Let’s get it straight, I am still alive. Sorry for not updating, been kinda busy lately….

Another album review today.

Soulja - Spirits X’tended

Is Soulja’s newest album, released June 18th. 

The first song from Soulja I heard is ‘Koko ni iru yo’, sang together with Thelma Aoyama. Shortly after, I heard a song from Thelma Aoyama, ‘Soba ni iru ne’, which is very similar with the first one. the difference lies in the lyrics. In ‘Koko ni iru yo’, we heard more rap by Soulja, while in ‘Soba ni iru ne’, Thelma’s singing is much more dominant. The second song is pretty much answering the first. Combined with their beautiful lyrics, they have become my all-time favorite, together with L’arc~en~ciel’s "Driver’s High".

And whaddya know, this album still have them. Here’s the track list:

   1. Koko ni Iru yo feat.Aoyama Thelma (ここにいるよ; I’m Here)
   2. Soba ni Iru ne (そばにいるね; I’m By Your Side) (SoulJa x YUKIE)
   3. a song for you
   4. CASSIS
   5. ID
   6. Sotsugyo (Indies Version)
   7. LIBERTANGO (Pierrot)
   8. rain
   9. DOGG POUND
  10. Lotus
  11. First Contact (Indies Version)
  12. Epilogue -happy-

Nope, I’m not going to be sick of those two songs, but do you notice something strange? Yes, in this album, ‘Soba ni iru ne’ wasn’t sang by Thelma Aoyama. Instead, Yukie performed it together with Soulja. And let me tell you, this song pretty much answers Thelma’s ‘Soba ni iru ne’. Soulja’s rap is more frequent in this version, though Yukie’s singing is still dominant. The beat of this song is a bit  (no pun intended) faster than Thelma’s, with a little jazz touch, making it more enjoyable.

Before I forget, let’s talk about the next tracks.

‘A song for you’ is a slow song, with a rhythm  that might make you sleep, but then again, it is very pleasant to listen. It somehow gives me a ‘mountain’ atmosphere. I don’t understand it myself, don’t ask me.

I expected ‘Cassis’ to be like the GazettE’s song, which is slow and calm. instead, it is a bit… naughty. Somehow reminds me of ken hirai’s ‘Kimi wa Su.te.ki’. Heck, it’s good, no complaint.

 Since I’m a bit too lazy to write individual review about each song, Let me sum it up in this paragraph. The rest of the songs varies between slow beat ballad and fast R&B. None of them are bad, really.

To be honest, I’ll give a recommendation for this album just based on the first two tracks. But since there are also quite an amount of pleasant surprise, I hereby command you all to get it.

 And, if you don’t have it yet, let me also recommend:

 

 Thelma Aoyama - Diary

This album contains the original ‘Soba ni iru ne’, if you are curious about it.