Shimatani Hitomi – Flare (A J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

July 26, 2008 by Dennis Amith 

“Shimatani Hitomi’s 7th album ‘Flare’ is a bit of a mixed bag of songs that is average at best. How one interpretates this album will depend on the listener’s taste of Shimatani music. Considering that she changes things up with each CD single musically, ‘Flare’ is average at best.”

ARTIST: Shimatani Hitomi

ALBUM: Flare

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-23602/B

DURATION: 52:31

RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2008

1. Heavenly
2. Start
3. Ame no Hi ni Wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo
4. Dita
5. Shinku
6. Nakitai nara
7. Dear…
8. Taiyou no Flare
9. WAKE YOU UP
10. Shake it up!
11. Neva Eva
12. Marvelous

DVD: Region 2, Duration: 40 minues, 16:9LB

1. Neva Eva (Music Video)
2. Shinku (Music Video)
3. Nakitai Nara (Music Video)
4. Ame no Hi ni Wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo (Music Video)
5. WAKE YOU UP (1 CHORUS Music Video)
6. Marvelous (1 CHORUS Music Video)
7. Papillon ~papillon~ (Live ’07)
8. Ame no Hi ni Wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo (Off-Shot)

Shimatani Hitomi returns with her seventh album titled “Flare”.

As usual with a Shimatani Hitomi release, always open to hear what she has to offer since she is one of the rare music artists that is not consistent with her music and likes to change things up with each CD single release.

Her latest album would feature her her 25th through 28th CD singles and overall the album is a bit of a mixed bag of sorts.

As mentioned earlier, Shimatani is known for changing things up with her music with each CD single release. So, one single would be Spanish-influenced, the next would be rock influenced, another release would be symphony-based and then the next would be pop-based.

You just never know what would come next.

Because of the inconsistency, you have one side of fans who follow her music because it’s always different and then you have another side who continues to grow frustrated because she moves away from a style of music that they enjoyed from her several years ago.

I’ve mentioned it many times in reviews that I am a fan who embraces her music with each release and my overall look at Shimatani’s image and music has since become more adult contemporary in terms of taste.

I guess a comparison would be a Celine Dion who also manages to change things up with each release and not listened to too much by younger listeners that much but those who are typically are adults.

Where I felt her last Spring album “PRIMA ROSA” was a good example of how she is able to change things up musically, “Flare” felt like an album that had it’s strong songs (ie. her CD single tracks) but then many songs that really didn’t capture my attention and were like coupling songs that were just average at best.

The first two tracks “Heavenly” and “Start” were for me, average at best. Nothing that captured my attention, nor were they songs that I felt I had to listen to over and over again.

The third track “Ame no Hi ni Wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo”, her 28th CD single is a catchy track that I enjoyed but even for a CD single release, it was quite…how would I put it… “pedestrian” compared to her previous CD single releases.

The fourth track “Dita” was a track that caught my attention for its musical arrangement. Very easy, smooth sailing style of track featuring pretty good music and vocals by Shimatani.

The fifth track “Shinku” is her 26th CD single and was used for the PS2 video game “Another Century’s Episode 3″. A song that had a similar feel to one of my favorite tracks by Shimatani titled “DESTINY”. A track that had a pretty cool arrangement of strings and an urgency which I enjoyed. Interesting that the other A-side track from that same very single “Ai no Uta” is not included on this album.

The sixth track “Nakitai Nara” is Shimatani’s 27th CD single and a beautiful but sad ballad. An all-out beautiful song with an arrangement that I enjoyed (especially how it relates to the music video which is featured on the DVD that comes with the album and CD single).

The seventh track “Dear…” features a samba-like track and another track that was fun, easy-listening and beautiful.

The eight track “Taiyou no Flare” is an upbeat, fast dance track which was ok.

