The Klassic Note Review 2024.04

I promised I will be back with another CD review after last month we are just on delay for a month just like how Japanese magazines are with their edition naming, but this is we are on a roll right now with these music reviews!! Ah hey, what can I say, I have not been generous but then again the good releases have been increasing, so screw you guys RyokuShaka and Creepy Nuts for not making it into the shelf (lol), and let's talk about some veteran who really deserves some mentioning about like, years since the last time I did this for her! It's such a wild turn, I'm pretty sure I was still rejecting her songs a month ago haha

音楽 The Klassic Note Review

miwa - Soredemo Tada [Single]

Limited Edition

Regular Edition

(Eh, no images of her on the cover but rather adequate as you will listen from the music this time around, I suppose)

Origin: You and I should not be unfamiliar with miwa, the singer-songwriter who made waves a decade ago, as a rising new star. So many years later and I dare myself to say this, that she is still most impressive among all the other active artists I know who have had such a long run, did not even keep up with the times and/or I just lost touch with them. Not for her though, she has been great even these past few years. The new single came in as a mention for a drama theme song, an emotional tune, but it quickly made waves due to both the popularity of the credit and the artist herself, which I must say did catch my attention even more as I gave this the formal review. Maybe we talk about what is in this that got me.

(1) Soredemo Tada [Still, Just(...)]

From last chorus:

Still, just being so loved

Just being so loved

Even for a second longer (I) want to laugh together

Still, just (wanting) to convey

Just (wanting) to convey

Those feelings are no long enough to express

Ah (those) thoughts are overflowing

The title clearly references an incomplete sentence, but you won't have too far to look if you listen. If I am not wrong, the drama references a lot about love, in passion and in cooking, and I don't think the lyrics were that far off. Jointly presented by a music composer and miwa-san herself, this song is an emotional tune to make sure the drama is a tearjerker. The melody is rather simple and I would argue a very short chorus till date until you get to the end where the focus would be on, and I really appreciate a simple melody, is what this is all about. Emotional is still an underestimate of what this aims to portray, as the lyrics talk about being together, the unexplainable feelings that just can't be expressed... that just is love, isn't it?

Rating: Lovingly Average

(2) Mahalo [Thank You]

From first chorus (from Hawaiian, where applicable):

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Blooming smiles (all over), (biding) goodbye

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Everybody let's all flee together

Accompanying an emotional song comes in a light-hearted and happy song, no surprises there. What is surprising is how this all came around, as I did not prefer the Hawaiian-themed melody and music production here. Nonetheless, I did give it a second chance, and I think light-hearted is the easiest description I can give for what is the carefree miwa-san and her mind when she wrote this song. There isn't much to look at in the lyrics apart from her describing the weather and things to do there in the tropical island far away, and it really feels more tribal and celebratory of a song than just a happy song, in my opinion. Maybe adding in her cute singing did help in making this a joy to listen.

Rating: Joyfully Average

Conclusion: This is a very average, off the mill single. And I think that is a good thing. For starters, the melodies are simple even to the point of plain, yet powerful in itself. Going through this again formally, I have never doubted on how great an overall package this sounds, and I think that is what's important these days. Cut the flair, and bring in the emotions like we wanted, even in the change of era and time. With this, I present to you possibly one of the most emotive singles for the year.

- Aozaki Shouhei, on the Klassic Note

THE PACKAGE

Well, there really isn't much going on with this release, package wise. I assume with miwa's own handwriting (and drawings?) she should have done us a wonder by showing how childish she is (lmao), but of course, I did choose the special gift that came with it. Instead of going for the free (local) shipping option through Amazon Japan which will give us another one of these coveted covers (haha), I ended up going for minimal local shipping through TOWER RECORDS which, like CDJapan which I did think of doing international shipping only to realize it'll burn through my money like water, will feature a postcard with a live photo of miwa-san. *silence* Well, as you can see, I might have missed it, and yeah, this online store here won't inform us if they ran out of stock for those. Welp, I can't get anything, I guess. Not even the handwritten lyrics by miwa-san in the booklet, by the way; The title text you see on the cover and in the booklet are entirely different, as the character "so" was written differently. Haha why though

I don't want to mark out this embarrassment lol, but notice the first character on the large title, and first track. Both are accurate, latter is a more commonly written format.
The former text is credited to miwa-san, by the way.

HELL YEAH LET'S GO FREE STUFF IF YOU APPLY BY END OF MARCH-
(lol)

This shall be it for today! Depending on where I proceed tomorrow morning as a reminder it's a Friday and I'm still on work leave and I'm going to see the doctor again lmao, we will continue with the actual birthday gift for the year, for me. *giggles* Oh no of course it's not Ogura Yui she is not young enough. *laughs* I will see you there if you like cute girls. Mahalo~

P.S.

I did buy a fancy CD player to showcase my music releases so might as well!!
Nice. *thumbs up*