Monday 4 March 2013

Arashi - Calling/Breathless Review [single]

So the latest Arashi single, Calling/Breathless was leaked online this weekend, it is a double A-side therefore the two song titles, and I actually haven't listened to it yet so this review will very honestly be my first impression of the single. I've already heard Breathless and Calling of course thanks to Music Station though so it really will only be the two other b-sides that I'll be talking about.



Calling - This sounds like a KAT-TUN song. I have nothing wrong with KAT-TUN, they've just never been my style but I like this song. Not as much as Breathless. It's a bit ironic though because I can remember this song better than Breathless. Watching the M-Sta performance of this song made me enjoy a whole lot more than just watching the short PV. Overall I like the song, I think it's cool. I like the part where they go "Garasu no you ni" and then Jun whispers "My world" - although the part where Jun whispers just makes me laugh because... I don't know why. I just thought it was really creepy in the M-Sta performance. But yeah, that's probably my favourite part, including the lead-up to the chorus which I really like. And the ending instrumental which does sound very much like a theme song.

Breathless - I think you can already pretty much tell that I love this song so much. So, so, so much. I love the quiet opening and then the lead in to the vocals where they start going "oh, oh, oh" and the sound of the base just beating so loudly in the background. I could gush about this song forever honestly. All I can say, beyond this, is that this song just totally overpowers Calling.

オーライ!! - Just like Calling reminds me of a KAT-TUN song, this song makes me think of Kanjani 8 which is kind of weird because I don't listen to any Kanjani 8 song at all but this song is just so jumpy and the way they keep repeat "All right" etc. just ... makes me think K8? It's ... interesting. I have to be in the mood for it - if not it's a bit too high energy for me. I can see it being a very fun song during concerts though.

Full of Love - This song sounds nice. I like the way they say "Kaze ni nare". The transition from Calling -> Breathless -> All right -> this song, is a bit odd though. Jarring almost. But I like this song, it's very pretty sounding and relaxing to the ears. I guess it's a good slow-down from the heavy, fast-paced songs that make up the rest of the single. I want them to sing this in concert. Sitting on chairs. Like they did in 2008, Kokuritsu for Subarashiki Sekai with a very nice background of stars etc. etc. It's really just... so pretty sounding. Honestly the longer I listen to this song the more I feel myself falling in love with. <3...

Random ramble to close this off but I've realized something interesting (for me anyway). Is it just me or do Arashi songs lately have this... "mature" sound to them? Or maybe their vocals have stabalized but lately I've been noticing a difference between their sound/singing now (for all their songs, up-beat, ballad, etc.) and their songs from pre-2008. Despite their songs still being up-beat and crazy, or softer there is a very distinct sound to it that makes me feel as if they've gotten older.Like Actually I think they might be singing at lower octaves nowadays - that might be it. Deeper sound = more mature? What do I know though, I don't know anything about music.

Anyway - mindless ramblings. Overall I'm happy with this single. Ever since the blandness of 2009/2010 they've just been getting better and better with their singles starting from Lotus and this fits right in :)

Oh. I'm not going to talk about the PV's because I don't really have much to say on them. Calling is kinda boring and makes me feel a bit high with all the colours and Breathless is cool and dark and sexy but yeah, PV's are never really my thing.

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