Abe Mao - Free

Abe Mao is a young singer who has grown quite popular in the short time she’s been active. Despite being just nineteen years old, Mao has already proved herself as a capable singer and songwriter with her debut album, Free. Her acoustic guitar rock style has led to many comparisons to Yui, but as the album shows, Mao is definitely adding her own personality to her music.

The album kicks off with Free, a catchy, anthem-like rock song. The speedy opening is a take off into Mao's rough and tumble vocals, which give a fairly good idea of her singing style throughout the rest of the album. Free has great energy, and it carries into Hitomishiri no uta ~kyoukan shita moraetara ureshii tte hanashi desu~. This track has a country-blue grass feel to it, which is a little unusual to hear from a young Japanese girl. However, Hitomishiri no uta is just plain fun and will have you moving in no time.

Things slow down a little with MY BABY, a slower paced song with a nice acoustic guitar opening. The instrumental break also features Mao on acoustic guitar, and she proves that she indeed has some skill at playing. Through most of the song, her voice is a bit unpolished, but the pretty vocal work during the bridge shows promise towards her future as a singer. Following is Kirei na uta, and true to its name it is pretty, soft and cute - but not much else. The focus seems to be on Mao's vocals, which don't suit the song too well, and while the melody is light and easy on the ears, it's also kind of plain.

Deadline is a twist with its hard opening. Accompanied only by guitar, Mao's voice is pitched low, full of warning and promising danger. Unfortunately, the chorus falls slightly flat as what was probably intended to be angry ranting comes off as something closer to whiny shouting. Still, Mao shows some good control, so it's easy to believe she can improve with some training. The transition to Don't leave me, a piano piece, is jarring, but the song makes up for it by turning into a gentle, slow love song. The only minor problem is Mao's deep vocals; she sounds like she is trying too hard to sweeten her voice.

Her performance is much stronger in Kotoba, where she hits the high notes easily. The melody is charming, and though the strong chorus comes close to being overbearing, it luckily never crosses the line. A piano countermelody adds a bit of flourish to the song. want you DARLING is a pop-rock track with a bouncy beat that is unnoticeable sandwiched between two much more interesting songs, as it is followed by 17sai no uta. 17sai’s acoustic guitar opening is accompanied by soft, smooth singing until the drums kick in. The sudden vocal changes express the uncertainty of growing up, although the melody is full of hope. The emotions Mao conveys makes this song a memorable one.

The last track is Nasakenai otoko no uta, another acoustic guitar track with rough, low vocals. The song feels like Mao is telling a story and has an honest, lonely feeling that is really touching. Nasakenai otoko no uta also contains a unique ending: after a near minute of silence, a piano melody plays over a background of ambient city noise. The track comes to its true close after the sound of rain and footsteps, allowing the listener to speculate whether the wanderer in the song has made it home, or has only found temporary shelter.

As a singer-songwriter making her debut, Abe Mao shows a lot of potential. Her songwriting is something that can improve with more experience, and her voice, once polished with more training, can be great. Free gives a good taste of her developing style and makes Mao's future work highly anticipated.