Okay I received my CD three days ago and I wrote this review as I heard the songs but I kept forgetting to post it, so here it goes!
(I will be reviewing as I listen to the music)
1. Mirror
This song is amazing! I love how it starts very slowly and then it just begins building up slowly. I love it when it just explodes!!! It's like the biggest rush ever. It makes me feel so confident and full of life. This is the best intro to any Ayumi CD ever. This song just rocks, period!
10/10
2. (don't) leave me alone
Mirror just flows effortlessly into this song. It's a really nice tune. I love the beginning of this, it just reeks of confidence and power. There
is something that I can't really pinpoint missing from it though. It almost gets "there" but it fails somehow. I think it's because it's following Mirror which is just so high-strung and amazing. Not bad, I really love the lyrics so that definitely helps this song out.
8.5/10
3. talkin' 2 myself
Even though this is a good song, in the album it seems to lose it's brilliance. I almost wish Ayu hadn't put this song in the CD. Its an amazing song nonetheless, not one of my favorites but definitely a strong one both lyrically and instrumentally.
8/10
4. decision
I love this song so much! It's even better than talkin' 2 myself. Both lyrically and instrumentally this song kicks some serious butt
. I have never heard any Ayu song sound remotely like this one. I love the energy and the guitar solo is just so awesome, it makes me want to just get up and dance!!! Ayu's voice is extremely powerful and the lyrics are just amazing. This song rocks is just pure
raw energy, it's usually one of the first songs I listen to in the morning to wake up.
10/10
5. GUILTY
Wow, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard this song. I had read that this was seriously disappointing and I was preparing myself for the worst, but this is one of my favorite songs in the CD. It has a very dark "end of the world" feel to it. Ayu's voice is very powerful and the lyrics are so so good, I am actually crying after hearing this song because I can just relate to it perfectly. Such a powerful song and I love the background voice that says "Guilty".
10/10
6. fated
I never understood the hate for this song. This song is in my opinion flawless both lyrically and instrumentally. Ayu just sound so serene and soft in this song, and the lyrics are really touching. This is another song I just instantly cried when I heard for the first time, it's just so full of emotion and it makes me feel so so vulnerable. One of my fave Ayu songs of all time. And here I am... crying again! This song just has a hold over me
10/10
7. Together when...
And the crying party will continue. Because if there is one song that can make me cry more than fated is this one. This was in my opinion the strongest single Ayu has put out since Heaven. I would have loved for this to be an actual physical single. This song is just amazing. It's very raw and emotional. I love the way Ayu sounds in this, her voice just sounds so sweet and serene and unstrained. She is totally feeling this song and it comes across, it really does. I learned this song in like a few hours. I was singing along and crying like a little baby in no time.
10/10
8. Marionette - prelude -
AHH! This sounds so haunting and scary. It reminds me so much of
Wonderland though. I personally don't really like this interlude, it's quite boring and it's not something I would go back to listen to more than once. It works good in the context of the CD but by itself it's very lackluster.
5/10
9. Marionette
I loved the way the prelude lead into this song, very smooth transition. Now I was so excited about this song, the title just sounded extremely promising, but I must say I am
quite disappointed. The song doesn't really stand out to me, there is nothing really amazing about it, its just there. I feel like Ayu has done this before somehow. The only thing I really like about this song is the lyrics, because they are quite powerful, but the whole thing together just doesn't work for me. The lyrics will definitely be helping out the rating
Ah! I am
so disappointed
When this song finished I actually said "oh.. ok" lol
6/10
10. The Judgement Day
I like it very much, I love Ayu's soft voice in this and omg the way the music just
kicks in all of a sudden without warning is just too freaking awesome!!! Oh this song hypes me up soooo much! I love the end when it's built up really high and then it just comes down smoothly.
9/10
10. glitter
GLITTER!!! I love listening to this song it just automatically makes me feel good, I love the happy feeling it gives me. It makes me want to just dance and be happy and love life and face any situation. Such an amazing "self-esteem bost" song. I love singing along to this song in my car lol Ah! glitter you never fail me! hehe
10/10
11. MY ALL
This is a cute little song. I guess Ayu was going for a nice sweet little pop ballad but for some reason it just seems to be missing something. glitter is stronger imo. I don't know I just feel like I have heard MY ALL before. It will probably grow on me though, I probably just have to hear it when I am in a more chilled out mood because right now I am still quite hyped up from glitter. I really like this kind of poppy sweet Ayu is a really nice change from the darker atmosphere presented at the beginning of the album.
7/10
12. reBIRTH
I like the way this started, its very nice. This interlude it's just so good. I like it and this is something I would actually go back and listen to without it being in the context of the album. The song is like a journey, it begins with a very strong feeling of sadness and the loss of hope. But then all of a sudden it's as if the good emerges, it's a great rush of just goodness and endurance, dedication and achievement. It just comes full circle. It makes me think of the harshness of sacrifice and the wonderful feeling you experience when the sacrifice pays off. Amazing little interlude.
10/10
13. untitled ~for her~
I love the way this sounds. Ayu's voice is so soft and serene. She just sounds so at peace. These lyrics are just so freaking powerful OMG, I just got lost listening, it just sounds so amazing. The combination of Ayu's voice, the words and the instruments is just so good. Such a beautiful ballad
A great way to end the CD.
10/10
Wow I really loved GUILTY, this is a really good CD! I only wish there had been more songs, I am really disappointed in marionette since I was expecting so much more but the other songs were such a pleasant surprise. I think the one song that was definitely a surprise was GUILTY, I had heard so much negative things about it that I was preparing for the worse but it was actually one of the best songs for me. I really liked it.
My Final Rating=
9.0/
10