[Album Review] I've Best Compilations

I've Sound released two best compilations this June 29, 2012. G.C. Best I've GIRL'S COMPILATION BEST contained 25 songs picked from 117 songs released on the past seven I've Girls compilations. Omaira BEST SHORT CIRCUIT BEST CD contained 13 songs picked from the 41 songs released on the past three Short Circuit CDs. Both compilations featured a new song each. Were these compilations worthy of being called the best?  

Blaze a trail

Lyrics and Vocals: Kawada Mami

Composition: Kazuya Takase

Arrangement: Tomoyuki Nakazawa, Takeshi Ozaki, Kazuya Takase

Blaze a trail involved the same line up of I've producers for the arrangement as the song Borderland. The trio did great with Borderland, but did they achieve the same brilliance with this song?

Definitely, yes. It may not be so surprising that the song for a single sounded better than the song for a mere best compilation CD, however, it was good that the producers managed to spark up some more creativity and continue on the winning streak with Blaze a trail.

The song kicks off with rocking beats and guitar riffs analogous to Borderland. The hype and energy for a rock song was there. No doubt about that. However, looking at the song piece by piece, there are a couple of mistakes. The verses and harmony were messy, and all over the place. It seems as if the tune is constantly changing throughout the song; that it changes even before the listener is able to grasp it. This makes the song less appreciable and less capable of keeping one's attention. Apart from that, the chorus could have been more climactic and striking.

All these downfall are to be blamed on no one else but Takase, with his signature anticlimactic chorus and messy arrangement. Recently, his works with Mami were nothing but mediocre (i.e. Angel // resident of the nightmare).

The good thing, though, with Blaze a trail is how the song turned out with intervention from Nakazawa and Ozaki. As a whole, the song sounded cool and great, and even able to compete with the 'best I've songs' in the compilation CD. Also, it seems Takase's messy arrangement worked out in the end to give the song a bit of a rough edge. Finally, I've is giving Mami Kawada more songs leaning toward rock, and not just purely trance and techno.

The vocals did very well too. As if to conform with the song, Mami's vocals in Blaze a trail have that fire, that punch, that bit of edginess too. A vocal style that suits her vocal quality, and is churned out in this era of her career. A great improvement indeed compared to when she was just starting out singing ballads.

It was nice to hear more rock songs from Mami that demand another side of her. Her ballads and pop songs have always been emotional or cheerful, but Blaze a trail is one of those songs that shows off her edgy side.

On the whole, every element of the song blended well. It may not have that signature tune or verse like that of, let's say, No buts! but, nevertheless, it was a great song. Blaze a trail is a show off of Mami's vocal improvement and a proof somehow that 'two heads are better than one'.

Rating: 7.8/10

At first glance, the album tracklist looks pretty much okay. The past I've artists MOMO, SHIHO, Miki, and even Lia got represented. The appearance of Airi Kirishima's debut song two HeaRt was also a nice treat. MELL got two songs, Eiko got one, Kaori got about two songs, and Mami with three.

However, the number of KOTOKO songs on the compilation is just too damn high! Too many that it seems she's the only one getting all the good songs, which actually was the case with her earlier career. But, it could have been better if the tracks were more even out with all the I've artists who also did have great songs. This is an I've best compilation not a KOTOKO best compilation, my goodness.

We can't fret too much about this tracklist since it was the product of a poll. A poll can be both a good thing and a bad thing. On the positive side, it reflects what songs were the popular ones and appealed to the public and it saves I've Sound the time to think about which songs to choose. On the negative side, I've has utterly no control of which songs will be chosen (this one may well be a positive thing too, for all we know).

And the result of this poll gave way to a lack in variety. A couple of those KOTOKO songs should be taken out (like HALLUCINO and oblivion, perhaps) and be replaced by Healing Leaf's Ame ni Utau Tanshi Kyoku or MELL's LAST IN BLUE. Eiko Shimamiya's Around the mind could be replaced by verge or Automaton. Mami's For our days or dilemma also deserved to be called one of the best I've songs. It would be nice too if AKI or MAKO got represented in the compilation.

In general, the tracklist was a disappointment. Too KOTOKO-centric, not much variety, but it has a nice mix of present and past songs. The poll was probably I've Sound's way to save itself from getting blamed for a tracklist such as this.

Sig-naL ~0-ji-sugi no Space soldier~ 

Lyrics: Kirishima Airi
Composition: C.G mix
Arrangement: C.G mix and Ozaki Takeshi
Vocals: Pixy Lab. <new two-member unit>

And we have a denpa C.G mix song sang by a new, mysterious duet. With essentially three of the famed I've utahimes out of the picture, there is indeed a need for new additions to the I've circle, may it be one of the three Larval Stage Planning vocalists or an outsider for Pixy Lab.

As for the debut song of Pixy Lab., Sig-naL is a pretty bad one. The song arrangement and composition is lame, boring, almost monotonal, repetitive. Utterly horrendous. The song does not seem to fit in this compilation CD with its hybrid mix of dark techno and a denpa theme.

Sig-naL is not much like a denpa song with the signature cheerful vibe stripped off from it, and that it lies somewhere between pop and denpa. A hint of a heavy and dark trance-y aura is apparent because of Ozaki, but it seems such hybrid combination did not work out. On top of that, the song hugely lacks energy and punch, or even a single defining and memorable moment.

A failing song production could have been saved by the vocals. There was hope. But as soon as Pixy Lab. started singing, that very hope was extinguished in an instant. The vocals were not suited to the song, sounding too robotic and autotuned, which was done as if to conceal the identity of the vocalists more.

The vocals lack the energy, just like the song itself. Bland, boring, half-baked, and hardly hold the listener's attention.

Overall, Sig-naL is one big crap of a song that doesn't deserve to be listened to at all. If I've plans to make more songs for Pixy Lab. in the future, the duo should get a better song composition, and more importantly, they should improve their vocal quality. If not, I've should just shun away this duo for good because with this kind of song, they are sure to bring the group down to the deepest pits of hell.

Rating: 1.3/10

The tracklist for SHORT CIRCUIT BEST was better than that of G.C BEST. Kind of expected, yes, but could have been better if Kaori's Love is money?! or KOTOKO's Yumemiboshi★boom! boom! made it to the compilation and replace Nee, ... Shiyou yo! or Maple Syrup, perhaps. The other songs pretty much deserved their spots.

With 13 years in the eroge themes industry, it was probably more or less the right time to release such a thing as best compilation CDs. I've Sound may have been paralyzed, not able to release anything (singles/albums) for its artists (except Mami) since they have been leaving the group one after the other, so it was good to see I've releasing something even if its just a mere compilation. Thumbs up for that!