Ayu - Anything Goes Thread -XIV-

[DonkeyKongRemix]

After six years of totally loving this album more than any other, I FINALLY got Love Songs. I don't know why I waited so long but oh well. When NEXT LEVEL came out, I listened to it none stop and to me, it was the best thing ever. Love Songs, though, really was powerful when it came out and I still think it is one of her best albums EVER.

Her voice is very nice in tracks such as crossroad and MOON.

I can't rant on enough about this damn album....UGH it is making me so happy. Maybe my winter depression will go away now that I have this. <3

(I keep wanting to post while listening to my CD)

I like how Thank U is kind of like a really long interlude, IMO. I never liked that song much before but it is actually kind of cool. A lot of the songs have great melodies and awesome background music. Sweet Season has an awesome melody, too. It's so relaxing and her voice is really pretty. I never noticed just how pretty her voice was on that song.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by nalini-dahlia

I like how Thank U is kind of like a really long interlude, IMO.

Didn't she say this song was originally supposed to be an interlude? Or maybe people just commented it sounded like one. I think she did some interview on the album though and mentioned it?

I'm basically the pickiest and most critical person when it comes to music, so when I have come to like tracks that others find loathsome, it's strange. Sweet Season and blossom are two examples of that.

Sweet Season, although at first I hated it, have come to thoroughly enjoy it. I think if you find the right context to listen to it within, then you will come to accept it as it is, and find it perfect for said context. In the case of this song, it's very mellow, soothing, relaxing, reflective, and easy-going. It's certainly not "showy" at all, which is what I think so many people hate about it. But I find it's perfect for at the end of an early-autumn day, when the sky's hue is a mixture of burnt oranges, faint yellows, and tinted pinks. When the sun is beginning it's descent, and it's rays are being reflected off the gently shimmering leaves of beautiful but dying foliage. When you're driving in the car, maybe returning from a days trip, and it's just you, the road, and the journey back. Play this track, during this time of day, and maybe you will learn to appreciate it's hidden beauty.

blossom is a song I have loved since the beginning, and never understood how anyone could dislike it. It's the summer ayu track that broke the monotony of fairyland, BLUE BIRD, glitter-type tracks. It went for a more organic, crisp feeling (rather it's a spring-time or cool summer's day track vs the former which are better for hot days). Actually, a better way to describe it in contrast with tracks like fairyland, BLUE BIRD, glitter, and even Sunrise (which evoke celebratory feelings), is that it's very comforting. The gentle sadness that it alludes to is now being comforted in present day. I got this even prior to looking at the lyrics. Additionally, I love it's use of guitars and it's piano base. The bridge is the perfect length, and the gentle refrain that follows is perfectly contrasted with the way the guitar reintroduces the energy. Furthermore, I love Ayu's unexpected increase in pitch for a single note after that point, introducing an optimistic and hopeful feeling as she looks toward the future. I don't understand what's not to like about all of that, so if you can enlighten me, be my guest... But I find that it perfectly encapsulates and conveys a very specific type of feeling and emotion, and that's what I look for in a great track.

[DonkeyKongRemix]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Didn't she say this song was originally supposed to be an interlude? Or maybe people just commented it sounded like one. I think she did some interview on the album though and mentioned it?

I'm basically the pickiest and most critical person when it comes to music, so when I have come to like tracks that others find loathsome, it's strange. Sweet Season and blossom are two examples of that.

Sweet Season, although at first I hated it, have come to thoroughly enjoy it. I think if you find the right context to listen to it within, then you will come to accept it as it is, and find it perfect for said context. In the case of this song, it's very mellow, soothing, relaxing, reflective, and easy-going. It's certainly not "showy" at all, which is what I think so many people hate about it. But I find it's perfect for at the end of an early-autumn day, when the sky's hue is a mixture of burnt oranges, faint yellows, and tinted pinks. When the sun is beginning it's descent, and it's rays are being reflected off the gently shimmering leaves of beautiful but dying foliage. When you're driving in the car, maybe returning from a days trip, and it's just you, the road, and the journey back. Play this track, during this time of day, and maybe you will learn to appreciate it's hidden beauty.

blossom is a song I have loved since the beginning, and never understood how anyone could dislike it. It's the summer ayu track that broke the monotony of fairyland, BLUE BIRD, glitter-type tracks. It went for a more organic, crisp feeling (rather it's a spring-time or cool summer's day track vs the former which are better for hot days). Actually, a better way to describe it in contrast with tracks like fairyland, BLUE BIRD, glitter, and even Sunrise (which evoke celebratory feelings), is that it's very comforting. The gentle sadness that it alludes to is now being comforted in present day. I got this even prior to looking at the lyrics. Additionally, I love it's use of guitars and it's piano base. The bridge is the perfect length, and the gentle refrain that follows is perfectly contrasted with the way the guitar reintroduces the energy. Furthermore, I love Ayu's unexpected increase in pitch for a single note after that point, introducing an optimistic and hopeful feeling as she looks toward the future. I don't understand what's not to like about all of that, so if you can enlighten me, be my guest... But I find that it perfectly encapsulates and conveys a very specific type of feeling and emotion, and that's what I look for in a great track.

Amen to all of the above. I think Sweet Season and Blossom are both great songs, so subtle and not showy. They sound sincerely happy without too much sparkly or anything. And her voice is awesome in these two songs. To me, she didn't push too hard for something she couldn't do, but did what she could and did it really well.

I am so impressed with this album. Like...November is UHmazing. The style is so out there compared to most music I listen to, but there's actually something so complex about it. <3 It's awesome.

My personal favorites from the album are Sending Mail, Crossroad, Like a Doll, do it again, November, and Virgin Road but I love EVERY song on the album to a different degree. It's a very inspiring and unique album that I think has outshined all of her albums of recent years.