Hikaru Utada - Bad Mode

Release Date: January 19th, 2022

hey, it's the kingdom hearts' singer!

Review: It's pretty crazy that in Japan, the most sold album was by Hikaru.  I respected the song, "first love," but those Kingdom Heart songs were pretty yucky. I can't believe the KHIII song is on this album because dubstep is dead. I also couldn't believe this album ended with a 12 minute track that was incredibly boring. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I thought I was on pace to give this album a 9 after the first six track. They all sounded rnb, but I was grooving the entire time. The 7th track is alright, but i noticed i was losing interest, then the 8th track is in English I sort of felt the album lost its way with me. Still, as much as i detest the last 3 tracks (not including the bonus), I was really really impressed with the first 6 songs.

Summary: The first 6 songs are worth listening to.

Favorite Songs: Bad Mode, One Last Kiss, Time
Rating: 8/10

Upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start - Ember

Release Date: 10/06/08
Genre: Post-Rock

Sorry if I got the band's name wrong. But yeah, interesting name. It's the main reason why I know them. So I know for sure I gave "And The Battle Is Won" a listen and "Comfort Me, I’ve Lost My Heart" was my favorite track, but other than that, I don't really remember much about the music. So I won't compare.

Review: So I never was a fan of the heavier side of post-rock. Bands like Isis and Pelican were too sludge for my taste. UpcdownC isn't so bad as they aren't too heavy, but at times they can move towards that side. It's probably why I couldn't care much for "Get To The Chopper." It's heavy, but still has some detailed parts for it to be distinguishable.

"McDoomish" earlier section has that metalish sound and it's pretty cool. Reminds me of Russian Circle. I sound like i'm complaining, but I'm not. Just wanted to point out the sound. It isn't just a burst of noise hitting you, it's something the band took their time on. So the rest of the album is more in the style of Caspian, Explosions in the Sky, and maybe Mogwai.

Like "Our Flowers" and "Murmurs Pt. 2" really felt like a page of EitS. You can hear that ting ting in the background while the lead guitar is producing all the melodies. It's great stuff so I'm good. Nice soaring music, although not as epic.

"Cascades" is cool. Build up music is pretty and I enjoyed the payoff. Interesting cellos. Great drumming. Because this is my type of music, I can sit through this stuff easy, but while trying to review this and skipping tracks to find something to write about, it's tough. The last two songs are the longest so they should stand out, but they don't. I like them, but nothing there's nothing on them that makes me go "wow."

"The Creeping Fear" is slow and gradually unwraps a lot of baggage. It's a cool piece to end the album.

Summary: Maybe they haven't pushed the genre, but it's still good music.

Key Tracks: Our Flowers, Murmurs Pt. 2, Cascades
Rating: 7/10