ayaka - First Message

A relatively new artist to the Japanese pop scene, ayaka made her debut in February of this year with the mega-hit, I believe. This song, and as well as fourteen others, are featured on her first full-length album which is currently topping the Oricon charts.

First Message kicks things off with a hint of disco and funk from the very first track. Start to 0 (Love) is a fun and downright groovy tune that will inspire the listener to get up off their feet and move. For those unfamiliar with her sound previously, it will come as some surprise that ayaka's voice has just a hint of roughness and unexpected soul to it, sounding occasionally like she should be the vocalist of a rock band instead of being involved in the pop scene. This subtle touch helps make this first track and many of the following a real pleasure to listen to and one can only hope that she doesn't lose this uniqueness as she continues to create music.

Piano and acoustic guitar feature strongly on this album, lending some tracks an almost bluesy feel, such as the marvelous Sha la la and Toki wo Modoshite. The latter has a hint of keyboards and saxophones backing up ayaka's soulful vocals, making one think that it wouldn't be too out of place being performed in a smoky little club somewhere. Others, such as the smile-inducing Rairarai and Stay with Me harkens back to the initial impression brought up by Start to 0 (Love) and will make most listeners want to clap and dance along.

Unfortunately, there are a handful of tracks on this otherwise accomplished album that fall a bit short; Blue Days and Eien no Monogatari in particular are guilty of this. Both are very pretty pop songs but ayaka's voice lacks the conviction that she's proved herself to be capable of in other tracks and come off as rather generic and unimpressive when compared to the rest of First Message. Thankfully, there are other ballads for those left craving something a bit slower after her brisker tunes, including the hits Mikazuki and I believe. The latter proves that she can venture into the higher range and not lose the soulful sound that is such a significant part of her vocal ability, and between its mix of violin, piano, and her vocal chords, it is not hard to understand why this song became such a smash.

Overall, between ayaka's vocals and the well-done mix of pop, rock, and just a hint of blues, First Message is an outstanding first album from this young artist. Those who do not usually venture into the world of pop music may find themselves pleasantly surprised by ayaka's sound and those who tend to prefer lighter pop tunes should still enjoy the overall upbeat sound of many of her songs in addition to the very well-done ballads. There are a few slower moments, a few songs that perhaps the album could've done without, but they're overlooked easily enough in light of the much stronger, catchier tunes. As long as ayaka is able to keep her distinct sound in the world of pop music, listeners should continue to look forward to what she has to offer us in the future.