Jpop Album Review- Yui- Can't Buy My Love
Friday, July 6, 2012
I have been listening to a lot of Yui songs and albums these days and will review them in due course. I'll begin with her best selling one- Can't buy my Love.
How Crazy- Yui begins the album with the breezy and rocking 'How Crazy' which features a lot of back vocals in the chorus. That's something unique for Yui. The chorus is probably the catchiest part of the song which makes a nice intro to the album.
4.2/5
Rolling Star- Rolling Star keeps the rock spirit of the album with jamming electric guitars and a fast paced chorus. It was used in the anime Bleach which features a lot of rock songs. Yui sings this one well considering its pace. A good follow up to How Crazy.
4/5
It's all right- This again follows the slower verse and rock influenced chorus formula that seems to be the key in this album. However, I must say all the tracks in the album have a similar tone which can get repititive after a while. It's all right shines in the chorus.
3.8/5
I remember you- Another chorus centric song. I remember you is an acoustic pop track that comes from one of Yui's singles. The chorus again shines here and has a more nostalgic tone than some other tracks.
4/5
RUIDO- This one is a really short track and doesn't shine much.
3/5
CHERRY- This remains one of Yui's popular songs that was once voted as the best Valentine's day song in Japan. Lyrically, it speaks of firstlove and crushes. Yui tries a little 'kawaii-ness' here. I didn't like this track much in the beginning and it took quite a while to grow on me. The lyrics are very refreshing and the best point of this song.
4.1/5
3.5/5
Umbrella- It has a mysterious, acoustic tone compared to other tracks. The chorus is again, the weakness of this track. The chorus is weak and the song comes off as yet another acoustic track in the album. It follows well after Thank you my teens with a mysterious, acoustic verse.
3.8/5
Highway Chance- This one is more interesting than some of its preceeding tracks. It has a rock arrangement with some mysterious instruments in the background. The arrangement works better than the chorus.
4/5
Happy birthday to you you- Another rock track with a strange arrangement. Not one of my favourites because it sounds similar to other tracks.
3.5/5
Winding Road- After the rocking Happy birthday to you and highway chance, Winding road takes things slower. It stands out quite a bit after the previous tracks. It has the sound of the opening of an old mystery drama. The verse and bridge are more interesting than the chorus. The instrumental into and outro create a nice mood.
4/5
Goodbye days- Clearly the best track on this album and the reason this album sold so much. Goodbye days is an acostic ballad- something which this album seems to lack. It has a nice vibe and was used in the Taiyou no Uta movie in which Yui starred as the main character.
4.5/5
Why- Yui decided to save the best for last. Another slow track which is very relaxing. Why shines in the album because of its uniqueness. A nice way to end the album. It sounds somewhat like a folk track you expect from Chitose Hajime, not Yui. The chorus is unspectacular but the verse stands out.
4.2/5
Overall, Can't Buy my love is not a great album though it is better than rest of her albums (And I can say that now that I've listened to the rest of her albums). The main reason for this is the better quality of album tracks. Can't buy my love has fewer filler album tracks than other Yui albums. Yui's singing is angelic but the album is dominated by rock tracks which drown her vocals sometimes. Like all Yui albums, this requires a few listens to get used to.
Overall- 4/5
Pros
Single tracks
Consistency
Better album tracks than other albums
Cons
All the songs are just too similar sounding
Lack of unique/ experimental songs