SHIAN Koshi Inaba 2nd Solo Album | Release date: Oct 9, 2002 Review by --- Murasaki from B'z Sunshine Click to buy this album and get FREE Shipping!! "Koshi likes eggs"-Keen ^0^

01| O.NO.RE
This song didn’t grab me at first, but I thought the singing was classic expressive Koshi. It’s a very energetic number that lends itself to Koshi-style vocals ~ the sort of angry kind with some attitude. It kicks off with Koshi on his favorite blues harp. My favorite part of the song begins at 2:22. There’s great use of harmonies that slowly builds up until the song hits 2:43. The PV has proven to be very popular.

02| LOVE LETER
With a title like that, it’s no surprise that the lyrics are very sweet! It’s actually more like a thank you letter to someone in your past for everything they gave you. Koshi sounds very young and sweet when he sings the verse starting with “tokiga nagaretemo” and ending with “boku wa wasurenai.” I love that part. You can imagine that this is the boy in Koi Gokoro a few years later. Oh, you want to know about the actual song? :D It’s quite mellow and prominently features the cello. The chorus is faster and louder. Love Letter is kind of happy, kind of reflective, and kind of wistful. It closes with Koshi strumming a few notes, ending the memory.

03| TOUCH
One of the album promo songs and the one he performed on CDTV. Written in ¾ waltz time, it blends jazz and several other elements together, and defies straightforward categorization. In any case, this song is intoxicating and maybe my favorite from Shian.. Touch pulls you into the atmosphere it creates and doesn’t let go. It is gorgeously arranged and complex. The melody flows beautifully and the performance is flawless. The first “Whoa~” Koshi sings sets the mood. He throws emotional nuance into every note (the soft “touch,” the yearning “Itte shimaou…aa..anata ga hoshii,” the sad “aishiteru no?” Actually he sings every “Itte shimaou….” a little differently). At 2:20 the song suddenly breaks into a light, cheerful section, but at 2:51 it slides back into a moody, contemplative atmosphere. The lyrics are introspective, sexy, and romantic, which I think matches the melody. I also liked the use of strings in this song. The end peters out with piano, an almost-secret “touch,” and Koshi softly hitting a few very high notes. The PV is also lovely and features Koshi “Graceful Leap” Inaba.

04| TRASH
I didn’t like this song at first. Maybe it was because I like Touch so much. It was also hard for me to pick out the melody. However, I enjoy TRASH now although I don’t think of it too much when I’m not listening to it, if that makes sense. It’s fun rock! I like the Oi’s in the song and Koshi throws in some signature yelps and oh yeah!s.

05| OVERTURE
Another change of pace after TRASH. A ballad! It begins very gently. Some vocal harmonies are added, and then his voice flares into emotion 54 seconds into the song. The song tumbles back down into mellowness, but then strings are added, and the song climbs back into the dramatic emotional refrain.
The songs speeds up in a variation verse, but Koshi holds a long note nicely to lead back into the chorus. Everything focuses and comes together for the final few measures. The last notes ripple in the aftermath of the wave of emotion that came crashing down earlier. This song has a chorus that needs to be blown away, and Koshi pulls it off effortlessly. I love the “How do you feels” in the background and the chorus…especially the “It’s over” and “I feel/So lonely,” which he sings very passionately and convincingly.

06| GO
This is an understated piece after the emotional Overture. GO has a funky start. It has a definite jazz flavor and the beat is a little reminiscent of Nemurenai (track 5 off Magma). This song has no dramatic rise and falls, but 3 key changes and some sincere lyrics ("Tsuyoku tashikani daite…daite!!"). I would describe it as…slinky!

07| FAMIRESU GOSEN 3-JI
One of the best songs on the album (my favorite is either Touch or Famiresu), and the most mellow. I can put this one on endless repeat. This is basically just Koshi’s voice and Koshi playing acoustic guitar (a subdued cello appears briefly), in contrast to some of the more complex arrangements on the album. Famiresu is very warm, low-key, and accessible. Appropriate considering the subject matter. If you watch the PV, you’ll know what I mean. Koshi sounds very relaxed and comfortable. No voice acrobatics. He hums from 2:10 to 2:40. This song will have you humming too!

08| ANATA WO YOBU KOE WA KAZE NI SARAWARETE
This rock number starts off with gang vocals going whoa whoa. It boasts a brisk beat and a very catchy chorus. “I~~~~~was waiting for you.” “Whoa~~~~yeah yeah!”

09| HERE I AM!!
I guess that double exclamation mark gives away what this song is like. It took me a while to get to know it, but it’s a fast number I can definitely picture Koshi singing. “You won’t be satisfied!!” “Here I am!!” At 2:35 the song suddenly shifts into a brief instrumental section that somehow makes me think of dear Tak…

10| HONNO
Not love at first listen for me, but I really like this one now. Honno begins very quietly (Koshi’s voice sounds kind of muffled) and on a melancholy note…but it picks up, like a cat slowly getting to its feet. This exemplifies Koshi’s jazzy songwriting style. Like many of his songs, it’s mellow, but has bite too. He also sounds really great in this one…his voice makes those notes come alive.

11| SENO DE REVOLUTION
This song sounds pretty cheerful and starts off with some sitar. OK I didn’t really like this one at first either, but then one day I realized I was humming it. I still can’t make up my mind about this one.

12| TODOKIMASU YOUNI
This is an energetic and upbeat number to end the album with. I like all the background vocals, and this song is just catchy and optimistic. There are nice variations throughout the verses and an unexpected ending riff.

Keen's loving lyrics translations for Shian can be found here ^^ http://keen_on_all.tripod.com/bzlyrics/list.htm

- Murasaki -

Other reviews by Murasaki : Big Machine (album), It's Showtime!! (single), K.I. (Koshi's solo)

October 19, 2002 | B'z Sunshine | Gathered by Keen for this website ©