J-Pop Reviews

Quaff are quite possibly one of the most unique bands in Japan right now. That is no mean feat when you consider just how much truly genre defying, ground breaking music can be found in the land of the rising sun.

What makes Quaff unique is the way in which they blend shades of hip hop, traditional almost enka like vocals and instrumentation, rock sensibility and visual kei style. Now I know what you’re thinking. How can one band possibly blend all of those elements? Read on, and if you’re truly interested, get hold of their ‘Dragons Fire’ EP to find out.

Dragons Fire is a nine track introduction to the world of Quaff and it wastes little time in making its intentions known. Opening track “Metropolis Saihara” is quite a good analogy for Japanese music in general. At first you’re sure you don’t like it but you decide to give it another chance, just in case. A few listens later you’re asking it to move in with you, and once the flood gates are open, you can truly enjoy the eclectic and refreshing melodies and beats that make up the rest of the EP.

Hot on the heels of the opener comes the title track ‘Dragons Fire’. Up tempo, guitar driven and glorious in its delivery, its one of those songs that energizes its listener. Also, with so many different musical styles swirling around, ‘Dragons Fire’ is more than enough to confirm that the rock roots the band claim are true indeed.

The tempo is slowed for the next two tracks. The former, called ‘Aeon’ is more groove based and brings the groups hip hop elements to the fore. Following ‘Aeon’ is the layered and beautifully executed ‘More than blue’, a rock ballad of sorts which once again emphasises the talents of Quaff’s dual lead vocalists.

After this brief respite comes perhaps one of the brightest moments of the EP in the form of the all out rock assault that is ‘Explosion’. An apt title indeed. Here again, enka styled vocals flow effortlessly around hard, fast guitars while the hip hop elements mix in to make what could be very well described as a musical explosion.

Follow up track ‘Hard Rain’ drops the tempo and the mood again and while it’s driven by guitars it could be argued that the spotlight is on the more traditional elements here. The flute in the opening bars is particularly of note, both beautiful and haunting.

The closing trio of tracks ‘Fire Bird’, ‘Light and Shadow’ and ‘Kurabe’ respectively seem to reflect Quaffs overall style. ‘Fire Bird’ is more up beat, groove laden and full of hard guitars, while ‘Light and Shadow’ is almost menacing in its fusion of dark melodies and traditional instruments.

From here we come to closing number ‘Kurabe’. Perhaps one of the tracks on the EP most representative of all the styles that Quaff bring to the dance. The traditional instruments are in full force here and even the guitars pick out a traditional Japanese melody. All the while backed up by low, menacing backing vocals. The verses, while still delivered with the shades of enka which characterise the work as a whole are delivered with a hip hop feel, while during choruses, the guitars rumble into full life and melodic rock styled vocals soar overhead.

Quaff really are a very unique band. They can be fun, thoughtful, menacing, beautiful and just plain awe inspiring all in the space of nine tracks, and if hearsay is anything to go on, their live shows are an experience in and of themselves. If you like rock music and you’re looking for something different you could do a lot worse than to pick up ‘Dragons Fire’.

Ketchup Mania are one of a slew of female fronted punk and rock acts that Japan has to offer.  Their 2008 album ‘F.L.A.G.’  saw them venture to the South by Southwest music festival for the second consecutive time as well as performing at Anime conventions in the U.S.

Ketchup Mania are, at their heart, a punk band.  Their music is fast and loud but far from being disaffected or angry, their songs are often chirpy and positive. 2008’s ‘F.L.A.G.’ is not a grand departure from what the band have already established on previous albums.  The formula seems to work for them, and consequentially there’s nothing new here.

However, if you’re new to the Japanese rock scene and you’re looking for some bubblegum punk, ‘F.L.A.G.’ might be a good place to start.  As is sometimes the order of the day with punk, the songs here are short and sweet. Not a single track on ‘F.L.A.G.’ clocks in at more than 4 minutes, with the opening number ‘Lost’ at a blistering 1 minute 50 seconds.

Of the 11 tracks presented on ‘F.L.A.G.’ the vast majority are guitar driven rock numbers that rely on catchy chorus hooks to keep a listeners attention. Tracks like ‘Bad!Bad!Bad!’ and ‘Just A Mess’ arecomposed in no small part of repetition of the songs title.

