Zard - Kakegae no nai mono

Zard, aka vocalist Izumi Sakai, is definitely one of the biggest names in Japan's music world. To the sadness of her fans, she passed away last year after getting seriously ill, yet it's never too late to get to know her music.

The touching ballad Kakegae no nai mono, with lyrics by Sakai, seems to follow the regular structure. The track begins quietly with humble accompaniment, mostly relying on the calm vocals. The atmosphere begins to tighten up as the song goes on to find room for a guitar solo and release the ballad to its full grandiose. Even though the drift and execution are rather predictable, Kakegae no nai mono manages to blend into your mind surprisingly well, perhaps due to Zard's delightful voice. Unfortunately, she seems to be at her best during sentimental moments, since a few parts could use a bit more strength from her voice. All in all, Kakegae no nai mono is a very moving ballad that works wonderfully as a lead-in to the world of more sensitive Jpop.

The next track, Mugamuchuu, pretty much makes you check the artist of the song. It's still Zard, but this upbeat song is a little overly stuffed with dance elements, and includes speech samples that disturb the general feeling. Dance by itself is a great genre, yet in this case the outcome feels like the artist's effort to seem younger or somehow more exciting. The main credits are the same as in the previous song, but the arrangement is done by "night clubbers," which explains the difference. The long verses give an idea of what the song would be like without the additional add-ons - this version makes you want to listen to the original song, as the extra bits simply don't fit with each other.

Eien (What a beautiful moment Tour Opening Ver.) is a short intro that sounds like classical music and was used on the first Zard tour. Undeniably, the composition is charming, almost magical, but a simple instrumental intro as the last actual track on a single can merely be counted as an occasional bonus. The fourth track is, as usual, the karaoke version of the title song, in this case Kakegae no nai mono.

Kakegae no nai mono raises a few suspicions, as the main song is accompanied by only a vague disco arrangement and a tour intro melody. However, the actual performance of the artist leaves a very positive feeling, allowing even those unfamiliar with Zard's work to understand her personal fame in the Jpop world.