16 June 2013

Minami Kuribayashi - ZERO!!


Hataraku Maou-sama OP


Tracklist:

1. ZERO!!
2. Suki ja Nakattara...
3. ZERO!! (off vocal)
4. Suki ja Nakattara... (off vocal)

1. ZERO!!

Retro-styled synths and a relaxing atmosphere open Minami's new single, expanding into some English chants followed by a relatively uneventful verse. As expected from an anime such as Maou-sama, this is an enjoyable and optimistic pop-rock track consisted mostly of lightly used guitars and an electronic beat. While  the main action is in the chorus, Minami's vocals aren't quite as spectacular, as they are somewhat thin, and without distinct power and colour on its own, besides the sugary pitch. The artistic and original aspects of the song are banal, but you'll still be able to squeeze a few fun listens from it.
Rating: 7

2. Suki ja Nakattara...

Everyone could of predicted the B-side would be a ballad, especially since it's an anisong single in question. Mid-tempo bells and harps make an introduction, setting way for a progressive piano and recurring synths, which gain tempo and drum power as the song goes on. Being not as generic as I thought initially, Minami's voice is much better in this niche of music, with a deeper tonality and an enhanced expression. Summing up are the rich instrumentals, saving the song from falling in many possible cliches.
Rating: 7

I hope I won't get much hate for this, but I must say that Minami Kuribayashi is quite an average artist, with no defining style or vocal of her own. Expectations weren't particularly high from the start, so ZERO!! is still a nice addition to her discography. My overall rating is: 7.

The comment box doesn't bite; be careful when feeding it, though.

11 comments:

  1. What did you mean by light guitars? They weren't mixed as loud as a rock track, but I thought they were down-tuned and heavier than most anison, and had a more complex rhythm. Combined with the synths and chants it made a well above average track for me. On the other hand, her voice is thin on the higher notes, as you said.

    But then again it would be odd if we agreed on everything ^_^

    But I do agree that Minami Kuribayashi is quite average. I've got to say, TIGHT KNOT was one of the more boring best-ofs I've heard. After listening to it, my hopes for good songs from Minami plummeted quicker than the contents of Ashiya's stomach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps I expressed myself wrong; the guitars actually were present, but they were so well-hidden that their effect was negligible.

      Oh, and TIGHT KNOT isn't a best-of compilation, no matter what Hikari no Akari or other sites say. It's a real album, and it only contains several previous singles and completely new songs.

      Delete
  2. I also agree that Minami is quite an average artist... To be honest, her vocals are too thin in general for my liking... Isn't she Maon's favorite anisong singer? :L

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...She is?
      1. Where did you find out? ∑(O_O;)
      2. Maon-sama either has bad taste in music, or she is flattering Minami to get a leg up in the industry. Preferably the latter.

      Delete
    2. Yup, I found out here: http://www.afachan.asia/2013/01/anisong-superstar-from-the-vanishing-point-maon-kurosaki-%E9%BB%92%E5%B4%8E%E7%9C%9F%E9%9F%B3/

      Haha, Minami's been at this since 2002, and she needs a leg up from Maon? Well, okay then! :p

      Delete
    3. Have you seen her live? I guess if the record is 100% then her live is probably 95%, that is how good she is. She has some pretty good songs too I guess, I personally find Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line and Meiya Kadenrou very enjoyable.

      Found your blog through the Anisong Tournament page :) Hi!

      Delete
    4. Hello there (≧∇≦)/
      Well, I haven't delved too much into her older discography, so I'll be sure to check out those songs live. Then again, there are also artists who are 100% on record, while being 120% live

      Delete
    5. BD/ DVD releases and stuff are usually post-processed so kinda hard to tell? Then again probably hard to see her live if you don't live in Japan (if you are then lucky you!).

      I do prefer her older songs (stuff from Muv-Luv and KGNE). Her recent songs are probably average (I think only Straight Jet and signs ~Saku Tsukiichi Yoru~ are good) but generally she has been quite consistent :)

      Delete
    6. True 4 Eyes~Chase of Tactical Surface Fighter Remix Ver. (yeah longass title) is pretty good.

      Delete
  3. Yup, you should definitely give her a chance! Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line is glorious =3
    I have a love and hate relation with Minami, it can takes two years sometimes before she releases a good song...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Precisely! I may like some of her songs, but she as a whole artist is pretty inconsistent, which makes it a bit hard to like all the time.

