°C-ute's 4th album "④Akogare My STAR"

°C-ute's fourth album ④Akogare My STAR dropped last Wednesday. I've listened to it several times in the last week (which says something in itself) to allow myself to get a really good idea of how I feel about the tracks. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much of this album because a) °C-ute is far from my favorite group and b) their last album was pretty pitiful. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. So, here goes the review.

1. ★Akogare My STAR★ (*****)
This song is a really catchy first tune. Great instrumentals and some pretty harmonies and rhythms in the vocals. I also love the constant reassurance that I can dance.

2. One's LIFE / Umeda Erika, Okai Chisato, Hagiwara Mai (***--)
This has a sort of bland sound to it. I feel like I've heard the chorus parts on a Morning Musume B-side or something. I really enjoyed the rapping parts though and it had just the right amount of Mai. Not a song I would queue up outside of the context of this album though.

3. Yes! all my family / Suzuki Airi (****-)
I'm not a big fan of Airi, but I liked this track. I've found myself humming it to myself quite a bit over the last few days. There's something really wonderful about the "oh yes my dreams" bit that attracts me to the song. The persistent synth drums and Airi's freestyling are pretty irritating though.

4. Namida no Iro (***--)
I really liked this song when it first was released. It was an infinitely better single than "LA LA LA Shiawase no Uta," after all. It also helped that Maimi looked bad ass dancing in the PV. There's also harmonization, clapping, and some actual instruments in the instrumentation going for it. On the other hand there's still way too much synthesized filler sound. Please, UFA, hire a drummer and a string section instead of faking it!

5. Aishiteru Aishiteru / Nakajima Saki, Arihara Kanna (**---)
This song is so simple that I could probably sound good singing it, and yet Nakajima doesn't have the pipes for even this. At least Kanna sings decently well and quite cutely in it.

6. Seishun Song / Yajima Maimi (****-)
"Natsu DOKI Lipstick" is probably one of the top 10 songs in H!P history and Maimi is my #1 °C-ute girl, so I was really excited to hear this track. Maimi sounds amazing, of course, but the song is still pretty boring. I imagine this song will be fantastic in concert though.

7. Bｉg dreams (*----)
Absolute filler trash.

8. SHINES (****-)
I actually really like this song. It has a really different sound for H!P. Reminds me a lot of Persian pop. The song somehow sounds very distinctly °C-ute, and I can't imagine any other group singing it.

9. Yakusoku wa toku ni shinai wa (**---)
Frankly, most of °C-ute don't have the chops for a song like this. I can really hear the whiny straining in the chorus, and it is painful. Just listen to Berryz' "BE" for really well done ballad vocals. The song gets an extra star for theoretically being a decent song if someone more talented was singing it.

10. FOREVER LOVE (****-)
I didn't care for this song until I heard it on the album. I still don't think it's a great choice for a single, but I love it as an album track. It's really a breath of fresh air after "Yakusoku wa toki ni shinai wa."

11. Edo no Temari Uta II (*****)
One of the best releases of 2008, and absolutely °C-ute's best single. Everything about this track is just right, and I think it's a great way to end an album.

Overall this album exceeded my expectations, but's no 5(FIVE). Maybe their next single "Bye Bye Bye!" will make me see the light of °C-ute, but it's highly doubtful considering how irritating I find Nakajima.