That’s not to say their isn’t musicianship on display here.  The instruments are tight and sound good and singer Hiro is in fine vocal form throughout the album.

Where ‘F.L.A.G.’ comes unstuck however is its repetitiveness.  By the time you reach the 6th track, the excellent ‘Please! Marry Me!’ you find yourself full of hope for the albums second movement.  This hope is somewhat dashed however as by track 8, ‘Pink Water’, you may findyourself considering listening to something else.

There are certainly inspired moments here, including the heavy metal tinged ‘Everlone’ which, like the tracks that come before it, is masterful in its execution.  In fact, ‘Everlone’ may be the most ambitious track on the album, whichunfortunately isn’t saying much.

If you’re happy to nod along to an album full of vaguely similar songs and you like up beat Japanese pop punk, ‘F.L.A.G.’ is for you.  If you like a little more variety and substance to your music however, you may find it a little lack lustre.

In the ever shifting ocean that is Hello! Project, one unlikely unit has been among its most successful in past years, ‘Buono!’.  Formed by the three members of Hello! Projects ‘cuisine appreciation society’, Tsugunaga Momoko, Suzuki Airi and Natsuyaki Miyabi, Buono’s first release ‘Cafe Buono!’ peaked at number 11 on the weekly Oricon chart in 2008 and mixed more familiar elements of Hello!Project song writing with music based more in the rock or pop rock genre.

On February 11th 2009 the unit released their second album, titled ‘Buono!2′.  Does it live up to expectation? or are Buono! just a flash in the pan?

The albums first track ‘Early Bird’ is exactly what you’d expect from Buono! Its mid tempo chirpy refrains of ‘Ohayo!’ (Good morning) are quite infectious, as is the overall positive mood of the track. A cacophony of instruments which sets the mood perfectly.

The second of the albums single releases ‘Kiss Kiss Kiss’ comes next.  It would be fair to say that at this point in their careers, ‘Kiss Kiss Kiss’ is perhaps a flagship track for the unit, often being saved till last at concerts. The track itself is a fairly uptempo guitar driven number with a very catchy tune.

Buono!2 isnt all uptempo, upbeat pop rock candy though.  Songs like ‘Shoushitsuten (Vanishing Point)’ are the thoughtful moments here. The aforementioned track being primarily driven by drums with a light instance of acoustic guitars and well as piano and strings.  The song itself is designed to showcase the vocal talents of the girls and their ability to carry a softer more delicate tune.

The middle section of the album returns to the mid and uptempo positivity overload that’s made Buono! one of  Hello!Projects most successful recent units. Singles ‘Lotta Love, Lotta Love’ and ‘Co.No.Mi.Chi’ come back to back, and are followed swiftly by the rediculously happy ‘Minna Daisuki’ or ‘We Love Everyone’, a piano heavy piece which replicates a chorus from previous single ‘Kokoro No Tamago’.  The chorus refrains of ‘Hop! Step! Jump!’ are almost enough to make you grin like an idiot.

Next follows perhaps one of the hidden gems of the album in ‘I Need You’.  A track that begins in a relaxed and tuneful manner and then ramps up into a very fast (for a Hello!Project unit) punk rock tinged chorus.  The spotlight is somewhat on Tsugunaga here and she performs admirably.

Single ‘Gachinko de Ikou!’ keeps up the pace and the positivity before a trio of slower tracks in ‘You’re My Friend’, ‘Over The Rainbow’ and ‘Goal’ close out the album.

‘Buono!2′ is an album that builds on the foundations set by its predecessor.  All three of the girls have quite a lot of stage and recording experience for their age, all of them having joined ‘Hello!Project Eggs’ with Tsugunaga and Natsuyaki going on to join ‘Berryz Kobo’ and Suzuki joining the unit ‘Cute’.

The girls experience shows through too.  While its easy to take a skeptical view and argue that studio tools can cover up anything, anyone who’s heard or seen the girls live (their 2009 DVD ‘Hybrid Punch’ is a good example) will know that while studio tricks and tools may be used on the albums, these girls can carry it off live.

So, is Buono!2 a worthwhile listen? In this authors opinion, yes.  It has just the right balance of rock and slower numbers and, if you like your J-Pop loaded with sugar and positivity ‘Buono!2′ is guaranteed to raise a smile.

