Hmm, there's just no way I can agree with that, I mean... serious brah??? :-p You say that Oomori doesn't go all out on ANY of these new songs... seems like a pretty far fetched call when you listen to Zettai Zetsubou Zekkouchou, Kyuru Kyuru, Watashi wa Omoshiroi, Zettai Omoshiroi Tabun, and most especially Omake ~Super Free Pop~... As for the rest, well, playing it down is working a charm. Even in the softer, slower moments of the album, I cannot for one second think that the Oomori trademark isn't present. Can you seriously listen to Noroi wa Mizuiro and tell me anyone else could have pulled it off more perfectly and with as much charm? It's basically Amai on steroids. And it gives me mad feels!
But whatever. I seriously think that noone can really say to a point of 100% certainty what Oomori's signature sound is right now (including Oomori herself) -I mean, what would you say if you had heard this first???, or even the pre-debut punk stuff?... shes changed so much in 2 short years that I think it's a bit hard to say right at this point. It really is like listening to them first few Jun Togawa albums where she covered a billion genres in 2 years until she found a mid-ground that people now claim is the TM Togawa sound. I expect the same to happen in Oomori's case. Overall though, still cannot say I have any major complaints about Sennou (I love the thing), just isnt Mahou Ga (which I think is a masterpiece) to me. I don't know whether we will get that acoustic sound as a main sound to an album ever again (under her solo name anyway) now (look at all her newfound fans from the sound of this album...)- and if she did I can just imagine the future complaints about her 'regressing'. (Then again, there's always some acoustic bonus discs being given out like with this album) I think there is still hope for a harder rockier sound with potential PINK TOKAREV albums (which no doubt will happen- fingers crossed theyre more like Yapoos than Jihen though). She also has that collab coming out in June and if the snippet of the first song is to go on, it's pretty much the 'oldschool' Oomori style.
TL;DR/Blah blah/cut out the BS: What I'm trying to say in a nutshell: Sennou is every much part of Seiko Oomori
as Mahou Ga. They're different sounding but they're still her. Both are essential listens. (Zettai Shoujo too, which is basically half of each) And that's why she's so damn interesting to follow.
Anyway, after I stop my rant, in the end my favorite Oomori related song this year was this one (the album it was on would have been 21 I reckon), pity everyone seemed to overlook it:
Now I come to think about it, there's quite a few songs that I loved this year that were on albums that weren't great or were just singles without an album attached. I might actually list them in a bit if anyone is interested (but dont wanna do it if people are sick of reading my 2014 lists already)