Jpop Album Review- Yui- FROM ME TO YOU
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
1) Merry go round- An energetic summer themed track that mixed rock and acoustic folk. The chorus stands out and the song has a positive feel. A great opening to this album.
4.4/5
2) Feel my soul- Yui's first major single. It begins with only guitars and progresses to a powerful chorus. It has the same tone as Tokyo. It feels like Yui moving from a small town. The chorus was the high point of this song. Yui manages to make the song pleasant and optimistic. The whole album seems to have a mellow, pleasant tone. From me to you is more relaxed than her other albums probably due to lack of heavy rock tracks.
4.6/5
3) Ready to love- Ready to love has the acoustic feel coupled with some electric guitars. This tracks sounds typically like something that would come from Yui. Despite its predictability, it is quite good. So far, I'm liking the album tracks.
4.3/5
4) Swing of Lie- More rock influenced than the previous track but keeps in theme with the album's 'mellow' mood. It has a rather sad feel. The chorus is powerful and blasts off suddenly.
4/5
5) Life- Life was a Bleach ending. I've liked this single for a long time. Yui's unique vocals do the song a lot of justice. It is again an acoustic track with rock elements.
4.5/5
6) Blue wind- Things step down quite a bit with Blue wind. It has a melancholic feel and not very clearly segregated chorus and verse. It is a little monotonous but Yui's vocals keep us going. The song is quieter and more jazzy than other tracks. It was a nice change of pace in this album.
4.3/5
7) I can't say- I can't say has a different kind of melody than many Yui songs. There are a few accidentals that are usually not so pronounced. It is mostly acoustic with a rather weak chorus.
4/5
3.8/5
9) Just my way- Yui's jamming. Just my way is edgier than other album tracks. Yui's voice seems a little forced at some places but the track is a good rock track in the album. The chorus is fast.
4/5
10) Tomorrow's way- A single track. Tomorrow's way is a Yui ballad with primarily acoustic guitar. Yui's voice shines here. The chorus is long and powerful. Tomorrow's way is one of the very good ballads in Yui's career.
4.6/5
11) I know- Now, the album tracks are starting to get repititive. But still nowhere near the monotony of the rest of her albums. I know has a bittersweet feel. The chorus is downright optimistic.
4.1/5
12) TOKYO- The most meaningful song in Yui's career. Tokyo is acoustic and mellow- this album's theme. The chorus seems to be on the same plane as rest of the song. Yui sings of her move from her small town to Tokyo to pursue her career. There's a translation of this lyrics in the 'best lyrics' post on this blog. The lyrics carry a deep meaning that anyone can relate to. Yui evaluates her choices and remembers the things he left behind.
4.8/5
13) Spiral and escape- After the mellow Tokyo, Spiral and escape is rather upbeat. This is s good song if you can stand the annoying engrish in the chorus. Not the best ending to the album.
4.3/5
Overall, I quite liked From me to you. This may be because I got used to her style over three albums. This album had better album tracks than all of her albums put together. Right now, this is my favourite album from her though it is not her bestselling. Yui has artfully portrayed her emotions and changing musical directions in this album. None of the tracks screamed 'filler' or 'boring' like her I loved yesterday and Holidays in the sun. The album has a melancholic, mellow vibe which appeals a lot to me. The folk influence was also a good addition to the album's style.
Overall- 4.5/5
Pros
Good album tracks
Strong single tracks
Consistency
Variety
Cons
Arrangement
Needs time to get used to