      Delete

16 June 2013

Minami Kuribayashi - ZERO!!


Hataraku Maou-sama OP


Tracklist:

1. ZERO!!
2. Suki ja Nakattara...
3. ZERO!! (off vocal)
4. Suki ja Nakattara... (off vocal)

1. ZERO!!

Retro-styled synths and a relaxing atmosphere open Minami's new single, expanding into some English chants followed by a relatively uneventful verse. As expected from an anime such as Maou-sama, this is an enjoyable and optimistic pop-rock track consisted mostly of lightly used guitars and an electronic beat. While  the main action is in the chorus, Minami's vocals aren't quite as spectacular, as they are somewhat thin, and without distinct power and colour on its own, besides the sugary pitch. The artistic and original aspects of the song are banal, but you'll still be able to squeeze a few fun listens from it.
Rating: 7

2. Suki ja Nakattara...

Everyone could of predicted the B-side would be a ballad, especially since it's an anisong single in question. Mid-tempo bells and harps make an introduction, setting way for a progressive piano and recurring synths, which gain tempo and drum power as the song goes on. Being not as generic as I thought initially, Minami's voice is much better in this niche of music, with a deeper tonality and an enhanced expression. Summing up are the rich instrumentals, saving the song from falling in many possible cliches.
Rating: 7

I hope I won't get much hate for this, but I must say that Minami Kuribayashi is quite an average artist, with no defining style or vocal of her own. Expectations weren't particularly high from the start, so ZERO!! is still a nice addition to her discography. My overall rating is: 7.

The comment box doesn't bite; be careful when feeding it, though.

11 comments:

  1. What did you mean by light guitars? They weren't mixed as loud as a rock track, but I thought they were down-tuned and heavier than most anison, and had a more complex rhythm. Combined with the synths and chants it made a well above average track for me. On the other hand, her voice is thin on the higher notes, as you said.

    But then again it would be odd if we agreed on everything ^_^

    But I do agree that Minami Kuribayashi is quite average. I've got to say, TIGHT KNOT was one of the more boring best-ofs I've heard. After listening to it, my hopes for good songs from Minami plummeted quicker than the contents of Ashiya's stomach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps I expressed myself wrong; the guitars actually were present, but they were so well-hidden that their effect was negligible.

      Oh, and TIGHT KNOT isn't a best-of compilation, no matter what Hikari no Akari or other sites say. It's a real album, and it only contains several previous singles and completely new songs.

      Delete
  2. I also agree that Minami is quite an average artist... To be honest, her vocals are too thin in general for my liking... Isn't she Maon's favorite anisong singer? :L

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...She is?
      1. Where did you find out? ∑(O_O;)
      2. Maon-sama either has bad taste in music, or she is flattering Minami to get a leg up in the industry. Preferably the latter.

      Delete
    2. Yup, I found out here: http://www.afachan.asia/2013/01/anisong-superstar-from-the-vanishing-point-maon-kurosaki-%E9%BB%92%E5%B4%8E%E7%9C%9F%E9%9F%B3/

      Haha, Minami's been at this since 2002, and she needs a leg up from Maon? Well, okay then! :p

      Delete
    3. Have you seen her live? I guess if the record is 100% then her live is probably 95%, that is how good she is. She has some pretty good songs too I guess, I personally find Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line and Meiya Kadenrou very enjoyable.

      Found your blog through the Anisong Tournament page :) Hi!

      Delete
    4. Hello there (≧∇≦)/
      Well, I haven't delved too much into her older discography, so I'll be sure to check out those songs live. Then again, there are also artists who are 100% on record, while being 120% live

      Delete
    5. BD/ DVD releases and stuff are usually post-processed so kinda hard to tell? Then again probably hard to see her live if you don't live in Japan (if you are then lucky you!).

      I do prefer her older songs (stuff from Muv-Luv and KGNE). Her recent songs are probably average (I think only Straight Jet and signs ~Saku Tsukiichi Yoru~ are good) but generally she has been quite consistent :)

      Delete
    6. True 4 Eyes~Chase of Tactical Surface Fighter Remix Ver. (yeah longass title) is pretty good.

      Delete
  3. Yup, you should definitely give her a chance! Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line is glorious =3
    I have a love and hate relation with Minami, it can takes two years sometimes before she releases a good song...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Precisely! I may like some of her songs, but she as a whole artist is pretty inconsistent, which makes it a bit hard to like all the time.

      Delete