KODA KUMI
BEST ~third universe~/8th AL “UNIVERSE”
(Rhythm Zone/Avex)
Rating:

I am of the suspicion of late that a couple of years ago, Lady Gaga had to have caught find of some Koda Kumi videos on YouTube, because in what few Lady Gaga songs I’ve heard, I’m swearing she’s snuck traces of recent Kuu-chin tuneage like “FREAKY” and “TABOO”. And I am certain that Kuu-chin knows this as well, as while Gaga leans heavily on programmed arrangements in her work, Kuu-chin has pretty much gone organic [save for the reliance on drum machines throughout – there’s nothing wrong with having precise beats behind you!] with her instrumentation on much of 8th AL “UNIVERSE”, the studio portion of her new double-disc set. [Quick side note: I won’t be reviewing BEST ~third universe~, the "greatest hits" portion of the package, outside of saying it’s a highly recommended compliment to your collection if the only Koda long-players you own are her previous BEST compilations ~first things~, ~second session~ and ~Bounce and Lovers~. In fact, if you can swing it, go for the edition that also has the DVD of video clips from both portions of the album.] Perhaps we should have seen this coming – her 3 SPLASH EP, released last summer, was primarily guitar-oriented, save for the cut “ECSTASY”.

“UNIVERSE”’s opening cut, “Step Into My World”, doesn’t give much of a hint as to this direction, as it starts off the album much like her most recent LP’s, Black Cherry, Kingdom and Trick kicked off. After those potboiling three minutes, Kumi grabs herself a rock band and kicks into “Can We Go Back”. Between this, Black Cherry’s “Ningyao-hime” and Trick’s top-notch cover version of Shocking Blue’s “Venus”, Kuu-chin seems quite comfortable with Marshall-amped guitars behind her. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise, however – Kumi has always been a vocalist who doesn’t hesitate to slip into any musical arrangement that serves the song. Much of the first half of “UNIVERSE” is dominated by organic instrumentation, and her vocals float like butterflies over those arrangements.

Halfway through “UNIVERSE”, Kumi glides back into digital keyboard territory, but that is OK. Koda Kumi is a vocalist who has never been married or completely linked to one particular set of instrumentation, whereas someone like Gaga would probably seem out of place singing over anything not synthesized or without any AutoTune filtering on her voice.

Not counting the bonus live version of “Moon Crying” on some copies, Kumi closes out the album with “Alive”, yet another classic Kuu-chin ballad. Kumi always shines on her ballads (and someone at Avex must have thought as much to devote an entire compilation, BEST ~Bounce & Lovers~, to them a couple of years ago) and while that’s nothing new, it’s also always welcome, and you can’t ask for more than that.

5 out of 5 stars.

Before I reveal the top two albums of the year, I figured I’d throw in something different to prolong the agony of revealing those two top albums… by throwing up a second list, and a first for this blog (and its predecessor): A top singles list.

#10) MILDRED AND THE MICE “I Like My Mice (Dead)” (Third Man)
Officially supposed to be a socially awkward goth chick from a small town in Kentucky, but more rumored to be the wife of Jack White playing a rather eccentric character, with a few Raconeturs/Dead Weather members posing as Mildred’s “band”. Either way, this is demented two-chord garage punk that makes The Cramps look like the Carpenters.

#9) BIF NAKED “I Won’t Cry (Fuck You 2)” (Her Royal Majesty)
Bif’s big comeback single after her cancer-forced layoff… and boy, did she come back swinging! Never before did a standard 50’s doo-wop chord sequence sound so menacing.

#8) WE ARE THE FALLEN “Bury Me Alive” (self-released)
Mistake this for Evanescence, and you wouldn’t be far off, as three-fifths of this group were the creative hub of Ev. Throw in a more fuller-bodied-voice compared to Amy Lee (courtesy of American Idle alumni Carly Smithson), and you’ll wonder why The Open Door didn’t sound like this. The band had planned to slip out leaked tracks every month or so, but fate – and a contract with Universal Music – intervened. Now this is just a teaser for next spring’s LP.

#7) CARL SAGAN “A Glorious Dawn” (Third Man)
This song – comprising of AutoTuned monologues from the late scientist/TV personality’s Cosmos mini-series – started off as an experimental pro-science viral video with a free download available to those who wanted it. Then Jack White heard and saw the video, wanted to put it out on his own label, and the rest is history – just like the Voyager Golden Record whose design is reproduced on the back of the one-sided single.