Release date-September 9 2009

This is her 2nd album and i think her first album Diary is way better but her voice sounds really nice like always.

1. Intro- It was really short. She should of done something longer.

2.Wasurenai yo- Its my favorite song in the cd. Its a nice R&B song.

3. happiness- A nice pop song.

4. futari no yakusoku no hi- A slow R&B song. Its a really nice song.

5. Im sorry- A very upbeat song. I never heard Thelma sing a song like this but Its not that bad.

6. Keep on- I like the lyrics in the song but i didnt like the beat that much but its not a horrible song.

7. Sunao ni narenakute- A relaxing song.

8. todoketai feat KEN THE 390- I like it when Thelma sings in english. I love it. She should make an english album. I would be so happy if that happens. Its a good song.

9. baby i love you- I didnt like this song im not a big fan of slow songs about love.

10. LOOK- a R&B/hiphop style song. ^_^

11. wanna come again feat verbal- this is a remake but she did make it better. I thought it would be a new song.

12. Cinderella Story- Slow song.

Four piece rock band Girugamesh are having rather a good time of things of late.  They have toured extensively outside of their native Japan to excellent response from crowds, including a performance at the famous Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. Their self titled second album got an American release and their third album ‘Music’ has seen them elevated to the status of rock heavyweights in Japan.

For all that though, there is a temptation to compare Girugamesh to another Japanese rock band successful recently in other parts of the world : Dir En Grey.  This comparison however is unfair to both bands.  As ‘Music’ shows, there are a lot of differences between the two.

Sonically, ‘Music’ is perhaps Girugamesh’s most ambitious work to date.  It is an album, as its title may suggest, concerned with music.  Not music of a specific genre or bent, but music in general.

The albums relentless rock attack is punctuated at intervals by short forays into electronica. This runs through the whole album and manages in all caases to compliment the hard sound of the drums and guitars, a feat that many other bands have attempted with varying degrees of success.

Besides this, a few other musical styles are incorporated including hip hop styling on the tracks ‘Dead World’ and ‘Asking Why’ and of course hard rock.  What makes ‘Music’ truly an amazing piece of work is that when Satoshi’s vocals take on a hip hop style it doesn’t seem fake, forced or out of place.  Few other hard rock bands can claim to be able to blend musical styles so well.

The albums lead single ‘Break Down’ is at once hard and loud but also melodic. Vocalist Satoshi’s tuneful voice soaring over the organised chaos of the guitars during the anthemic chorus.

Other tracks worth watching out for here include the mid tempo melodies of ‘Ultimate 4′ the uptempo techno rock of ‘Evolution’, the hauntingly melancholy ‘Ishtar’ in which Satoshi’s vocal abilities are truly displayed, and ‘Enishi’ which perfectly displays the musical sensibility and musicianship the band possesses.

‘Music’ is a fantastic modern rock album.  One that flows together seamlessly and keeps the listener interested throughout.  If Girugamesh continue to pursue this musical direction, it’s difficult to imagine them not climbing to even grater hights

Ai Otsuka - Love Letter

Osaka born Otsuka Ai’s 5th album ‘Love Letter’ sees her strip down the sound and dust off the piano.

Ai Otsuka first hit it big with her second single ‘Sakuranbo’.  Since then she’s built on her popularity with catchy pop rock tunes like ‘Smiley’ and ‘Peach’.  For her 5th studio effort, Otsuka has turned down the volume a notch or two.

Album opener and title track ‘Love Letter’ is a melancholy, piano driven piece which showcases the delicate and fine nature of Otsuka’s voice and while there are up beat moments. this striped down, acoustic style sets the tone for the whole album.

The albums second track ‘Rocket Sneaker’ is one of the aforementioned up beat moments. Full of positivity and driven on by energetic piano complemented with guitar.

Other stand out tracks here include the melancholy but beautiful ‘Kurage, Nagareboshi’ (‘Jellyfish, Shooting Star’) with its beautiful string arrangements, the acoustic guitar driven ‘Creamy & Spicy’ and the grin inducing ‘Do Positive’ in which we find that the old Ai is still alive and well.

One surprise on ‘Love Letter’ is the track ‘Shachihata’ (‘Self-inking Rubber Stamp’) a jazzy number full of brass instruments which shows a previously unseen side to Otsuka’s vocal talents.  At first, ‘Shachihata’ seems to sit awkwardly with its album mates, over time however it digs its way in and becomes part of the family.

