color me wonderful
Well done color album, you beat pacific in terms of leaking. You had 4 days until official release. You held up good against the wants of the fangirls. pacific was a pushover, you were stealthy. Is it just me who thought that the budget for the Happy Birthday PV was spent on that 15 sec CM for color? I'm having real trouble keeping the 'u' out of color. In a way I kind of wish it was there, not for pedanticities' sake, but because the synesthesiac in me sees 'colour' as a rainbow and 'color' as boring block primary colours like that photocopy paper brand.

It's 2AM. I'm rambling but since I can't sleep I shall do my review for color. Reviews for each song are written as I'm listening so prepare for random since I'm limiting myself to the track length. I say 'review'. Pfft. It may start that way. Certainly won't finish like that.

ETA: I tried again without sleeplessness.

weeeek - I loved weeeek. As in seriously loved it when it appeared in an advert. Loved it as a PV. Loved it as a PV/radio-rip. Hated it as an actual CD in my hands with live performances on my computer. By the time it was released, I racked up over 500 plays and got so sick of it I just had to remove it from my iPod altogether. I kept all the b-sides though. B-sides for weeek were good. Back to the song since I got about a minute left. If they remastered it or arranged it differently ( I don't know how, different instruments maybe?) just for the album because I'm tired of having duplicates on my computer. Everytime I hear the ending I see the shoulder popping from the dance.
- My opinion of it still stands, I guess it depends on my mood if I can tolerate it.

stardust - Nice intro. All I can hear in the chorus is Ryo but it's like that for a couple of songs. Like Gan-gan-ganbatte. Not a track on this album, I know, but my point still counts. All I can hear is him in the chorus. Maybe some Yamapi too for backing. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those songs I have to listen to loads to appreciate. They should have held the sparkling for longer before the last chorus. I know Tegoshi is supposed to have the nicest voice but I kind of like him not being in this song that much. He can't do low.
- I want to like it. It's just so anime. Can't you imagine the running with panning and scanning? Then looking up to the sky? The 'genki' dash to a bunch of friends? No? I can listen to it. It's not unlistenable. I know it'll grow on me. Eventually.

summer time - Summer Time grew onto be BIG time. When it was in that CM, RUSS-K? With Koyama failing to jump over the fence as swiftly as Ryo?- I thought it was nothing special. Then the PV came out and I still though it was nothing special. Then they performed it live and it made me realise that maybe they should have less strenuous dance moves. I hear only Yamapi in the chorus. Itai kara~ The KoyaShige rap is love. I actually like Koyama in this song a lot. I know his part isn't big well, it's bigger than Massu's but he really makes this song for me, strange as that sounds because all I see is him failing to jump over that fence.

snow express - We change seasons to winter. I feel like a bad radio DJ. NEWS would totally pwn KAT-TUN in terms of Christmas single if they had Snow Express, Towario no koi and I'm sure Johnny could scrape together another decent b-side to go with them. I've tried so hard to like White X'mas but it's not working for me. I like Snow Express a lot. The rap is catchy, the random fish simile in the chorus lyrics makes me smile, but what I like most is that Tegoshi sounds the same as when he was 18. post-comeback!Tegoshi is strange to me. I like how it's in both N.E.W.S. and pacific DVDs. Shige can't lip-sync though. That's what I see in my head what it's his part.
- Shove some reverb on it and it'll sound like the live version everyone seems to want it to be. I have no problem with it like this though.

forever - I like the guitar a lot. I could see this being very good accousitcally. The English isn't so bad. It could do without the backing singers though. Just stick Tegoshi on harmonies if you want to embellish songs. That's the general rule, me thinks. Ah~ so this is the 'rib it forever' song. I tried not to download previews but I checked lyrics strangely enough. I know the rap's in English but sorry Yamapi, I don't understand a couple of lines. Massu sounds so sweet at the end.
- I don't really have anything to add. I still like it.

