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1. Mirror
I love the originality of the piece up until about :54, where it breaks into a chaotic mess of guitars and other rock-type things. I'm glad her voice it at least strong enough to keep up with it, but even a semblance of some sort of melody would have been nice, as compared to a complete breakdown in the music. But then she goes back to the calm side again, and I am made happy. 8/10
2. (don't) Leave me alone
The opening of the song sounds like it was taken directly from "1 LOVE". The verses are unremarkable, and when the chorus came I was desperately hoping that it was a bridge, since it definitely sounds like one. No such luck. It would have worked wonderfully as a bridge, but as a chorus, it's just so simple and boring. There's something very...80s about the song. And it's not just the cheap looking outfits from the PV. I do like the ending. Like others have said, it's reminiscent of her older songs when she sings that one line without any music. The lyrics have quite a pissed off, badass feel which, coming from Ayu, caught me off guard. Reminds me of "my name's WOMEN" a little bit. Overall, for a song that was trying to live up to "until that Day...", it failed miserably. 5/10
3. talkin' 2 myself
Ayu's definitely not talking to herself with this song, she's getting other people to listen. And it's working. This is, hands down, my favorite rock song that she's ever done. It's so dark and strong that I can't help but wonder what happened to the Queen of J-Pop. The chorus is indescribably amazing, and I love the song. 10/10
4. decision
I've never really sat down and listened to this song until now. Sure, I've heard it, but I haven't listened to it. It would be impossible for it to outshine "talkin' 2 myself", so I always listened to this song instead. This song has its merits, though. I like the distinct contrast between the quiet, subdued verses and the rock-steady bridge and chorus. It's actually a very nice complement to "talkin' 2 myself", and while I usually despise it when she places two songs from the same single next to each other on an album, I think it was a very good choice here. 8/10
5. GUILTY
Weird effects in the beginning (helicopter, anyone?) and ominously looming clock chimes are only the first in what I'm loath to describe as the worst song Ayu has ever done. The instrumentation is horrible; it runs together like water tossed onto a watercolor painting. I'm too busy listening to the generic, simply bad melody to even pay attention to the lyrics. It sounds like the entire instrumentation was done in the wrong key. I couldn't even bring myself to finish listening to the song, it was that terrible. 3/10
6. fated
I have loved this song since it first made its appearance this past summer. I was particularly in love with the lyrics, but then...it's rare that I don't like the lyrics of a song by Ayu. She rarely uses electric guitars in her ballads to this extent, but it really serves her well here. Overall, I'd say it's one of her classic power ballads. 8/10
7. Together When...
This song has been on constant replay since I first downloaded it. I truly think it's a shame that this was a digital single, as I think it would have sold well and I would have loved to hear what the b-side would have been. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite Ayu ballads...not to mention the lyrics, which are amazing as always. The video was amazing, as well. While I think this song by itself outshines "JEWEL", which has the best lyrics Ayu's ever written but was lacking in the instrumentation department, I feel like she took the piano melodies directly from there and put them in here. It would have been nice to hear something a little more original instead of rehashing them here. Nonetheless, "Together When..." is definitely one of her best songs from 2007. 10/10
8. Marionette -prelude-
Ladies and gentlemen, and now for something completely different. It sounds like "Wonderland pt. 2", except more creepy and with less obvious symbolism. It's supposed to be the prelude into a song about dolls on strings, yet it brings to mind images of murderous clowns (which I hate, have I mentioned that?) Not to mention the creepy sound effects. And what's with the clock chimes? Those really need to stop. We're only on the 8th track and this is, like, the 3rd time I've heard them already. 1/10
9. Marionette
I actually got shivers when I first started listening to this song. One of the best words to describe this song would be "haunting". The piano and the subtle strings with the effects and Ayu's restrained voice all combine to produce spine-tingling chills for the listener. I was all creeped-out but absolutely loving it, and then...the chorus came. Another unremarkable, way out-of-place melody, and I was really upset. I feel like this song had so much potential, and then she threw that piece of crap in there. The haunting quality that the verses were filled with is gone, replaced by another mindless, meaningless rock melody. I like how she kicked the second verse up a notch by adding the electric guitars, which was a nice touch. But then the chorus comes again, and I'm back to burying my head in my hands. From about 3:02 to 3:25 was a very nice touch, and probably my second favorite part of the song, after the first verse. Overall, the verse made me set very high expectations for the song, and Ayu just did not deliver with the chorus. It's a real shame, because the song had so much potential otherwise. 6/10
10. The Judgement Day
For crying out loud, enough with the creepy, meaningless sound effects! The organ is reminiscent of "kiss o' kill", though I think it was utilized much better there than it was here. :57 was a huge surprise for me, and like "Mirror" Ayu seems to be splitting her interludes in half and making a distinct contrast between them. I hate the first half, I can only describe it as a mistake, while I much prefer the second half. I like to think of the second half as "Catcher in The Light" on acid. 4/10
11. glitter
I didn't like this song as much as other people seemed to when it first came out. Yes, it's happy, and pop-y, and summery, but I just have trouble listening to it when I'm staring out the window at snow and grey skies. The Engrish bits are cute, and she sounds a little bit like her 22-year old self at times. There aren't really any similarities between this, "BLUE BIRD", and "fairyland", which were her previous hits, so she gets points for that. But judging by the distinct rock trend of the album thus far, I think I can safely say that this song has no place on this album. I won't detract points for that, though. 7/10
12. MY ALL
I was one of few people who liked this song when previews of the album were leaked. There's just something about the melody in the verses that gets me, and I like the speed at which she's singing. I feel like this song belongs in a drama, but I know we'll see it in the encore of her next concert. 8/10
13. reBiRTH
Oh, look, another interlude...I've just about had it with interludes, which is good since there's only one more track on the album. It rounds out the Kaleidoscope-LABYRINTH relationship to make a trio. In my head, I can't even distinguish between the three of them anymore. That's when you know it's gotten bad. 3/10
14. untitled ~for her~
Judging by the title (or lack thereof), I had high expectations for this song since I'm guessing it's for the important person in Ayu's life that passed away recently. The one thing that annoys me is the blipping during the verses, and the addition of more annoying effects in the verse. The chorus is very nice, and the lyrics are deep and meaningful. I was actually tearing up a little bit by the time the song was over. By the end, the blipping doesn't annoy me as much. In a strange way, it seems to fit into the song. I would have liked to hear a one-take recording, and maybe Ayu choking up a little bit or a little more emotion in her voice, since this is obviously for someone she was very close to. I think she made a song that that person would be proud of her for, and I can't wait to hear her sing it live. 9/10
Overall...
Well, the average score for the album is a 6.5/10, and I would say that's pretty on par with how I feel about it. I had high expectations for the album tracks and unfortunately, those hopes were dashed. I think in this case, we have the reverse circumstances that we had with Secret last year...last year, her singles were okay and the album tracks were amazing. This year, her singles were great and the album tracks were mediocre, at best. Secret, (miss)understood, and MY STORY were all much better for me. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but from the terrible cover to the uninspiring previews we initially heard now to the leak of the full album, I have been disappointed every step of the way.
*sigh*
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