Otsuka’s musicianship is displayed throughout the album, perticularly her piano skills which are most evident on tracks like ‘360 Degrees’, a haunting and yet strangely uplifting pseudo dance number.

While it may lack the punch of some of her previous work and may not be as immediatly accessible, ‘Love Letter’ is an album which showcases one of Japans brightest Singer/Songwriter talents.  Flawlessly composed and beautifully executed, it’s a worthy addition to Otsuka’s body of work.

Well, let me start out by saying Hi to everyone.  I’m ‘the new guy’ around here, after all! I’m a bit of a rocker myself and also a tad eccentric,  so expect reviews of albums by bands like Ketchup Mania, Girugamesh, 9mm Parabellum Bullet and the mighty Omodaka in the months to come! Now, with that out of the way lets get on with the review.

‘Vamps’ is the new album by L’arc En Ciel front man Hyde’s solo band, with one important difference.  Instead of marketing it as Hyde’s solo work, this new album is by a brand new band, with the same members. Confused? Don’t worry about it.

From the start its pretty clear the image the band is going for here.  Japanese rock music is replete with bands who claim to be vampires but crucially, Vamps come across as being very fun, rock ‘n’ roll vampires.

The first single from the album, ‘Love Addict’ is a catchy, up beat, guitar driven tune which sees Hyde’s voice in full, raspy rock and roll mode as he assures us ‘I’m already a love addict’.

Other stand out tracks on the album include the frenetic ‘Secret in my Heart’, the monstrous riff driven ‘REDRUM’ and the seventies tinged slow churn of ‘I Gotta Kick Start Now’

The album over all, while it has its serious moments, definatley has a sense of fun and humor to it.  The less than two minute stomp of ‘Hunting’, with its repeated refrain of ‘Hi, Ho! Lets hunt!’ and the gloriously glam undertones of ‘Sex, Blood, Rock and Roll’ are a testament to that.

Vamps then is something old in new shiny clothes.  The music and lyrics are outstanding, as can be said for Hyde’s previous work, and its hard to imagine the band not having fun while playing these songs.  As further proof of this apparent whimsical streak, the bands latest single ‘Trouble’ is a cover version, the original having been sung by 90’s British pop duo ‘Shampoo’.

Vamps seem to be having a blast with it all.  Why not pick up the album and join in?

Stand by U is the twenty-eighth(!) single from K-pop/J-pop princes Tohoshinki, also commonly known as TVXQ, Dong Ban Shin Ki, and DBSK. The title track is definitely r&b-inspired, which is a nice contrast to the typical idol music that generally tops the Oricon charts.

Before this single, I honestly knew next to nothing about Tohoshinki, so I didn’t have a lot to compare Stand by U to. Nevertheless, I liked it. The song isn’t really that original, but there’s a quality to it that draws you in. Each voice is unique, but they compliment each other well, and although the music is muted and soft, it suits the atmosphere of the song, which is about a man who made mistakes with his ex and wishes he could somehow get her back. The lyrics themselves are good, very emotional, and that is conveyed well through the boys’ singing. Maybe a little on the long side, but overall pretty good!

The second track is called “Tea for Two”. I found this one a little on the corny side, both the lyrics and music being a little bit too sweet for me. It’s so nineties boy-band bubblegum pop it’s not even a little funny. Okay, maybe a little. I like the chorus a lot, though, and that helps the song somewhat, but is not enough to totally redeem it. I think they could’ve done better on this one.

You know, it seems to get progressively worse. The third and final track, “Sky”, threw me for a loop. This song is just bad. From the Engrish and weird electro beat in the beginning to the totally overdone, boring music and lyrics. It struck me as having a weird tempo, too. Something in the song just seems off somehow, and it’s hard to get into it. “Sky” is definitely a thumbs down.

On the whole, this single could’ve used some work. It was probably rushed, considering the speed at which Tohoshinki releases singles, and it shows in the two b-sides. Let’s hope their next one is better!

Crystal Kay - After Love -First Boyfriend-/Girlfriend

I can honestly say that’s been quite a while since I’ve been this excited about a Crystal Kay release. “Color Change”, her last album, was far too generic for me, so when I heard that Crystal was teaming up with BoA for her new release, I was immediately skeptical. When I got my promotional copy in the mail I reluctantly put it in the CD player, expecting to be disappointed, but I ended up playing it for hours on end! This is by far her best release since 2006, and it’s definitely worthy of being her 10^th anniversary single.