mola - mnngh. Nice use of digitalising voice. To cover the engrish right? Yamapi's not bad. It's not as though it's totally unintelligeble. You can clearly understand all the 'sexy lady' and 'finest girl' he's got going on, he's just got a bit of an accent on some words but it's not that bad. To be honest it's not really a solo song though. I wait for the 'pow' that's not coming. Good work uncredited girl singer. Were you in KAT-TUN's Affection?
- I get why some people may be disappointed. Thus far, Yamapi's solo songs (with NEWS, if that makes sense) have been filled with sincere lyrics (even if put to a beat) but this is just... too much like Jin? When I first heard the title, I was like 'hmmm... okay', then it was revealed that it's in English so I go 'hnnn... really?'. I feel as though I expected too much. I'd rather have Ginza Rhapsody. For most Japanese listeners with only basic English knowledge... they'll probably lap it up.

kesenai - Me likes. It sounds like something straight out of ARIA the Anime/whatever. But Tegoshi. Seriously. What's up with your voice? It sounds like you need to cough or clear your throat or something. Ah~ You have a cold recording this song. Tell-tale in the second verse. I think it would be better if he kept to the soft-soft hush-hush tone instead of pushing it. At least he have RyoShige backing him up. Hnnn. Maybe not. They aren't really known for their angelic voices. Ahh~ It's okay. Ad-libbing isn't Tegoshi's strong point. Live performances show he likes to go all out. I'm pickiest with Tegoshi's singing since he's the one who's all singing orientated. I think he's naturally got the nicest voice in NEWS but he's picked up horrible singing habbits. Like the end of OOOO-ru sounding like OOOO-ru-ewwww. If you hear it you know what I mean.
- Tegoshi's voice sounds sharp, not talking about being in tune, but his actual voice.

ordinary - I really like code. I like how this is the complete opposite. Well, not really but you can tell that Ryo's trying. There's not much for me to say really. Nothing to ridicule really. Ryo does the -ewww thing Tegoshi does a bit. I like. I do. It's just not amazing. Maybe if it was live.
- I seriously love ordinary now. I looped it and it's great. This may sound random but it really reminds me of a character image song from Digimon Frontier. I forget which character but the arrangement and instrumentation of it was pretty similar. I still don't know what to say about it. Nothing more? Maybe, thank goodness they left strings out of this? I imagine this to be a good driving song. It's just missing that little bit extra. It feels that Ryo plays it safe with the vocals. I guess it'll come with live performances.

minna blahblahblah-longtitle Give & Take shimashou - This is officially the longest title I have and that's using characters. It would be longer in romanji. I can't remember if off by heart yet. I kind of wish that they mixed up the TegoMass-orientated songs' lineup. I get how Koyama fits with this song but... I kind of wish now that Yamapi did Kesenai. Not that he's bad here, I just think that his vocals would be better on that. KoyaShigeMass would've done this song good but KoyaShige have their song so yeah.
- I still don't know the title yet. It's so different to nantoka naru sa, that was all laid back and this actually feels as though it's heading somewhere. Hmmm... pacy. Now that I think about it, it's very happy and jumpy but... hate to say it but Yamapi sort of drags it down. You can tell if someone is singing with a smile and it's obvious that he wasn't. For example, Yuna Ito's new single - koi wa groovy x2 - it's all happy but she doesn't sound it.

murarisuto - My first thought is 'Shige likes to roll his 'r's'. I'd love to see this live. Why does Shige sound so much louder than Koyama? Is it just my copy? Koyama, I appreciate your control over your voice. Shige. Are you even trying? I get that the song is all footloose and fancy-free but that's no excuse to be careless. Waah~ Chirarizumu. They have cute ad-libbing at the end. They talk so fast. Tashikani.
- Okay, so Shige, you've got fans now and they like your voice in this. I'll give you points for doing what's popular now, singing with the accent you have when you speak and all that jazz but there's a point where it's too much. This song is happy - happy and cheerful so less of the gravel, okies? Koyama sounds really cute.

