Berryz Koubou's 6th album "6th Otakebi Album"

Berryz Koubou's sixth album 6th Otakebi Album (6th 雄叫びアルバム) was released on March 31, 2010.

1. Otakebi Boy WAO! (雄叫びボーイ WAO!)

This really is a song worth naming an album after. The throaty voices are outstanding! And the percussion is much better than usual. There’s some really interesting stuff going on in the backing track!

2. Rival (ライバル)

Such a sweet song! It reminds me of riding my bicycle all over the city during the summer. It’s just a cute little pop song, but one of the best of it’s kind in recent years from Hello! Project. The spoken parts are really just icing on the cake, aren’t they? A cake full of counting, “go go fight!”s, and a sort of ‘50s feel.

3. Ryuusei Boy (流星ボーイ)

This has a truly funky backing track! It’s one of those songs you can’t help dancing to at least a little when it’s playing. The dance break is a little much though.

4. Ai ni wa Ai Desho (愛には 愛でしょ)
Natsuyaki Miyabi, Tsugunaga Momoko

I’m not totally in love with this song, but it’s certainly not something I’d skip. I’m sure it will be great live. How could it not be with Miyabi and Momoko? On the other hand, why pair two girls who are already in a small unit together?

5. Seishun Bus Guide (青春バスガイド)

Definitely the weakest of the Inazuma tracks. Still a decent tune. It’s just too monotonous.

6. Kimi no Tomodachi (君の友達)

Is it just me or does that piano in the background sound like it was sampled from a Final Fantasy game or something? I think this is a pretty strong track. Makes me feel like I’m walking through a fantastic landscape in a video game. I could have done without Risako’s monologue though. Why does she seem to get all of them in Berryz songs?

7. Grand demo Rouka demo Medatsu Kimi (グランドでも廊下でも目立つ君)
Kumai Yurina, Sudou Maasa

I prefer the Maasa half of this song, but the whole thing is honestly pretty weak. There’s not enough variation in the instrumentals and it’s just kind of monotonous. It reminds me of Kirby music a little though.

8. Tomodachi wa Tomodachi Nanda! (友達は友達なんだ!)

I know I wouldn’t like this song half so well without the PV, but I like it never the less. I like to think that the Berryz girls really are all friends, and that Momoko is the glue that holds them together. It’s such a sweet image. Momo certainly stands out vocally on the track. I really do like her voice!

9. Kibou no Yoru (希望の夜)

I’m really glad this album only got the one mediocre ballad, but oof, I do not look forward to hearing that opening line sung live. It’s painful enough after being tinkered with in AutoTune. I think I hear Saki’s vocals among the studio singers. I always like to hear her in a chorus. It makes me feel like there’s at least one perk to being Captain.

10. Dakishimete Dakishimete (抱きしめて 抱きしめて)

I still love this song as much as I did a year ago. In fact, I probably love it even more now.

11. Yakimochi wo Kudasai! (ヤキモチをください!)
Shimizu Saki, Tokunaga Chinami, Sugaya Risako

This track is kind of fun. Everyone sings so nasally though! All three of them tend to, but it’s a little extreme here. I hope this will have a cute dance for Captain when it’s performed live.

12. Watashi no Mirai no Danna-sama (私の未来のだんな様)

Hands down the best non-Inazuma track from the girls’ last three singles. I think everyone likes the echo parts in the verse. The chorus isn’t bad either. It seems like sort of a strange choice for a last track though. The album seems incomplete.

So this is definitely not as good as 5 (FIVE), which is disappointing but not unexpected. It was at least better than Shocking 5 though. The original tracks were extremely forgettable. In fact I listened to this album several times through before writing this review and not one stuck out in my mind. The whole thing was saved by strong single tracks, so it’s probably a good thing that 7 out of 12 were in that category.