Anyway. I do have a point I’d like to get to, and that’s a rant about a musician who’s near and dear to my heart. Or more specifically, her cover art.

I speak, of course, about Ayumi Hamasaki. One look at the cover for her most recent single, Sunrise/Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~, should tell you everything you need to know. It’s very pathetically Photoshopped and she looks ridiculous. For Ayu, or at least her cover art, this is a new low.

But it’s one I definitely expected. I haven’t liked any of Ayu’s covers for a long time now, and each one is just another disappointment. The last one I actually liked was talkin’ 2 myself, which came out in September 2007. Since then, it’s been a string of one terrible cover after another.

Case 1: GUILTY

The CD/DVD cover isn’t terribly unique, but I like the colors and the font. But what the hell is up with her nails? Is she trying to poke her eyes out? I don’t even want to talk about how absurd she looks on the CD version. Just… no.

Case 2: Mirrorcle World and Days/GREEN

When the Mirrorcle World single came out, I thought it was something simple, nice, and new. And I liked the colors. But when Days/GREEN came out, it just killed it for me. The concept worked fine for one single, but twice it just looked awful. There’s also the fact that I hate “Days” with a vengeance, but even without that I just can’t stand it.

Case 3: A COMPLETE

As a collection of all of her singles to date, she could have gone for something that represented her as an artist, like her A symbol. Instead she has a boring picture with little variation between versions. Yawn.

Case 4: Rule/Sparkle

Just look at it. Seriously, what the hell? The colors clash, the outfit is bizarre, and what is up with her hair? And that pose? WTF?!

NEXT LEVEL

The colors and disco concept, I love. But it came out incredibly wrong, from her clothes to her hair to the background. Just… ugh!

And that brings us to Sunrise/Sunset, which I don’t even need to explain.

Well, maybe I’ll like her next cover. Then again, I’ve been saying that for two years now…

Oh, the actual single? Sunrise/Sunset is yet another one of Ayu’s summer singles. Following in the steps of NEXT LEVEL, "Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~" isn’t the usual pop but more dance/techno, and I like it. "Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~" is the same song in ballad form, which in comparison is rather boring but could be worse.

My reaction, though, was more along the lines of “bring it on!” To be honest, Gackt has been spoiling us in the past nine months or so with all he’s been releasing, and after how little there was in 2007 and 2008 I’m thrilled to have new Gackt to put on repeat. (Even if he is sucking every last bit of my money away.) I would have preferred an album, it’s true, but at least we get the songs.

The first single, Koakuma Heaven, came out this past week. Its cover alone is fairly controversial, because yes, that is Gackt dressed as a woman. The song, too, is from a woman’s point of view — and it’s not just any woman, it’s about a hooker. Which means that as cheery as it sounds, it is a trashy song. Well, leave it to Gackt to go out there and make me say WTF. (For the curious, you can check out the lyrics.)

As far as the actual song goes, it’s really too dance-y for me. It’s Gackt, so I can enjoy it (and I think repeated listens are making it grow on me), but it’s not the kind of song I generally go for. It’s not bad, per se, and I imagine people who like this kind of music will enjoy it, but it doesn’t really do it for me.

The B-Side, however, completely makes up for this. “My Father’s Day” is a straightforward rock track, exactly my favorite kind of Gackt song, and I quite enjoy it. The song is dedicated to Ogata Ken, an older actor he met and grew close to when he was working on Furin Kazan, who passed away last year. The lyrics are really touching, but it’s hearing Gackt cry out “Good-bye Dad” that’s heartbreaking. It’s definitely one of his better songs, and I expect to be listening to it on repeat for quite a while to come.

(Please view the post to listen)
Though I could pass on “Koakuma Heaven“, “My Father’s Day” has me sure that the next few weeks will be great, and I’m excited to hear the new singles.

By the middle of the first song, I was positive that this was an album I was going to love for years to come. As much pop and classical music I listen to, I am foremost a rock fan, and ONE OK ROCK’s sound appealed to me immediately. I wasn’t as instantly sold on the vocalist, but after a couple of songs I found myself liking his voice more and more, and knew I was going to have to hear more of this band.

And then I realized why the band sounded familiar. I’d just read an article the other day about its guitarist, Alex, getting arrested for groping someone, which has resulted in their next single’s delay and the guitarist’s career up in the air.

To which I say: well, damn! Did it have to be right when I got into them?

Despite that, though, I am thoroughly enjoying ONE OK ROCK, and my thoughts on their albums are behind the jump.

Kanjou Effect is, in a word, brilliant. “Koi no Aibou Kokoro no Cupid” grabs your attention right from the start, and the first few tracks continue that energy. “Living Dolls” slows it down and features some English lyrics, as do several other songs on the album. A few of them — especially “My sweet baby” — bring American bands like the Backstreet Boys to mind, which is a bit… unexpected, but not bad, because the music is still terrific. The strongest track in my opinion would be “Break My Strings,” though the others are all just as great.

(Please view the post to listen)

My one and only gripe with the album is the last track, “JUST.” There’s nothing wrong with the song itself, but there’s a hidden track at the end of it. The pause between the two songs is far too long, and I’m too impatient to sit in silence for that long, so I find myself skipping ahead. Still, if that’s the only issue I have with it, it’s clearly a fantastic album, and I do expect to enjoy it for quite some time to come.

BEAM OF LIGHT, their second album, should really be called a mini-album, as there are only eight tracks (including an interlude) and the total time is under half an hour. Nevertheless, it would serve as a great introduction to the band, particularly “100%(hundred percent).”

Their first album Zeitakubyou is honestly just as good as Kanjou Effect. The songs flow together well, though a little variation would probably help it — it’s pretty much all rock songs. Not that I’m complaning, but it does get a little difficult to tell them apart. The exception to this is “Yume Yume“, which was their second single. It made me sit up and listen immediately, and I think it’s probably my favorite song by the band.

(Please view the post to listen)

In fact, all three of the band’s singles appear on this album, and they’re all great in different ways. “Yume Yume” is captivating, at least to me, while “Et cetera” is (relatively) slower and “Naihi Shinsho” is a fairly typical song for the band — typical in that a lot of their songs are like it, which is a compliment because it’s a great song. And I have no complaints about their other mini-albums, Keep it real and ONE OK ROCK, which are both great.

In short, this is a band I’m going to keep a look out for… so long as they weather their current scandal.