Yui - I LOVED YESTERDAYTracklist:
1. Laugh Away
2. My Generation
3. Find me
4. No way
5. Namidairo
6. Daydreamer
7. Love is all
8. I will love you
9. We will go
10. OH YEAH
11. My friend
12. LOVE & TRUTH
13. Am I wrong?
I LOVED YESTERDAY is Yui's 3rd album. It has sold about 260,000 copies on the Japanese Oricon Charts and has held the number 1 position for about two weeks now. Yui herself is a young acoustic based Japanese musician. She plays acoustic guitar in all her songs and writes all of her lyrics. Her album title is a reference to the popular Beatle's classic "Yesterday."
The album opens on a strong, spring note with the upbeat and inspiring
Laugh Away. Yui immediately draws the listener in with her catchy "Get away, get away"s and addictive chorus. The instrumentation is also quite addictive too. Laid back, yet upbeat, and springish, but not too springish, the guitar and percussion in the song instantly transport the listener to their favorite place- whether it is a hill, flower, field or beach. 10/10
Next up is the first single from the album
My Generation. This is another upbeat song, but with a more mature sound than Laugh Away. Although they are both the same type of "cheer up, it's all going to be ok" song, Yui manages to create a different atmosphere between the two, despite the fact that My Generation is pretty much a Laugh Away part 2. However, there is no denying that this is yet another high quality song from Yui. 8.3/10
Moving away from the upbeat songs, Yui goes into a more slower paced and relaxed style in
Find Me. A lahttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=37953636
Blogger: Momentum - Create Postid back, mid-tempo tune with a surprisingly loud chorus. This isn't a bad song, it just sounds so average after the previous two tracks. 7/10
Back to fast paced songs! Yui throws her listener into a spiral of punk guitar riffs and raging percussion in the interlude
No Way. For a short interlude (it's only 1:18 long). Its quite catchy and memorable. 9/10
Ballad time! The next song
Namidairo is a calm acoustic based ballad that sounds like something Michelle Branch or the sort would put out. I cannot say it is one of my favorite ballads, but it is still catchy and emotional. Especially the chorus. 8.4/10
What's this? Yui doing full out rock? Electric guitar dominates
Daydreamer, and I really have to commend Yui from stepping out of her acoustic comfort zone on this song. Daydreamer is a great song, and definitely one of my favorites from the album. Everything about it is perfect- the lyrics, the chorus, the verses, the guitar. Definitely a must listen. 10/10
Now we have
Love is all, another mid-paced song similar to Find me. Except it is executed ten times better. Especially in the chorus. Yui manipulates her voice during the chorus, and this is what makes it stand out. 8.2/10
How can describe
I will love you...it is definitely a lay on the ground and look at the sky kind of song. The type of song one would just lay on the ground and watch the clouds go by. Some people may find this song boring, but I like it. 7.9/10
Back to the upbeat stuff is
We Will Go, a track with a unique snare drum pattern in the background. Unfortunately, this is all the song has going for it-other than that, it is kind of generic. I can't say much about it except it is average and forgettable. 6.9/10
OH YEAH manages to bring the album back to a high standard, however. My oh my, this song gets stuck in your head. From Yui's soft whisperings of "Baby..." to the fun refrain and "oooh oooh ooohs...", this is definitely a fun summer beach song. Really makes me want to go to the beach...9/10
The subtle and mellow
My friend follows, and it is quite a sweet song. Another possibly boring song for some, but it is quite sweet sounding, despite its genericness. 7/10
The album gets really dark all of a sudden with
Love and Truth. The song itself sounds dark from the start, with its orchestral beginning, light acoustic strums, and Yui's desperate and emotional vocals. A really sad song with a refrain that rings of a dark and lonely desert...this is truly a song of loneliness and despair. 10/10
The album concludes with a really mellow track
Am I wrong?. Am I wrong? ends the album on a bittersweet note, and serves as the foil for the album's opening Laugh Away. A nice way to bring it to a close. 7.5/10.
Overall, I enjoyed I LOVED YESTERDAY. Definitely a really good album for those who are into acoustic music. Yui's style is actually pretty fresh in the Jpop industry, and I commend her for continuing to just be herself in her music. Give it a listen, even if a few of the tracks are a little boring.
Overall = 8.4 = B
Good job Yui :] For those interested, check out the video for Laugh Away here: http://www.crunchyroll.com/media-295260/YUI-Laugh-Away-English-Subtitles.html
