show lots of effort.
They can sound a bit forced, but when the English lyrics do click I find myself backtracking on my stance of lyrics not mattering.

CLT Amagasa. The arrangement on this album greatly reminds me of Izawa in that I can imagine a 6 year old dancing to it while pretending to be a power ranger or action man.
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Old 2014.07.27, 03:28 PM   #355
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Originally Posted by Scribble R View Post
They can sound a bit forced, but when the English lyrics do click I find myself backtracking on my stance of lyrics not mattering.

CLT Amagasa. The arrangement on this album greatly reminds me of Izawa in that I can imagine a 6 year old dancing to it while pretending to be a power ranger or action man.
I will say that some of the lyric content while still uncomfortable has gotten loads better since she started. sometimes lots less like a haphazard poem and more cohesive when it comes to the verses connecting. But that might just be me though..

I LIVE for 恐るべき大人達 off of DAi... i do find the lyrics charming
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Old 2014.09.14, 06:19 PM   #356
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Been massive binging on this album the last few days FROM THE ACTUAL CD (!!!!!). I'm not afraid to really rank it up with the rest now... there's a lot to love once you get past that insanely brickwalled production shock.

I recommend people go back and give it a serious spin if you were put off by this at first. You'd be silly to pass it up completely. Hell. I'm even enjoying Coldplay/U2 Cappucino now.

It'll probably make it into my top 20 of 2014. Don't know how high up but it'll be there. (Well, unless original album 5 comes out in November that is...) Laugh/groan/eyeroll at the fangasms all you want :-p
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Old 2014.09.15, 09:21 AM   #357
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I'm going to be straight up honest with everyone here, last Friday I woke up ready to finally eviscerate this album. Go HAM, drop a Kamehameha on the disc. I had it written in my head. I cued the tracks again to fuel my fire.

And then I kinda got it.

I was going to start out by saying how despite my storied history of being a "hater," all my negative reviews were so limp. "Dai-Hakken isn't terrible music, but its not all that great" and other middling statements to match other middling statements. But this time was the exception, time to be as bad as I wanted to be.

I was then going to pretend to relent that I get the idea to make easy paydays, that she has a family and a new baby and fuck the rest, you gotta take care of family. And then I was going to say that while I am all for getting stacks that I as a music lover could not recommend such eardrum punishment.

I was then going to do the thing where I make a Beatles analogy to relate Shiina Ringo's originally giving these songs to other performers to release. "The Beatles gave 'I Wanna Be Your Man' to the Stones," I would say. "There's that demo of John singing 'Bad to Me'"I would point out. Then I would slam that no discerning listener ever wanted to hear Shiina's own renditions or would care. I would certainly not neglect that Shiina's original jettisoning of these songs shows just how much attachment she had to them to begin with.

In between my inspiration and construction of my review for this I read a /mu/ thread about why Kpop supplanted Jpop relevance. The conclusion was that Jpop does a better job of appealing specifically to Japan where Kpop is happy to expand its appeal. "But what about Shiina Ringo" beleaguered at least a couple of anons (EMFers at some point?) Shiina is always at the top of the pop charts they argued. While I didn't deliberate too long on how she related to the argument it did crystallize something.

Back when Shiina was at her artistic peak, she was asked if she was going to try to break the west and she answered emphatically "No." To have /mu/ point out that her opinion reflected Japanese pop as a whole cemented the idea that Shiina Ringo and Japan are inseparable. So Japan goes, so Shiina Ringo. That's kind of a pain in my ass because I wanted the Japanese rock and roll Bjork, but it makes all the milque toast and dorama theme songs...noble?

I didn't find this realization til I kicked this album back up, and it clicked. In the jpop scene that is now both overshadowed by the humongous Kpop racket and overly influenced by the one odd crossover of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu -- in that world, this is what Shiina Ringo sounds like. And I think it kinda works. Everything is an over compensation, every sound is at 11, subtlety rests with dinosaur bones.

One of my main complaints with Sanmon Gossip and Tokyo Jihen is that strong choices were not made. No one could decide if they were cutesy pop or stiff adult contemporary or some frankenstein retro-"now-tro"-monster and the music wound up being none of the above. But, here, there is a freaking strong choice. POP and no one is holding back. Just from the opening notes, the music feels so unleashed.

Those opening notes display the albums biggest flaw, and tell me if you've heard this before kids, the production is harsh. Pretty much every song starts with a cringe until some more instruments get introduced and the mix evens out just a little bit. This album pulls it off better than Kyouiku though as Kyouiku begged you to listen to the individual performances that were just impossible to pick out. This record just assaults you, and the performances aren't particularly unique anyway, its just a colorful mash blasted in your face.

Its the points where the album does try to dip into subtler territory that it underachieves. Seishun no Matataki is mostly awful, but even the outro is manages to be inspired. The more grounded Ama Gasa too feels like a runt compared to its more towering siblings.

There is something about Shiina and accordions that just works, the closer is fanstastic and a highlight as is the brilliant, Bouenkyou no Soto no Keshiki. For all of Shiina's fascination with jazz and strings, she finally hit the nail on the head by leaving the vocals to the way side. The fully electronic tracks like Kachuu no Otoko hit hard and gritty, which is not a thin that could be said aboutShiina Ringo since she dropped the mole. For that I'm grateful.

Does this mean I like the record? That's for me and my therapist to decide, but I might (god damn it!) In all honesty, if this is how late game Shiina Ringo wants to present herself: turnt up power pop. I can live with that. This kind of music is countably better than her bland Tokyo Jihen years output. If she ever wants to go back to personal songs and sweeping burners, I would be down in a nanosecond. Until then, this sound is fresh, its current, its even a little interesting. Maybe I am fooled, but even sounds like shes trying to push some idea, some boundary this time. If this is what's to expect going forward, there are worse fates. She sounds inspired.
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Old 2014.09.15, 09:33 AM   #358
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Speaking of things being jettisoned: Saito Neko. Good fucking riddance.
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Old 2014.09.15, 11:58 AM   #359
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Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad View Post
Speaking of things being jettisoned: Saito Neko. Good fucking riddance.
Is he gone for good? Maybe he'll make a small appearance on tour or something.
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Old 2014.09.15, 12:06 PM   #360
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Jihad JCHI
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