The title track, “After Love -First Boyfriend- featuring Kaname” is a mid tempo urban crossover song with adorable, catchy lyrics. Crystal’s voice is perfect and Kaname’s background vocals blend in very well. ‘Girlfriend featuring BoA” is infinitely better than “Universe featuring Crystal Kay” from BoA’s “Eien” single. Like most of STY’s productions, “Girlfriend” has a definite American-Pop feel to it, combining a catchy hook with a fast paced melody and a club atmosphere.

The last song on this single, “Deaeta Kiseki”, is a typical Crystal Kay ballad. The beat is nice, the vocals are pleasant, but the lyrics are unimaginative and ordinary. It doesn’t really seem to fit the rest of the single, but the excellence of the first two songs more than make up for this.

Angela Aki – Answer (third album) (release date: Feb 25, 2009)

All right, I have to admit something. I’m exceedingly partial to the elegant versatility of the piano. In the hands of a properly trained player, the piano becomes its own symphony. Add to that the voice of an angel and the potentiality for absolutely ethereal melodies to present themselves from a single person increases to stratospheric heights.

Having said that, we have Angela Aki. She’s established herself in recent years as being to the piano for a modern day what Elton John was to the English-speaking world in the 70s. That is to say, she uses her mastery of the ol’ ivories to show that the piano can still be relevant to contemporary music.  ”Answer” is her third major studio album release, and, for the most part, it keeps in line with her general M.O.: a focus on the melodious harmonies as achieved between piano and vocals. This album sees Angela sort of branching out and trying new things. Much of this album is more experimental and it makes for some interesting variations on musical styles that she’s already worked with on albums past. The result is an altogether fine album that both sets itself apart from her other works and gives her fans more of what made them love her so much.

The first track on the album is the already classic “Tegami: Haikei Juugo no Kimi E”. Musical merit aside, the song seems tailor-made to invoke feelings of bittersweet nostalgia in the listener. The song is written as though to be two letters. One is a letter that someone at age 15 writes to one’s older self, reasoning that one can at least be truthful to one’s self, and the second is the adult’s response to the younger self at 15.  The youth, confiding in the future self, shares worries that life has already had its share of troubles and that youth may soon enough vanish. The adult, though, in what is undoubtedly the message of the song, tells the younger self not to cry and, above all, to trust in one’s self. Musically, the song plays it safe, though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The track opens with a series of rising chord progressions that add an uplifting feeling appropriate for the opening song of an album. The whole song, in fact, tends to feel more uplifting than not, the twinged with just a hint of sadness that comes with thinking on the inevitability of growing up, but still keeps things positive. A great opening track.

Track #2 is what seems to be an Angela Aki staple: the cover song. This time, it’s a cover in Japanese of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” which has, itself, been covered time and time again with varying degrees of success. Now, this is one of the most surprising songs on the album for how well she uses the substance of the song’s musicality apart from the lyrics to promote an overal feeling of solitude throughout. The song opens with a steady metronome tick-tock, tick-tock, the first lines are sung with minimal background to her voice… the beat may be faster than Dylan’s and his various coverers over the years, but Angela has gone a long way to making the message of solitute more grounded than some others have managed. It’s worth noting, however, that the increased tempo of the song coupled with her emphasis on upward keyshifts do not work in conveying the negativity of despair that reigned in previous versions. That works for her, though, as she tends to be more positive in her works. An altogether fine cover piece.

The third song is the album’s titular track, “Answer.” If her song “Tashikani” was described as her quintessential summer pop tune for last year, then “Answer” is the same for this year. It’s catchy, it’s upbeat, it’s a love song with all the sweet you want with none of the bitter. The tune is driven by confident, bold piano with a driving guitar accompaniment. Of course, the “answer” in question is love, but the song is so well-conceived and executed that it’s hard to care about the triteness of the message as you and get caught up in this finely crafted pop tune.

