Review
Hiromi: Honesty
Hiromi. Have you ever heard of that artist before? I never would have heard of her if I hadn’t stumbled upon various forums on the interwebs. Buried deep underneath the colossal career destroying AKB48 and Namie Amuro’s continual wig snatching, there are a small number of niche/indie artists in Japan. Hiromi happens to be one of them; she’s a part of the very small J-urban genre of music in Japan, which has quite a few niche artists like Hiromi. But don't let her lack of success or popularity turn you off; she’s a great singer, lyricist AND composer. She does her OWN music (Namie Amuro take some lessons). Believe it or not, but she has actually released 3 albums and has yet to disappear… thankfully. Her third album “Honesty” is a real solid piece of work and is the shining light in a gloomy music market. Hopefully this will be the album that will let Hiromi see her shining day. This woman needs to be popular ASAP.
The album opens up with I Need You –Aisaretai- and it makes me need her. Her voice just brims with emotion and her voice alone carries the song. There is some melody there, but Hiromi’s emotive and soulful voice is the focus of the song. It’s a cheezy love song, but it's a great-sounding cheezy love song. I’m such a suck for this kind of music. Highly recommended.
One Love has Hiromi sounding great yet again with a funky little tune behind it and something about 365 and jibun in my life. The chorus is very, dare I say it, groovy. It’s all great, except for the rent-a-rapper Simon, whose appearance kills all the funky mood. His voice is the exact opposite of Hiromi’s: gritty and unpleasant. The song would have been perfect without him. Still recommended though.
There’s nothing wrong with Nitamonodōshi: Hiromi once again sounds great and there’s a feel-good chorus. However, it sounds empty, as if it is missing something. It lacks the spark of the first few songs. The song is alright, but it isn’t necessary.
The title track, Honesty, is strange. The rent-a-rapper, who sounds like he was imported straight from the Caribbean, actually carries the song; Hiromi just sings sweetly. Nothing special, which is quite sad. I was expecting more from the title track. You can discard this song if you wish.
My Last is one of the best songs on the album. Hiromi serenades us with the help of a hot beat. The song is also a sappy love song with a sappy name, so it’s already great. Any song with “my last” in the title will, without a doubt, be amazing. Just look at Utada Hikaru’s “Be My Last”; that song just brims with emotion just like Hiromi’s My Last. To be fair, those two songs are the only songs that I’ve listened to with “my last” in the title. But so far, my theory is going strong. Do yourself a favour and don't skip this track… unless you hate sappy music.
Teenage Love is alright. I don't think it’s any special, but when I listen to it, I sometimes get butterflies. Maybe it’s because of the title and because I’m such a sap. It’s just so sweet and Hiromi does the song justice. Hiromi’s sweet, fragile voice saves this song from being abysmal. The way she sings just gives you butterflies if you really give it a chance. However, the melody is garbage. Listen to this song at least twice before you dump it.
Fuiuchi Love is another great song. Three nice songs in a row, huh? Hiromi just keeps seducing me. Another love song, another hot beat and more of Hiromi’s sweet n’ fragile yet sensual voice. One might think that the songs blend together. To an extent, they do; the key is to take each song for what it’s worth and enjoy it to it’s fullest. Otherwise you’ll think that it’s just a 70-minute song like I did at first. But “It’s only love” right? Keep this song.
I’m not a fan of Tell Me. It just doesn't click with me. Even Hiromi’s vocals do nothing. I don't feel any emotion whatsoever. Just skip the track. You won’t miss much.
With Reason, we see Hiromi going all slow again. Although I love slow songs, this one also doesn't click with me. I’m not sure why. I do have to compliment Hiromi’s vocals, though. They gave me butterflies. She can’t stop lovin’ you. This is the one of those songs that you play when you want to get all lovey-dovey and stuff.
Thankfully Saigo no Aishiteru picks up the pace… in terms of song quality. This is the slowest song on the album as well the best song and maybe one of the best songs of the year, if I dare say so. The song brims with nostalgia and gives me many butterflies. Every now and then, buried within Hiromi’s silky smooth vocal performance, I hear some 80s synth. It lasts for a second or so but it’s amazing. Listen from 2:48 to 2:50 and you’ll hear a small synth in the background. Highly recommended.
All of a sudden, we get some poppy, 80s synth song. It sounds like a Tommy february6 reject that never even left the studio; nobody wanted to leak it. But Hiromi’s Butterflies is not a bad song at all. It even gives ME butterflies. It has to be because of the way Hiromi sings during the chorus. It’s one of those songs that you’d listen to on a sunny day. Sounding like a reject isn’t always a bad thing, I think. This song fits Hiromi. And should fit inside your playlist.
Then we get Mikansei, or “Unfinished” which doesn't sound all too unfinished. This song sounds like Utada Hikaru’s Deep River and Letters had a love child. The song doesn't go anywhere, but the lyrics are touching: something about your being imperfect is perfect. Sweet, but Hiromi’s voice isn’t as sweet as it was before. The instrumentation, while melodic, drags along. I find no point where I click with it. I’m 50/50 with this song. If it fits your bill, keep it. If it bores you like it does me, then you’ll either chuck it or listen to it when you play the full album.
I have no idea what This Light is. But I do know that Hiromi seduces us during the chorus with a hot beat that comes and goes. But I do recommend the song because it sounds great for more than half and around the 3:30 mark, Hiromi just pours her heart and soul into that “nakanaide believe~~~~~~” and then everything after that is 100% smooth sailing.
Mata Aeru is that “thanks a lot, fans” song. The song starts out with people saying “thanks Hiromi, me love you long time”. We even hear someone from New Zealand saying that she loves Hiromi. So she IS known. Good. Her world domination will begin soon. Hiromi sings over some boring beat, and her voice isn’t doing much for me. I was NEVER a fan of “fan appreciation songs” and this song doesn't change much. But it IS nice to know that Hiromi has fans. She deserves fans and that alone carries the song. I actually enjoyed listening to the people saying they love Hiromi more than Hiromi singing. You honestly don't need to listen to this song unless you’re into “fan appreciation songs”.
The album definitely is a strong piece of work. Some songs aren’t up to snuff, but they’re NOT outright bad. A few 6-7/10s doesn’t completely destroy 9/10s. Y’all went to school and you know that your grade won’t completely die. This album is a grower and you probably wont fall in love with it if you aren’t an RnB fan. I’m not an RnB fan but I gave this a few spins and I began to love it. Don't let Hiromi’s unsuccessfulness and lack of popularity drive you into skepticism like it did me. Otherwise, you're going to miss out one of the most soulful releases of the year
Rating: 8.5/10
Top Tracks:
- I Need You -Aisaretai-
- My Last
- Fuiuchi Love
- Saigo no Aishiteru
- Butterflies
- This Light
Tracks that have rotten amniotic fluid:
- Tell Me
- Honesty