Otsuka Ai - PEACH/HEART

The frivolity of summer is strong in this release from Otsuka Ai, who is proving to be a strong vocalist with an impressively variety of styles at her disposal.

PEACH is full of the mindlessness of summer; as the ending theme to the comedy drama Hanazakari Kimitachi e, one would expect a playful song and that is exactly what Ai delivers. The melody jumps along with lighthearted abandon. The sprightly guitar and tambourine powered tune provides the perfect backdrop for Otsuka Ai as sings about falling in love on a summer's day. Her smile can be felt as she sings the cheeky lyrics. One can forgive her overly nasal vocals - Ai does not shine as much at bouncy pop as she does at her ballads - for the pure innocent fun this song represents.

HEART, on the other hand, is more laid back. The beat verges on reggae, and the electric guitar has a distinctly Hawaiian attitude which weaves a light melody that trips along. Ai's vocals are softer, too, yet retaining that playful edge that matches the chilled summertime sound perfectly. As HEART comes to a close and seamlessly becomes the touching final track, Renai Shashin ~haru~, it is like night has suddenly fallen as a beautiful orchestra of strings accompanies a gentle piano. While she does not reach the beauty she managed with Planetarium, the song is a hearty recommendation of Otsuka Ai's talents as a bonafide vocalist; she's not just a carbon copy J-pop squawker. If PEACH represents the fun side of summer, Renai shashin ~haru~ is definitely the wistful side to the season.

PEACH/HEART shows three sides of summer, each as beautiful as the other, and as such it is a perfect single for the approaching sunny days. Otsuka Ai continues to mature as a vocalist, although as PEACH proves, she has not lost her playful side either.