J Soul Brothers - Fly away

The group J Soul Brothers is probably better known under the name EXILE, which they adopted later during their career. The single Fly away was released in 2000 and contains a total of seven tracks, six of them remixes of the original title track. Two years later, renamed EXILE, the group released a single with the same title.

The vocals and beat don't seem to match that well on the original song, Fly away "Original Mix". The vocals are sort of laid back and slow, while the beat is speedy. In the chorus it sounds okay, but for the rest of the song, the vocals remain a bit weak. The Fly away "Giant Swing Mix (featuring Michico & Hac)" has an R&B beat, and the vocals fit this style much better. The female vocals are definitely a good addition to the song, and the rap part gives this danceable R&B song a bit of a hip-hop flavor.

The third version starts very laid back and first seems to be a ballad, but then the electronic beat kicks in. Unfortunately, the vocals appear to sound the same as on the original track. The distorted vocals towards the end gives the song a spacey feeling, but the rest of the track is not that interesting.

Sample MadnesS Remix starts with a drum solo, and sound effects follow. This track is mostly instrumental, dominated by the drumbeat.

Version five of Fly away has a 2-step garage sound which works well with the vocals. This is a nice track to breakdance to, but might also be nice to have playing in the background. After this relaxed mix, the Jonathan Peters mix starts off heavy with a pulsating beat. His remix has a trance sound that is completely different from the other more urban-styled versions on this CD. At almost eleven minutes, this is the longest mix on the release. The fans that like J Soul Brothers / EXILE for their urban sound might not like this version, but it does make for a nice change in pace, even if the vocals don't sound as good.

Fly away "Live Mix" is the last track. This version is also a bit trance-like, but it still has an R&B beat.

With seven different versions, there will most likely be a track for everyone. The vocals aren't that strong, but when you listen to newer releases of EXILE, you can definitely hear how they have improved.