#6) AYUMI HAMASAKI “Sunrise/Sunset ~Love Is All~” (Avex)
Two ways (uptempo and ballad) of saying the same thing, and both done very well.

#5) KODA KUMI “3 Splash” [EP] (Rhythm Zone/Avex)
Three sides of Kuu-chin in one handy single: Upbeat pop-rocker (“Lick me”), heavy techno in the vein of “Taboo” (“Ecstasy”), and a solid foray into funk-rock (“Hashire!”) – and all with PVs to go with it. Sold.

#4) MORNING MUSUME “Kimagure Princess” (Zetima)
The opening high-register vocals notwithstanding, after three rather emo singles a more upbeat number was the perfect track to close out both one of Morning Musume’s most triumphant years as well as Koharu Kusumi’s tenure in the band.

#3) AKB48 “Namida Surprise” (King)
In my opinion, the best of AKB48’s four single releases this year. It was definitely the most memorable, both for the title track and for the solo cut by Team K member Erena Ono, “First Kiss”.

#2) MORNING MUSUME “Shouganai Yume Oibito” (Zetima [Japan]/JapanFiles [US])
Referring to this particular period of Morning Musume’s singles as their “emo” period should not be interpreted as a putdown, because it isn’t. The fact that this single took Morning Musume back to the #1 spot on the singles chart in Japan shows that they were on the right track at the time; it’s definitely the standout of the three “emo” singles.

#1) BUONO! “My Boy” (Pony Canyon)
The guitar riffs in this song alone are insane – putting the sweet voices of Airi, Miyabi and Momoko makes it sound even more insane thanks to the seeming clash of elements, but it works, big time.

KODA KUMI
Trick
(Rhythm Zone/Avex)
Available on CD, CD/DVD and on iTunes Japan

This is the highest a Koda Kumi album has gotten on my year-end top ten (Black Cherry and Kingdom were both at #7 in 2007 and 2008 respectively) and for good reason. The preceding albums were great, but Kuu-chin stepped up her game this time around. The only bad thing about the album is that Avex missed a golden opportunity to use her collaboration with Fergie (“Ain’t It Cool”) and her killer remake of Shocking Blue’s “Venus” as a first step to break her in the States. The seven-week wait for her next studio album is going to be a long one.

KODA KUMI
Trick
(Rhythm Zone/Avex)
Available in CD and CD+2xDVD editions; iTunes Japan edition pending
Rating:

If it’s the beginning of the year, another new Koda Kumi studio album must have been released or is about to be. I love when this happens and always pre-order the most elaborate version I can get my hands on – usually whatever version has 2 DVDs in it (usually, one of PV’s and one of a live concert). Granted, the eyecandy is nice, but it’s what’s on the CD itself that I am most interested in. Last year, Kingdom had our Kuu-chin wearing a queen’s crown and sitting on a throne. This year, she’s rocking harlequin threads, matching makeup, and a Clockwork Orange hat. Not sure what’s up with that, but it’s an interesting look for the album cover.

After the album starts with what is by now the traditional overture on every Koda Kumi studio album, Trick gets into high gear right out of the starting gate with the techno groove of “TABOO”, probably my favorite out of all the singles she released last year.

“show girl” (yes, there are no capital letters in the title, just like on Minutemen album covers) follows, and while at first glance some people may be tempted to compare the song to Christina Aguilera’s recent big-band-influenced efforts, the song really owes more to Janet Jackson’s classic work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, especially in the song’s chorus.

The ballad “Your Love” follows at a very welcome place in the track sequence after the one-two punch of the previous cuts. The song’s arrangement is very heavy on electronic keyboards and multi-tracked Kuu-chin harmonies, with minimal bass parts coming in only in the chorus and bridge.

The album’s pre-release single, “stay with me” (another title with no capital letters involved) continues the ballad pacing, this time with a solo Kumi vocal and a beautiful string arrangement cushioning live piano and strings. The song itself could definitely be at home on pop or adult contemporary radio as well as Kuu-chin’s native urban/R&B format.

“This is not a love song” is not a cover of the Public Image Ltd. classic (although that would have been quite interesting and wouldn’t have been Kumi’s first foray into rock-influenced material – “Ningyo-hime” from Black Cherry, anyone?). Instead, it’s back into mid-tempo R&B/pop territory with British producer/remixer Pete “Boxsta” Martin (whose credits include Danni Minogue and Sugababes), all digital synths and multiple Koda harmonies. Not outstanding but a very solid album track.

