Well first things first, YATTA! Sooo happy to have these at last, she may have taken four years to have the opportunity but I don't care! So what's god about the album? Well first of all, it does have seven brand new songs, with "Igniton" being merely an intro as I expected. (And quite an odd one at that, computer typing to slow burning dark electro, very unexpected!) Of those seven songs so many different shades of what Kikka is capable of are displayed.
On Knight flight Kikka has a voice that is extremely similar to Aya Matsuura... Praise doesn't come higher than that! A beautiful slow ballad with Kikka really getting to shrug off the idol chains and properly blow minds away. While Time to zone is an insanely catchy dance number with Kikka's fast vocals proving her ability to flow effortlessly from style to style, seemingly, to me at least, her boundaries are unlimited.
ヒラヒラ星 starts with a dream like effects sequence and a spoken segment from Kikka which is vocoded to sound even more ethereal. I am not a fan of autotune, in fact, one of the few things that makes me rage is autotune. Mainly as it becomes impossible to tell the power of the singer. Surprisingly, here it sort of works. Kikka's vocals still have trailing presence and it is only certain intonations that are tuned. Coupled with the bizarre BGM this works, may my tongue turn black for saying it. And no, this is nothing to do with Kikka-sama doing it... Well... Maybe a bit :p
ありのままの I LOVE YOU! continues the urban style that Kikka did so well on her previous b-side love you forever, it is a soothing, almost jazzy take on urban R'n'B, Kikka's vocals meanwhile go from extremely high noted to chill and deep soulful crooning. Pops to the piano on this, managing to sound chilled and reflexive without touching upon dinner jazz.
ハコの中のブルー could be a Buono! track! Nice punky guitar, some heavy snare drumming and Kikka doing some really deep blasting vocals in the verses, off set by some slower and softer vocals around the choruses. This stab of heavy rock is a rake in the eye to say 'I am not just a ballad singer boy!' Yes Kikka, I agree! This track is all sorts of awesome. Even if the translation is "The blue inside the box" :s
Make you! Rounds off the album by taking the odd electro from earlier and turning it in a piano and guitar driven mid-tempo song. It is a nice closing track in having a sense of almost everything from previously on the album, plus a really nice guitar solo as the cherry on the top of the cake.
Not only do you have these great new tracks, but some of her best previous work is featured. Her debut ballad さよなら涙 still remains one of her best songs, thanks to the great vocal work and the heart-breaking lyrics being offset wonderfully by natural piano. 水色 still has that awesome rock edge with the powerful vocals, while Sweetie is still gushingly cute yet defiant of that in its garage rock roots. Then you have arguably her best single こんな私でよかったら which shows dance singles can be urban and gritty without ripping off other artists.
In short, this is my fave album since Buono's 'We are Buono!', it is a record of class, style and exploration. It also shows the insane potential Kikka has when it comes to future records, for one artist to have such range in their voice, coupled with her wonderful look and bonkers character, she could be huge if enough get in support! I urge anyone to check this record out and buy it!
Now I'd like to touch on the bonus DVD, first of all the live footage of さよなら涙 is absolutely phenomenal, live her voice has such presence and power, it is great to finally have some proper footage. Boy does it wet the appetite for a proper live DVD! The rest are dance shots and making ofs for the last two singles, which are fun, but the live footage is easily most important segment!
So yes, Kikka-sama, you have done it. Now get on tour and blow my mind with your show! Here's too many more singles and albums in the future! Until next time *sets sail*
