The official lecca thread!

[Chiharo]

^Oh, wow. Thanks for letting me know! Might preorder it.

[chocopockymaster]

yaaaaaaaas I need some hot new summer songs! Too bad it's not coming out until August ; __ ;

/blasts SOLA on repeat

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Yes! Exciting! I've missed her!

[x-megumi-x]

Have you guys seen her latest blog entry?
http://ameblo.jp/lecca-blog/entry-12037222996.html

I don't understand Japanese at all (and google translator doesn't help ) so I don't know if she's mentioning it in the post, but from the pictures, it looks like she's pregnant!

[x-megumi-x]

Covers are out.

CD



CD+DVD



Promo picture


Tracklist
CD
01 つまずいて転べ
02 前向き
03 熱ク
04 ミセス某
05 live again
06 RULE
07 はっちゃけ
08 Be Ambitious
09 あなたがいない
10 Shine
11 Your Turn
12 その先のゴール
13 かわりに
Bonus track
14 live again -REGGAE Version-

DVD
・ live again -MUSIC CLIP-
・ 前向き -MUSIC CLIP-
・ OFF SHOT

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

WOW so pretty! She almost never puts herself on her covers! I like it

[Chiharo]

I saw the covers and the tracklist on her official site a few days ago and I was pleasantly surprised! I think I prefer the CD only version, which is too bad because I want to get the DVD version. xD

@Pieces_of_SEVEN

What do you mean by she almost never puts herself on her covers? She's on all her covers except for Mado no Mukou and Right Direction. ^^

@x-megumi-x

Thank you for sharing everything as always! I somehow never really feel compelled to reply to the thread because no one is leading any kind of real discussion anyway. :/

[NintendoHTF1242]

When does that album release? I haven't listened to lecca since Power Butterfly (fantastic album by the way, TSUBOMI is still one of my favorite Japanese songs of all time) so I've been meaning to catch up on her music again ^.^

[Chiharo]

^It's going to be released on 26th August ^^

The tough Village live dvd/blu-ray is also going to be released on the same date. But man I wish we had someone who uploaded her concerts. The only one available on JPS is POWER BUTTERFLY which I got. But I'm so curious to watch her newer lives.

You know, you keep saying how TSUBOMI is one of your most favorite songs, and I've never been able to get to like it somehow, BUT lately it's really been growing on me. It's weird how it took months for me though, haha.

And you should seriously listen to lecca's newer music! I also love POWER BUTTERFLY a lot, but her newer albums are amazing as well. If I recall, you were saying that you didn't like Step One as much so you stopped listening to lecca?

[NintendoHTF1242]

TSUBOMI is soooo beautiful. I love everything about it haha. I actually stopped listening to lecca because I got too lazy to keep downloading her music. Idk what happened, but this was around the time my interest in J-Pop was dwindling and I was moving back onto Western pop music. But I still think lecca is one of the most interesting Japanese acts.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Originally Posted by Chiharo

@Pieces_of_SEVEN

What do you mean by she almost never puts herself on her covers? She's on all her covers except for Mado no Mukou and Right Direction. ^^

Hm...I guess you're right. I suppose what I mean is, I've never noticed her beauty before. Now that I'm looking though, I guess I just never paid enough attention? Lol I think that this is my favorite cover of hers in forever, maybe since POWER BUTTERFLY.

[Chiharo]

^ Ah, yeah, I see what you mean. The Maemuki covers do make her look even more beautiful, I agree. She does tend to have good covers.

@NintendoHTF1242

I forgot to reply to you! Ahh, I don't know why I thought that you stopped listening to her after/because of Step One, I guess I remembered wrong. And I totally agree with you that she is one of the most interesting Japanese acts. I'm sooo glad I decided to check her out.

-------------

As I understood right, she is releasing the song "熱ク" as a digital single and it's available on iTunes.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Forgot how much I enjoy some of her stuff. スタートライン, 愛&lie&wine, おたくgirlsの宴, Dreaming of you, Let's begin...are all so great! Can't wait to check out this new album.

[x-megumi-x]

Maemuki PV

[Chiharo]

^I love it! I really can't wait for this album! The verses as usual are great, and the pre chorus.

[orbitalaspect]

Quite an interesting record. The only reggae track was the remix of live again. I'm used to hearing at least one traditional reggae track from her. There was also a notable reduction in the cheesy upbeat tracks with styles like Familia!, Chikara, and Shissou Mother. So, most of the tracks seemed pop-leaning, and even the two or three similar to Familia! were pretty mild.