“Driving” is appropriately named – another “TABOO”-esque uptempo tune not only bridging, but blurring the lines between R&B and techno.

“Bling Bling Bling” is the album’s weakest track, way too imitative of American hip-hop. Kumi’s rap vocals come off as an unconscious mockery of Fergie’s infamous “London Bridge” single. Her normal singing voice in the choruses saves the song, just barely.

And speaking of Fergie, the Koda Kumi/Fergie collaboration “That Ain’t Cool” follows. While I do have to admit that Fergie’s scenes in that black catsuit were way too freaky, my concern is the song itself, and the collaboration between the Kumi and Fergie works despite the fact that both vocalists’ ranges are so damn similar that they blend indistinguishably with each other, just like Bob Dylan’s and Tom Petty’s vocals did when they sang together on the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle with Care”.

“Hurry Up!” is propelled by a hyper guitar riff and matching drum beat reminiscent of, of all things, Ministry’s “Jesus Built My Hotrod”. The only thing missing is Gibby Hanes’ auctioneer-on-acid scat-singing (he’d probably be too busy staring at Kumi’s ass) and the image of Al Jourgensen almost falling off the end of his Marshall-amped pedal steel.

“Moon Crying”, last summer’s single (“That Ain’t Cool” was its double A-side) returns to a fitting ballad form for Kumi’s vocal talents – acoustic piano, strings, and drums. Sometimes I think Kumi is a really underrated singer, and I like it when she gets chances to show off her entire range (and to emote without falling into the trap of using ridiculous American Idle histrionics) like this one.

“Just The Way You Are” is NOT a cover of the Billy Joel standard, but finds Kuu-chin collaborating with yet another gaijin production/songwriting team, Canadians Matthew Gerrard and Greg Critchley. Gerrard worked with some Radio Disney puppets, which doesn’t impress me at all, but Critchley’s comments on his MySpace blog (“This song is fun, and was more of a “top-line” co-write for me…all part of my recent efforts to do the unfamiliar and go where I don’t usually go”) do. The song itself is again uptempo and Janet Jacksonish, driven by a catching string quartet riff.

“Joyful” is one of the standout album tracks, with Kumi getting a nice, multi-sectional pop/R&B song with varying guitar textures (almost folkish acoustic strums, funky rhythm parts, and some biting lead fills), string synths, and almost gospel-esque chorus harmonies sharing the stage with Kuu-chin’s vocals.

“Ai no Kotoba” is the last of the album’s ballads, giving Kumi some live guitar and bass to go along with the piano and strings this time around.

The album ends with a nice surprise in the form of a tough, solid cover version of Shocking Blue’s “Venus” that puts both the original recording and Bananarama’s lame 80’s remake to shame. Even nicer is the fact that Kumi has her English diction down to a T (compared to her cover version of “A Whole New World” on Best: Second Session), although early on a few fans (judging from the last.fm comments) thought Kuu-chin was singing “I’m your penis”. Um, no, guys… that’s definitely not what she’s singing. If Kumi was on an American record label they’d probably be exploiting the fuck out of this song right about now.

Trick is definitely a good way to start off J-Pop in 2009, and I think it’s already fast becoming my favorite Koda Kumi album. 4.75 out of 5 stars.

With our period of mourning for punk  guitar legend Ron Asheton concluded, we now resume where we left off with our end-of-year album list…

KODA KUMI
Kingdom
(Rhythm Zone/Avex Trax)
Available on CD, two different CD/DVD sets, and iTunes Japan

While her mouth might have gotten her in a bit of trouble not long after this album came out (it’s apparnently not nice to joke about the nature of mothers in Japan), what usually comes out of her mouth – great urban contemporary-influenced pop – still served her well even while she was forced out of action for a few months. Kingdom still topped the album charts in Japan and stayed there while Kuu-chin was incognito – no doubt thanks to the fact that the album is a solid package of modern R&B/pop that has everything post-TLC American urban music lacks – solid songs and vocals, with no monotonous sound structures, gimmicky lyrics or half-assed hooks to be found. Kuu-chin’s vocals are getting better with every succeeding album – and the next one  is coming out in a week or two, so feel free to play catchup with Kingdom if you haven’t already. 

(SIDE NOTE: Speaking of Rhythm Zone artists, when the fuck is Maki Goto’s first post-H!P record coming out?)