taiyou no namida - I know this song. I know what I want to say about it. Second verse. Ryo's solo. First/last two lines. Why does he sound like Tegoshi? It can't be just me who thinks that. I keep waiting for that song that will suit Yamapi's voice perfectly. NEWS have done so many songs now and I don't think it's ever happened. I remember the first time I watched the PV. Watching pretty boys looking emo in rain. Made my day. I've seem almost every perf they've done of this. Have they ever done it perfectly?
- This feels as though it has a really odd placement in the album. I know timing-wise it wouldn't have worked but it really should have gone with pacific. Anyway, I get the feeling that Tegoshi really likes this song when he's singing it. He lavishes every word he gets. Then again, he is the one to hold his notes the longest like in Sayaendo - he's the last to stop. Technically, this song is the hardest on the album, there are very low notes for verses and the chorus makes them go up high with falsetto which admittedly is Tegoshi-dominant.

smile maker - Pfft. Why so laid back, Piano-san? Ryo sounds smex towards the end of his part - the 'sugiru' bit. Some people sound better when they have a cold. This song is so random XD The arrangement is all over the place. The chorus is catchy as hell though. Such attack on the words. Seriously? Was this song writer on drugs? There's a bit of every genre squished in just under 4 minutes. I kind of like it though. It's the chorus. At least you don't know what you're getting. Successfully made me smile. I feel like this song sums up color well. Am I right in hearing a sort of toywinding sound sometimes?
- A friend of mine called this song 'generic'... I don't really see how it is. Maybe it's the rapping. It's becoming a standard now to have raps in almost every song.

happy birthday - I can only see the cheapo PV. Seriously. White. Boxes. It really is such a SEAMO song though. I wonder who will write for NEWS next. They can just about make anything work. They could work it better with a bigger PV budget. Happy Birthday... shouldn't really have been a single. It's a decent song but the appeal is limited. Congrats if it was your birthday when they released it. Happy Birthday should've been kept like Change the World. Limited to album listens and concert tours. I get that songs need themes but this theme was too limited. I got tired hearing them say the same thing in interviews.
- The above is just me pissed off about the PV so I'll talk about the song. It's really one of those that grows onto you and I think for that you happen, you have to see the PV for the dance. Sure, you could watch a live performance but you'd be missing Koyama humping a fake kitchen countertop the dance without microphones, the bows and the hearts that aren't put together slapstic-like.

fly again - I start liking it 2:20. This is going to need multiple listens. It's album material. Really, it is. I don't really like it. That bit at 2:20 to the end is okay. ETA: I gave it another go since I felt bad for writing so little. I'm having trouble sorting out Koyama from Massu. It's definitely Koyama in the beginning, right? Okay, I get it, they split into trios. I think RyoKeiMass did better than TegoShigePi. It sounds like FRY. I'm seeing ebi and rice. Just a sign I need sleep.
- Leading up to the bridge, Ryo does it better than Shige, but Ryo really... what's the word... 'bites'? into the words. Shige's voice just sounds very 'round'. I've changed my mind. I like it from 2:16 to the end. I find it so weird that Yamapi's singing voice hasn't changed at all for years. Well, to my ears.

towairo no koi - I don't get why this is so popular. Perhaps I didn't watch the perf enough. Nice alteration Tegoshi. It's a nice song. The last line of the chorus just feels odd to me though. I'm disappointed somewhat. Oh, I get it. Totally the TegoMass. My theory is justified. Just stick Tegoshi on harmony duty. It'll turn out okay :D
- I'm really trying to like this song. Really, I am. I just wish that Tegoshi on harmony duty was done throughout the whole thing because it's very boring without him. Well. I wish Kusano was there too but no chance of that so. More Tegoshi please.

It feels less 'scrapbooked' than pacific did even though they used exactly the same formula for the song arrangement. It just feels more solid. I don't comment on Massu a lot because he knows what he's doing and he rarely sounds bad. I wish there was some a capella going on though. Smile Maker. Totally my favourite out of all of the new tracks. That and Forever. And Murarisato for Koyama. Shige almost makes it unlistenable towards the end. Mah, that's too harsh. He just reminds me of Scooby Doo a little bit in it.