01. starting over
Why this album starts with this song, I do not know. It sounds more like something that would fit her RAINBOW-era. For me, the whole album has a deep, dark feeling, and this instrumental would just be something put together in a rush that Ayu didn't have much say in. The sound is not my style and seems a bit rushed, but overall:
6/10
02. Duty
Fantastic. Simply, because it feels like she's talking, not singing. And the way she sings the high notes is amazing and shows what Ayu can do with her voice. But the question is, what is "it"? Just like in "A Song for XX" the XX stands for whatever the listener is feeling. Ayu is giving us the freedom, whilst this song for me is about being scared of the future, but what is it about the future that scares us?
10/10
03. vogue
I see vogue as a very simple song, which makes it a bit disappointing. The melody is very soothing and she performs this songs with grace. It's too sugary to follow Duty and it stays in the shadow of its previous and following track.
8/10
04. End of the World
Very strong and I love Ayu's voice. It steals the spotlight from vogue so quickly it's kind of scary. It's not as popular as the other tracks and people seem to have forgotten its existence. Pay attention to it, with the lyrics in front of you. Be amazed.
8/10
05. SCAR
It's so sacred you might miss it. The lyrics are touching. The song is a mix of EotW and vogue - melodramatic and silent. I feel it's not as strong whitin melody as it could be, on purpose, and I feel it makes the song pop out more. Because, the truth is, it doesn't pop up.
9/10
06. Far away
I find the arrangement to be too messy, but the PV is outstanding. This is the weakest song from the
trilogy and too much is happening in the song at the same time. The lyrics are confusing at first and overall confusing.
4/10
07. SURREAL
Many fans love this song. I am not one of them. The songs starts very good, promising lyrics, independent and so on. But when it starts running towards the "la la la la" -stage, I find myself losing interest. This song doesn't offer me much and I still find this song to be a dark song, instead of the happy-go-lucky -song Ayu performs it as.
5/10
08. AUDIENCE
Very nice, happy song with good, inspirational lyrics. It's not too sugary for my taste. I like the clapping and the arrangement is catchy and the clapping stays in your head for days and you just wanna clap with her. Check out her perforamnce from
Dome Tour, it's reallysomething (don't pay too much attention on Ayu' hair, though!!
)
8/10
09. SEASONS
Amazing ballad, although the lyrics may seem a bit childish for some. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but the song is more "kawaii" than "kanashimi" than what it used to. I still feel it has a deep meaning for Ayu and the song is a big part of her career. The melody is fantastic, the whole arrangement is, and some of the remixes (acoustic/acoustic orchestra) are the best ones out there.
10/10
10. teddy bear
This is amazing. As I remember, this tells about Ayu's mother and her being away a lot and Ayu having to grow up fast and missing her mother. The key of this song is the melody and how her voice hits the sound perfectly. The lyrics are really close and personal and the way Ayu looks and sounds when she sings this - priceless.
10/10
11. Key ~Eternal Tie Version~
This is cute and the lyrics make me cry. I feel the lyrics are cut short and that the story Ayu tries to tell is left half-unsaid. The song itself feels more like an intro and doesn't take its time to hit with amazement. Ayu sounds good in a weird way that fits the song and its arrangement. It's a pleasent song, but something is missing.
8/10
12. girlish
It feels to be some kind of live/studio version (listen to the beginning) and Ayu's voice seems more raw here than it does on rest of the album. It might be underrated as a track, but I still don't find it to be anything special. It does its job as the "ending theme", but lacks the power to finish the album as stronly as it started.
5/10
This album is one you can only appreciate if you actually take the time and effort to focus on it. If you don't know Japanese, take the lyrics. It is no secret this is her best selling album to date. If you're not "with" the album, it may lose you and you may find it to be very unmemorable.