What would a piano-heavy album be without a ballad or two? Track #4, “Somebody Stop Me”  is a heartfelt, almost solemn piece that slows things down quite a bit from the previous tracks. Angela shows real control, here, over both her instrument and her voice, taking command of highs and lows, softness and loudness with such contrast and perfection of putting it into practice that the inherent drama of the song shines through with her usual brilliance. A surprise in this piece, though, is the introduction of a what sounds like a xylophone for the musical bridge near the end of the song, which adds a touch of airyness to the piece.

The fifth track is another ballad, but this time, we’re given something of a conceit: the love shared between two first lovers is represented by a Dahlia flower. It’s far from a Petrarchan conceit, though; their evolving and deconstructing love is reflected in the flower, which begins in beauty and then falls apart. The sentiment is sweet, though, as the singer reflects almost whimsically on love’s first pains, and that pain really comes through in Angela’s voice.

Track #6, “Final Destination,” steps the beat back up and gives us what might be a mellow groove fit for a coffee house. The piano is kept simple enough, and a steady bass background with drumbeats best described as casual really work to show that the music doesn’t have to be complicated to be just plain good.

The seventh piece here is “Our Story.” It’s an upbeat song with a message that combines deconstruction of fairy-tale love stories with the sobering yet glorious realization that real love a different kind of story, one that takes hard work, one that’s not perfect, but one that is more worth it. It’s a message that’s complimented perfectly by the way the piano works itself into something the words can weave themselves around. The driving melodies are a series of chords that start low and heavy but end on higher notes, in essence mirroring the lyrics exquisitely.

Slowing things back down, the eighth track is “Tasogare.” This song is interesting that the background instrumentation, though barely there at all, really makes its presence known, especially when the thumping and humming of the electric bass comes in midway through the first verse. It’s this combined with such things as as the airy vocal “ahh”s of the bridge that serve to make “Tasogare” reminiscent of the American pop-ballads of the 90s.

Track #9 gives us another cover: “We’re All Alone,” originally by Boz Scaggs. Now, this cover wasn’t much of a stretch for Angela, as the original used the same instrumentation, if arranged ever-so-slightly differently. However, because of her vocal range, Angela really manages to bring something special to this song that wasn’t quite there in the original. The gist of her lyrics, too, are sweeter than that of Scaggs’ version. Comparisons aside, however, this is a fairly typical Aki-style ballad that, while not particularly standing out, is still a fine example of musicianship that exhibits her general talents without spotlighting any one in particular.

For the tenth track, we’re given a real treat in something completely different. “Reflection” has an echoing guitar and bubbling piano beat that give this song a distinct reggae feel that really says “fun” and “carefree.” This is a song that one could really dance to… skank dancing, in fact. It very much shows that Angela had a lot of fun with this song, and it turns out to be among the better tracks on the disc for the novelty of its originality among her other works alone.

The eleventh track, “Requiem,” is something we haven’t seen in all three of her albums: an epic. Clocking in at just over ten minutes in length, this song is split into distinct sections (not quite “movements,” thought, as the overarching theme is prevailant throughout) and truly gives Angela a chance to showcase everything in her musical repertoire. Much of this piece is piano backed up with orchestra. There are slow, heavy parts that tug on the heart and soul, while there are faster pieces in minor keys that all at once rush the spirit and prod at some fearful place. And, then, there is her voice; her range comes into play here in its entirety. This is an accomplishment for Angela, and it really should make the album, but the length makes it a tad inaccessible as a pop tune like her other songs tend to lean towards.

Her English-language track on the album is, in this outing, a playful piece as opposed to the ballads that were on her last two albums. “Black Glasses” is a collaboration with artist Ben Folds, though it isn’t quite as obvious on the version of the song that appears on this album. A slightly different version appears on Folds’ most recent album in which you can hear his voice backing up Angela’s and adding to the track itself. Without Folds’ voice, though, the song is still quite serviceable as a fun song to listen to and is a one of the album’s more upbeat tracks.

Our 13th and final track is the very ethereal-sounding “Fighter.” Despite the fact that this song has more synthesized electric effects (is she channeling Imogen Heap at the end of this one?) than one might be used to in Aki’s work, the song does little to distinguish itself stylistically from her other work. That’s not to say that it’s a bad song, but it’s not one of her better as far as originality are concerned. The implication is that it tries to sell itself on the electric instruments without trying anything new, and ends up falling in line with the rest of her songs. Its middle-of-the-road tempo and generally mild tone serve as a well enough ending to a great album, though.