We can't get Heavenly without it being February, so let's take a butcher's1 at Tommy's second solo pop album.
This album should hopefully be an improvement on the last one, right? Right?
TRACK #01 - AttenTion pLEasE
This is the introduction track to the album. It has a call-back to the intro of the first album with the cheerleading.
TRACK #02 - je t'aime ★ je t'aime
This track contains shades of Pet Shop Boys, specifically "It's A Sin". This first song really brings home the reminder of just how good the first album is, as this sounds like it could have easily been written for it but originally didn't make the cut.
The chorus is really great. It is melancholic and reflective, something we will notice a lot of on this album as it carries on. This is absolutely not an album to listen to if you're having a sad time. So why am I reviewing it while I'm having a sad time?
Ends on a fade out, which tragically damages the song for me. Of course, fade outs are poison.
TRACK #03 - sEpia memory
This song is excellent. No, really. It has a reflective and odd feel, and really sucks me in with its rich synthesizer sound. There is no fade out, either, so that's good. With this dark, foreboding sound, if you stripped out the synth for guitar, you'd have a Heavenly6 song.
TRACK #04 - ふたりのシーサイド (Futari no Sea Side)
This song transcends just about everything else I have ever heard, ever. Horridly sad and melancholic, this song about a lost loved one makes me tear up every time I hear it. It is both uplifting and damning, simultaneously making me feel joy yet also everlasting sadness.
Such a polarizing set of emotions and feels; that's why I use it as the theme to SushiBites - so every time I hear it, I'm filled with a modicum of hope, even if only for a fleeting, dying moment.
TRACK #05 - CAndY EyEs doLLS ∵
This song starts out nice enough, but the chorus isn't all that. The instrumental backing would probably make good level music in some cutesy mascot platformer, but the song itself is just kind of lacking really. That doesn't mean it is terrible, just nowhere near as memorable as Futari no Sea Side, or Kiss One More Time from the previous album.
A weak song besides the chorus. The ending is sweet, I like how the voice is sampled and repeated leading into the "Hey Bad Boy" and the sound of smashing glass.
TRACK #06 - ChOOSe mE or Die
A mellow laidback song until the spoken section. A song that feels held back somewhat by a lack of genuine listening incentive. The final chorus is pleasant but doesn't save the song for me. However, being told by Tommy that I must pick her or die, well, I was going to pick her anyway... that wouldn't be a problem realistically.
TRACK #07 - daNCin' bABY
Funky, hip and could be in the Top 100 Billboard charts. A good ten years ahead of current music, but it could well be current music. This particular song really benefits from its unique sound, unlike that of any other song on the album. It ends well, with a call-back to Tomi Feburutte No Makaron with the repeated "yes" sound effect.
TRACK #08 - SwEEt dREAM
This is another sad, echoic song that creates awkward emotions for me. The chorus is very much the opposite, the pat on the back and the "it's going to be ok". SwEEt dREAM is a chilling song that is memorable for its darker moments and clever use of reverse cymbals during the bridge.
TRACK #09 - ThE RoSe fraGranCe
This song sounds a lot like Track 7 at the beginning, so that's a bit lazy. This song doesn't really register anything from me, not even a toe-tapping or a head-bopping. It could be a grower, but I don't feel the motivation to give it multiple listens. It does have a nice disco edge, though.
TRACK #10 - MaGic in youR Eyes
This is a promising start with chimes, trumpets and a generally positive tune. The verse sounds a lot like the Four Season's "Let's Hold On". I smirk at the "Shopping Bag-gu" because I'm an ass. The verses and choruses are just the right length and really hit the mark musically. The organ solo is gorgeous, and the trumpet outro does the song justice... Shame about the fadeout.
TRACK #11 - I still love you boy
This is the token ballad, yet another really dark and upsetting sounding song. It is attempting to uplift but fails. The major theme of this album, it seems.
The chorus is really beautiful and easily the best sung part of the album. Some emotions were felt. Some of those emotions were positive, some not so much. The song ends pleasantly.
TRACK #12 - Love is forever
Starts with the drums used to open the album, providing closure. This song is a slow, bittersweet sounding finale track with a chillingly cute chorus and a really reflective vibe. A very interesting voiced breakdown goes into an immensely breathtaking synthesizer solo with two part harmonies. A fantastic happy and shining close to the album, or it would be if the ending wasn't so uneventful.
1 One'a them Briticisms...