YUI – I LOVED YESTERDAY

1. Laugh away
2. My Generation
3. Find me
4. No way
5. Namidairo
6. Daydreamer
7. Love is all
8. I will love you
9. We will go
10. OH YEAH
11. My friend
12. Love & Truth
13. Am I wrong?

I wouldn’t exactly call myself a YUI fan, but I certainly respect her as an artist — particularly one that writes her own music, which is something us mere mortals are incapable of. However, while I enjoyed singles such as “feel my soul” and “I Remember You”, there was one thing I couldn’t get over: her voice. Face it, she sounds like a goddamn 10 year-old. But even though it made me feel like a pedophile listening to her music, I have to admit that her voice lends her songs a certain innocence which I feel is characteristic of her music. Of course, that was then.

And this is now. So what’s changed? Well for one, her sound. She’s taken her signature folk pop/rock and infused it with influences from opposite sides of the spectrum — from mainstream pop to heavier rock. The result? Some really fantastic music. Because even with her more generic sounding tracks, the unique instrumentals more than make up for the lack of originality. As for her voice? Well, although I’m sure fans will be glad to hear that she’s retained that prepubescent tone, she’s definitely displaying more versatility. The most obvious examples are“LOVE & TRUTH”, “Namidairo”, and “Love is all”, where she’s not only singing in a lower range while also hitting those higher notes but simultaneously trying out a different style. Although the conscious effort to do so is detectable, it’s nonetheless deserving of applaud. These three mentioned tracks also happen to be my personal favourites, not only because of the reason discussed, but also because they’re in stark contrast to the other tracks and the parts of her discography that I’ve been exposed to. And of course, because I’m naturally drawn to darker tracks, heh.

Although I initially giggled while being reacquainted with her childish voice, I have to say that this is an undoubtedly great album. It may not take the crown from UNCHAIN just yet, but it’s nonetheless terrific in its own way. This just goes to prove that while her voice has yet to mature, her music certain has.

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