Set me free / Sing a Song! [Aya Hirano - 9th Single]

Tracklisting
1) Set me free
2) Sing a Song!
3) Set me free (Off Vocal)
4) Sing a Song! (Off Vocal)

Set me free / Sing a Song! is the 9th single from Aya Hirano, not including the character song and anime releases, and is the second in the era following off from her RIOT GIRL! era. It was released on the 29th of April, 2009.

After Namida NAMIDA Namida, hearing a song like Set me free was a huge relief and a welcome change. It features a heavier pop/rock sound, with the focus being on the drums and electric guitars, with Aya singing in a higher register and in a wilder, happier manner, which can make her sound a bit too much like the seiyuu she is at times, but sounds a lot better than the forced deep nature of Namida NAMIDA Namida. The lyrics don’t seem to flow too well when it gets to the chorus, so it ends up sounding a bit awkward for that whole part, but the verses are nice. Great song.

But it’s nothing compared to Sing a Song! This uses a similar sound, but follows a much more linear, upbeat melody. Aya’s using her higher, wilder voice again, and overall it sounds better with a wild, bright song like this. The verses are sort of quiet at first, but the choruses are an explosion of sound as the drums and guitars kick it up a notch into a faster arrangement altogether, and Aya starts to sing faster as well. The fact that the lyrics actually fit this time, in EVERY part of the song, make it much easier, and more of a joy instead of a chore, to listen to. It is a bit too similar to Set me free at times, which makes it a shame that it had to be placed second and had to be denied a PV, unlike Set me free.

Single Score
A+

Favorite Track
Sing a Song!

Okay, both songs sounded very similar to each other, but the different moods were enough of a change for me, and both were a joy to listen to after the crappy, overly-synthed Namida NAMIDA Namida single. She fits these upbeat, high-energy rock songs much better, and since both songs took this route while being more upbeat altogether, the single benefited hugely from it and ended up coming out brilliantly.

Namida NAMIDA Namida [Aya Hirano - 8th Single]

Tracklisting
1) Namida NAMIDA Namida
2) WIN
3) Namida NAMIDA Namida (Off Vocal)
4) WIN (Off Vocal)

Namida NAMIDA Namida is the 8th single from Aya Hirano, not including the character song and anime releases, and is the first in the era following off from her RIOT GIRL! era. It is her only single to be worked on by Tsunku, the “mastermind” behind the Hello! Project, and the a-side was used as the ending to the anime Hyakko. It was released on the 8th of October, 2008.

Bah. Tsunku. This is not good. Predictably, Namida NAMIDA Namida screams of the Hello! Project, and sounds like every other overly synthed song they’ve released that had electric guitars wailing in the background. That sparkling opening is actually really nice, but afterwards, I’m just a little bit (read: highly) let down by Aya’s singing and the predictable, lacklustre arrangement. The chorus sounds twice as bad with Aya trying to sing in English and with a deeper voice, and it didn’t work out at all. I can safely say that I don’t like this song, which I’m kind of upset about, since it’s both my first review of Aya, and the beginning of a new era. I hate to admit this, but she sounds BETTER with her wilder, squeakier voice. If it wasn’t trying to sound like a rock song at the same time, it’d probably be a little better.

WIN takes a similar route, but has more of a focus on instruments with synths taking the back seat, and Aya isn’t trying to sing with such a deep voice, which was good to hear. It wasn’t MUCH better than the a-side, and the similarities are apparent, but this song works at being a bit tamer and Aya’s not sounding as bad with it for reasons mentioned above. Still not too great, but.. Yeah.

Single Score
C+

Favorite Track
WIN

All I can say here is, I’m really glad Tsunku didn’t produce Set Me Free and Sing a Song! That trademark H!P sound is what ruined this single for me, and while it may work well with his Hello! Project girls, Tsunku should keep this sound– No, himself altogether– Away from Aya.

New Feature~ (To Replace ravex) / Page Revival / Review Index

First off, the feature.

Honestly, none of us have any idea whether ravex is coming back for a new album. As such, I thought I might be able to get away with adding Aya Hirano, an old guilty pleasure of mine. I discovered her, very aptly, through her work as the seiyuu of Haruhi in the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Yeah, she’s a seiyuu, so she does fall prey to the usual pitfalls they face when they sing, but I’m still partial to her, damnit. However, her RIOT GIRL! era was confusing as hell when it came to singles for me, so I’ll be starting off with Namida NAMIDA Namida, the first single in her latest era, and following THAT up with her latest single, Set me free / Sing a Song!.

However, if ravex DOES keep producing, they’ll still be here. Consider Aya a precaution.

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NOW. Onto the page thing. I’ve decided that I missed my Upcoming Reviews page. It’s a bitch to update, and I may end up taking it down yet again, but I’d like to put it back up for at LEAST a while and see if it doesn’t annoy me this time. (Read: see if I remember to actually update it after I review this time.) So, I’ll be working on putting that up tonight! It shouldn’t take too long, I just have to double check what I still have to review.

Eri Nobuchika’s Nobuchikaeri and Mika Nakashima’s VOICE albums are still coming, in prose form, BUT: I’ve decided to take melody. out of retirement and force myself to review Lei Aloha, also in this format, for just a little bit more practice at it to see if I can get it down pat.

So, look forward to it all!

EDIT: Nevermind, the upcoming reviews page didn’t take long at all. It’s all updated, and in the order of which I will be reviewing them! Note that most of the ones near the bottom of the album section aren’t released yet, and neither is the last single.

Also, hover over them: I’ve finally bothered to add captions if you want to know who sings it/the name of the single and it isn’t shown on the cover. Sorry for being lazy last time I had the page. xD;;

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ALSO, One more addition.

I’ve seen review indexes all over the place. I can see why one would be handy, so I’ve decided to start making my own index page. I’ll be starting on it over the next few days, but once I do, I’m hoping it won’t take too long to do. I have a lot of free time, anyway, so it’ll be something for me to do. Look forward to that, as well, if there was ever really anything in it to look forward to.