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tasky - 4/5 - Gorgeous intro, I just with it had some kind of vocals, some ahhh~ or random stuff, just to make less empty. It has a more interlude vibe than intro, but still very good.
FLOWER - 3/5 - The songs is very much like Free & Easy to me, with calm melody with a explosive chorus, my only complain about it is that the chorus sounds a little too messy, it's just too much going on. Maybe a live version will sound better. The structure of the song is well done.
Mad World - 5/5 - I'm usually not a fan of songs like this, the pop rock slow tempo, but this one is sooo good! The only thing that I have to complain is the drums sounds so artificial to me, but I can see the live version being pretty epic with the live band.
Breakdown - 5/5 - Another great one! The vocal is good, the instrumental is good, the production is good enough. Nothing to complain in here, really.
Survivor - 5/5 - This is a 2004/2005 demo and no one will change my mind about it. I can see Ayu going on a record session and doing Fairyland, Inspire and Survivor all together. The attention to detail is remaining of her songs during that time, with a lot of different layers and instruments. By the fact that we can hear a freaking bird during the song, it just makes it so awesome. This is the Ayumi Hamasaki that I love.
You are the only one - 4/5 - The song is good, it's a moody song. I recomend to you guys to try to listen to this song during a rainy day and looking through the window. I just with the vocals were softer during the chorus, the vibrato is not that good for this song. Something like the JEWEL's vocals would make the song even better.
TODAY - 3/5 - It's that kind of song for the encore, the last song of the concert and even has a small gap in the middle to have Ayu saying a love message to everybody there. Good, but not that interesting.
Mr.Darling - 2/3 - Her vocals are annoying in here, dear God. Not a fan at all. The chorus is good, but that's it. It's not a bad song, but it's a song for an album like LOVE again/A ONE, and not here. The song doesn't fit the album, so get out.
Summer Love - 3/5 - Some parts of the song are really good, like the intro and that EDM instrumental right before the vocals, but the rest is just so basic. It's just a 2013 EDM song, it doesn't sound current at all. And I have one problem with Ayu's EDM songs (except for Terminal): they all have weak chorus. XOXO, feel the love, You & Me and Summer Love. It's not really a bad song, but it's missing some thing here and there.
What I like the most about this album is that Ayu is not there hoping for you to give attention to her, or begging your attention. She's demanding that you listen to her and feel what she's trying to say with all she has. Ths is an Ayumi Hamasaki album, and it actually feels like a good and natural progression: NEXT LEVEL - Rock'n'Roll Circus - Party Queen - MADE IN JAPAN. Good one Ayu, you should get a golden star for this one.
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