moumoon - Tiny Star

In 2005, Yuka and Masaki Kousuke came together to form Moumoon. They debuted under Gate Records with Flowers/ Pride in 2006, as well as releasing an indies mini-album titled Flowers. In 2007, they left Gate Records and signed to Avex Trax, releasing a second mini-album, Love Me, and a steady stream of singles to date.

Tiny star, the title track of the 2008 release, opens just as the name suggests. It starts quietly but grows quickly, replicating the idea of light from a star only being seen years afterward. As the song grows, it is like light reaching outward. Yuka’s nasal voice perfectly matches the slowness of the track, and the listener finds themselves swaying along to the rhythm and smiling. She approaches the listener and invites them in calmly. Most importantly, the lapse of time just before the key change really captures the listener’s attention, even though that moment occurs close to the end of the track.

The piano chords behind Yuka in Kokoro no Shizuku are haunting. Yuka presents herself equally as mellow and doesn’t overpower the orchestral strings as her voice matches the sincerity of the piano hidden beneath the rest of the instruments. Oddly enough, both Kokoro no Shizuku and Tiny Star have a similar melody, as if < i>Kokoro no Shizuku is a continuation of the previous song, representing the disappearance of the light from a star.

The English version of Do you remember?, a love song from their previous single, is radiant. The song itself is more upbeat and rock orientated than the other two tracks, but because the lyrics are written and sung in English, it gives Moumoon the chance to parade their language skills. Some may question the clarity of pronunciation of some of the words, but that gives the track a certain charm. Clearly a love song as it reminisces moments with a past significant other, Do you remember? shows a minutely rougher side to , backed by Masiki’s edgy guitar riffs and more direct emotion. During the height of the chorus, Yuka twists her voice, singing through her nose slightly and sounding a bit like Avril Lavinge - though only in accent and nasal tone, not in style or personality.

The regular edition of the single also contains instrumental versions of Tiny Star and Kokoro no Shizuku.