SINGLE REVIEW: Mika Nakashima’s ‘Eien no Uta’
To be honest, I’ve never really been that big of a Mika Nakashima fan. I only discovered her because I was looking through a list of singers and I happened to be able to read her name easily, so I clicked on it… Hehe, I guess I got lucky. Mika is a great singer, but I find her voice grating at times, and I’m not always fond of the way she sings. However, I do like some of her stuff, and the cover of this single really drew me in. So, I decided I’d put her up and review the latest of her discography ‘Eien no Uta’.
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I thought that the introduction speech to Eien no Uta was kind of random, but I didn’t really mind it– I thought it was a good way to set the tone of the song. The overall song was pleasant to listen to, and I felt like Nakashima gave a fair vocal performance, and I enjoyed it. I think that the composition of the song, as well as the lyrics, are very pretty, and that this is a very unique song compared to everything else I listen to. The song is a kind of jazzy, laid back in composition, and it makes a for a nice, relaxing listen. I find it calming, but it’s not really amazing. As I said before, Nakashima’s vocals are only fair, though I do think she performed this song better than many of her others. Maybe I just have to get used to her vocals. I guess we’ll find out. Eien no Uta is by no means a bad song. I rather enjoy it, though it is a bit lackluster. I hope this is a sign of Nakashima going in a new, more creative direction.
Vocal Grade: B — Musical Grade: A — Consistency Grade: A-
Overall Grade: A-
The second song on the single is a cover of the old Cole Porter song YOU’D BE SO NICE TO COME HOME TO. The name of the song is obnoxiously long, and I kind of have to say the same for the song. I usually don’t mind songs of this length, since they are typically about this long, but this song just was not interesting enough. I did like the jazzy music, and I felt that the overall composition was impressive. And although Nakashima’s English was thankfully understandable, I didn’t feel like she was connecting with the song. It doesn’t feel like she really put her all into it, if you know what I mean. It could have been performed much better, but it’s not bad. Basically this song is generally uninteresting, with some redeeming qualities. Not bad, but I definitely think Nakashima could have brought more to the song.
Vocal Grade: B- — Musical Grade: A — Consistency Grade: B-
Overall Grade: B-
SINGLE GRADE: B
~*Highway-Chance*~ 