The ninth track “WAKE YOU UP” is one of the A-side tracks from her 28th CD single. This song sounds quite retro with the backup singers in the beginning. Almost circa 1986 and possibly can be correlated by the retro-like 80′s hairstyle Shimatani displays for this CD single (especially on this album). The song is used for “Keitai Sosakan 7″.

The tenth track “Shake it Up!” is an upbeat track which I actually did listen to quite a few times. I really like the musical arrangement for the track which had this cool style of beat and feel to it. Both “Dear” and “Shake it Up!” were programmed by Uesugi Hiroshi.

The eleventh track “Neva Eva” (her 25th CD single) next to “Ame no Hi ni Wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo” and “Nakitai Nara” that featured a good number of musicians in the overall track.

I actually enjoy “Neva Eva” a lot and it was an overall enjoyable, fun track featuring a good display of brass instruments and cool musical arrangement.

The final twelfth track “Marvelous” is the third A-side track from her 28th CD single. The song is an upbeat, fast track which was for me, average.

As for the DVD, that is where things are much more interesting. Also, the fact that all music videos are presented in 16:9LB which was great to see!

You have the sexy and humorous OL video of “Neva Eva” which Shimatani looks absolutely sexy and fabulous in.

The second music video “Shinku” features a somewhat post-apocalyptic intro but then features Shimatani singing in a lush, misty forest area and inside what seems to be a church that is rundown. You actually have an interested perspective in the CD single making of, when you learn that the filming of this video was done during very cold conditions. But of course, the making of’s are only included on the CD+DVD singles.

The third music video “Nakitai Nara” is the full drama video clip from the CD+DVD single. The music video is more or less a 15 minute drama about loss.

The drama is about a husband who lost his wife. His wife has a heart condition and she can not give birth. But she realizes that she is pregnant and that when she gives birth, she will die. So, basically the drama is featured in two perspectives. The husband as he has a hard time mourning and the wife who writes a letter to her husband and in conjunction with the song “Nakitai Nara” which literally means “If I want to cry”, the wife tells her husband in a final letter that he has read from her that tells him that it’s ok to cry even though she has passed because he will be there for their daughter.

The fourth music video “Ame no Hi ni Wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo” features a cheerful Shimatani in a house and just enjoying a day at home while it’s raining outside.

The fifth music video “WAKE YOU UP” features a very beautiful Shimatani in a beautiful outfit and singing. The video only lasts probably about a minute.

The sixth music video of “MARVELOUS” features Shimatani Hitomi filming in another country and recording the song in studio. The video lasts about a minute.

Also included on the DVD are live performances of “Papillon” and “Ame no Hi ni Wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo” which was a great addition to the album.

And the final DVD track is an off-shot/behind-the-scenes footage from the making of “Ame no Hi ni Wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo”

The CD insert features photos taken of Shimatani in another country. The photo shots are reminiscent of 80′s female pop singers especially with her outfit and hairstyle. Throughout the booklet are photos, lyrics and the production credits.

Also included is information on Shimatani’s 2008 live concert for “Flare” and a plug for a new CD single and live DVD coming in Autumn!

All in all, “Flare” is an average album at best. Very few songs that were not CD singles that caught my attention but those that are CD singles, I really enjoyed them when they were released. So, it’s a mix bag for me, since I typically really enjoy Shimatani Hitomi CD singles and albums.

I will say that having the CD+DVD version of the album is probably the version worth owning because you get the music videos, especially the complete drama music video of “Nakitai Nara” plus live performances and a cool behind-the-scenes off-shot video.

But the album on its own is a mixed bag. If you own the CD singles for the songs featured on this album, the remaining tracks are not really going to win you over. There are a few good songs that I listened to over and over but really, I found the album average at best.

But for Shimatani Hitomi fans, the DVD does offer some really cool footage and for those who never bought the CD singles, the fact that the full music videos include the drama video of “Nakitai Nara” is worth it. Heck, the music video for “Neva Eva” is probably going to win you over!

But all in all, “Flare” is an average album at best.

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