I'm beginning to feel that Furukawa Miho and Noanowa are the HALCALI of the album list. Kana's "to LOVE" is a solid album, but there are some issues with it that keep it from being comparable with my two favorite albums so far. Most of the songs are simple, easy pop with an upbeat vibe. Although the genre and musical style are different, the production style is similar to Fukuhara Miho's "Regrets of Love:" the instrumentation is pushed far back and kept fairly minimal so that Kana's voice can come forward. It's easy to listen to but not particularly different from all the other pop offerings out there. The thing that this album most suffers from, however, is a lack of passion. You don't get this feeling on every track, not even close, but from "Prolouge~What A Nice" to "Summer Girl," Kana sounds like she's just going through the motions rather than singing about something about something she loves or because she loves to sing. She hits her stride starting at "Hey Boy" and the album comes to life at that point...Until "Love and Smile," where it turns into flat-as-week-old-soda pop again. She hits her stride again with "Wrong" and keeps it for the rest of the album, but I don't want to here her passion waver all over the map. I think one or two tracks at the beginning of an album being a little off is normal, but this off again-on again-off again-on again thing is no good. There are some other issues that just bother me, like the additon of "children sounds" in "Love and Smile," the vry abrupt endings of "Motto" and "Maybe," and the weird auto-tuning in "Maybe." Also, on more pet-peevy note, Kana seems to have an obsession with chimes. Seriously, I think they're on EVERY TRACK. Just join an addicts' support group, already, and stop toturing your listeners, girl! We're behind you!
Overall, when "to LOVE" is on, it's on! But it's sadly that's not often enough. I think the album really could have benefitted from giving Kana the space to get into her songs rather than rushing through them (as I'm sure she was encouraged to).
tags: advice to music execs, Nishino Kana
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