There were only two tracks I couldn't sit through, which is different from tough Village, TOP JUNCTION, ZOOLANDER, and even Step One. The two tracks were Hacchake and Sono Saki no Goal (Tracks 6 and 12). Both were a little overboard.


Total highlights! I absolutely loved the single selections. On first listen, live again sounds like another one of lecca's boring ballads, but the lyrics are genuinely touching and made me a little emotional. Maemuki is a great upbeat track. And I love that Your Turn at least got a lyric video. All three stand out from the rest of the album but also well represent what the rest of the record sounds like.

I loved Tsumazuite Korobe, Anata ga Inai, and Kawari ni. I also really like the work done on Shine, which is a very different ballad style for lecca. I feel the lyrics are exceptionally pretty and, likely, sad or hopeful. (I don't speak or read Japanese.)

On last note, regarding the missing reggae sounds, I don't like the remix of live again. It's a little too fiesta-, parade-, block-party-sounding once you know the lyrics. I genuinely thought it would sound more like the tones used in songs like Ainki and Koi Hajime, more atmospheric and string-focused... and no trumpet. I just can't imagine lyrics about looking back at past decisions, regretting those decisions, feeling that you could have done better but didn't, could truly be expressed through a trumpet... a fucking trumpet.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Definitely a fun release. I really enjoy anata ga inai and BE AMBITIOUS!

[Chiharo]

@orbitalaspect

Thanks for sharing your point of view, it was an interesting read!

I like the album, although I felt like tough Village had more of an "identity", and I enjoyed that album a lot more. I missed her more "cheesy" songs (I call them her "too happy" songs) like akirame onna to rare otoko, Sunshine, Scenario, Familia!, etc. Although there was Netsuku and Mrs Nanigashi, and even Hacchake (which was more like SUKI!).

My favorites are live again, Anata ga Inai and Tsumazuite Korobe. Anata ga Inai reminds me a bit of JUST 1 TIME which was my favorite off tough Village. But it's still not better than most of the tracks on tough Village, which is truly my only complaint with this album. But maybe it's unfair to judge it this early. I still think live again is probably the best song on the album, though. Its bridge is the most wonderful thing on the album, and overally it's just a wonderful song.

Maemuki I totally love. Netsuku and Mrs Nanigashi too. Although she does have a lot better songs in that vein. RULE was difficult to sit through (as was the whole album honestly) because of the awful production that was too apparent on this particular song. But that's something that happens on all her albums so I was not really surprised (but was sad that there was still no any improvements). Anyway, RULE itself is an okay song and reminds me of INFORMER, but it's not something I'd be listening to on its own (at least not for now).

I actually really like Hacchake and I'm glad she included a song like that on this album. Be Ambitious is good, but nothing mindblowing.

I agree with orbitalaspect about Shine, I liked that it's different for lecca, and it's a good song. Sono Saki no Goal I don't like, same with Kawari ni (but it is better than SSnG). Your Turn is good only because of its chorus, otherwise it didn't move me much for some reason.

I totally agree on the reggae version, it change the song in not a good way and it just didn't fit anything when it comes to the song. I wish she actually made a reggae song because I really hoped for one, but no. One like Aniki, Koi Hajime or Motokare I would have really loved seeing as she doesn't have a lot of songs like that. Or even just a song like Iron Heart would have worked.

Anyway, for now it's not my favorite lecca album, but it's still a very good one.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

I've always been into her, and have all her albums on my ipod. I guess I've just never really listened to most of them all the way through! I feel like there are tracks I don't even know about that I would love. What are your favorite songs from her? I love these:

ai&lie&wine
スタートライン
朝のまえ
おたくgirlsの宴
愛&lie&wine
shopping
Let's begin
What a girl can do
If I were your girlfriend
ミソ-gal
TSUBOMI
snow crystals

[x-megumi-x]

I like the new album but it's far from being my favorite from her. It's pretty standard. I like most of the songs but nothing really stands out to me.
I felt the same about tough Village and TOP JUNCTION.

Anyway, the tracks I like the most are Anata ga Inai, Be Ambitious, Your Turn and Maemuki. I don't like Sono Saki no Goal at all, same with Kawari ni.

About my favorite songs from her, I actually have a lot, but just to name a few :
蝶々
ぼくたちの世界
愛&lie&wine
How 'ya feelin'
朝のまえ
Goddess in the Mountain
Snow Crystals
北の酒場