AWAKE

L'Arc~en~Ciel

Some of you might say that I'm absolutely biased on this one because I'm a die hard Laruku fan. Alright, so maybe I am... jerks. It doesn't change the fact that this is a truly great album. With hit singles like "New World", "Killing Me", "Jiyuu he no Shoutai", and "Jyoujyoushi", you would expect the rest of the album to either suck real bad or blow your mind, and luckily for us Laruku fans, they smeared my brains against the wall and I've haven't been quite the same since. AWAKE was the album where the great men of L'Arc~en~Ciel seemed to find a bit of that old Laruku soul that many of us grew up with and were missing. Songs like "Lost Heaven", "Ophelia", and "Hoshizora" are so well-crafted that they'll strike a chord within you (excuse the possible pun) after a full listen. A true comeback of Laruku goodness, "AWAKE" stands as my pick for last year's best album because it's a compilation of songs that show all of us Frenchy Rainbow fans that the four guys are getting back to their roots.

Runner up: MUCC - Houyoku '鵬翼'

This might come as a surprise to those reading this, because MUCC isn't the conquering force Dir en grey or Orange Range is, but with Houyoku the band has put out the highlight of their career, one which crosses genre lines pairing their usual loudness, with attractive jazzy numbers, and even a song that gets downright cultish. With two awesome singles ("Kokoro no Nai Machi", "Saishuu Ressha"), a great opening track, and crunchy guitars galore, you may end up like me, joining the cult of Mucc. Hats off to you men of Mucc, this year, you did good.

Konayuki '粉雪'

Remioromen

With catchy guitar riffs and soulful singing, this wins my vote for the year's best single. I didn't even like it that much at first, but it's one of those songs that just grabs on and doesn't let go. Like a persistant cold that lasts from the beginning of winter until spring time, "Konayuki" just keeps following you around until you succumb to its total awesome sauce-ness. Mm... sauce. It also helps that it was the love theme song between the two main characters of the popular Japanese Drama, "1 Litre of Tears" '１リットルの涙'. And, you know, they'd play the song practically whenever the two were together. Yea, now you know why it was stuck in my head for so long. Darn you Remioromen, but you too, did good.

Runner up: Otsuka Ai - Planetarium 'プラネタリウム'

Just so we're clear, I'm a dorama fiend. This song too, was discovered (by me) through yet another drama, this time "Hana Yori Dango" '花より男子' based on the popular shoujyo manga of the same name. The singer, the talented Miss Otsuka Ai, round eyes and always ready smile hiding a mature singer/songwriter, wrote this chart topping single when she was only eighteen. Granted, she took some time to refine it, but it was well worth it. With alluring percussion to draw in the listener, Ai delivers a sorrowful ballad that seems to draw to mind thoughts of a late summer night, with beautiful lyrical imagery, and as always, delivered in her flawless singing. Obviously, the more j-drama you watch, the more stupendous singles you stumble upon.

The Flare

Technically not a new artist in 2005, they might as well be, as they're taking their sweet time getting that first album out (finally, announced for Feb '06). Officially, the band--started by Sugizo and Yuna-- was born somewhere in the year 2004; as a vehicle for, get this, politics. Yes folks, the Flare uses their rock and roll superpowers for good promoting their message with a barrage of smashing singles ("Inner Child", "Forgive", "Lyra"). The band whispered out of existence briefly, before finally unearthing themselves in mid-2005 with a new single, and taking the world by storm with their capable talented pop/rock.

Runner-up: Ito Yuna

She captured the hearts and ears of jpoppers with her debut single "Endless Story", featured in the movie "NANA" again, based on a popular manga by Yazawa Ai of the same name. What makes her a singer to look out for in '06 is her voice, youthful but with a mature smoothness like flowing water. For someone like me, who has a bias against the usual cute and girly run-of-the-mill idols she was a cool drink. Even if sha has yet to do anything spectacularly stupendously impressive, she just might yet because the talent, is there.

Pulse

FAKE?

A great video, a great song, Ken Lloyd in drag, what more can you ask for? Oh yes, a fairly good message behind the whole shizzam too. Apparently, or so my interpretation likes to think, our modern concept of beauty is based on mostly skanky and artificially enhanced people. Women are being objectified like never before, and those outside the beauty circle feel isolated and angry. I could go on and try to really drill into your heads all the possible hidden messages in this brilliant PV, but why not just watch it yourselves? Watch it. If not for the pyschedelic display of spazztic colours, than to see Mr. Lloyd strut his stuff in a dress. Mm...man-legs, rarr.

"Ophelia" from their album AWAKE

L'Arc~en~Ciel

To not put up this song as a non-single album track favourite would be like not putting ketchup on your hot dog. It's weird, and it's probably illegal in some countries. "Ophelia" is a jazzy Laruku number that's just so heartbreakingly poetic, I think ken was starting to leak a few tears during one of the performances of the "AWAKE TOUR". He almost inspired me to cry my own heart out, because not only is hyde's voice oh-so-very soulful in this number, but the instrumentals seem to really speak to the listener. When hearing this song with no distractions, you're pulled in because every aspect of this track is strong. Just listen to it and you'll know what I mean. In fact, you'll probably thank me for making you do it, so do it, now.

Runner up: Tourbillion - "Rhapsodie"

All of you are going to hear this and are going to have a funny deja vu sensation. No, there's nothing wrong with the Matrix (har har har). Tourbillion has two out of five members of Luna Sea, so it's no wonder that this song has such a Luna Sea-esque feel. It makes you a bit nostalgic for the band in question (Luna Sea), and the track itself isn't too bad (maybe because it sounds like Luna Sea; how many times am I going to bring this up?). Maybe not conquering-the-world-one-riff-at-a-time good, but it has a strange catchy quality that makes you want to listen to it again and again to make sure you heard it right. Because you think it sounds like Luna Sea. Alright, now you can pelt your eggs at me, I'll stop saying that now.

"Just Like Billy"

FAKE?

You'd figure because this song is entirely English that one would not have any problems trying to comprehend the meaning behind the words. Well, to such people, this is all I have to say to you: Um, no. English lyrics can be just as trippy and incomprehensive as Japanese lyrics are to the Japanese illiterate. But FAKE?'s "Just Like Billy" was chosen not just for the psychedelic way Ken paints a picture of schizophrenic happenings (or so this writer thinks), but for how he presents it on paper. Never does he once try to clarify anything for the reader of the lyrics, leaving you to interpret them as you will. Great lines like "...if I'm living a lie, I exist like the real thing" among many others begin to stand out like seperate pieces to an elaborate jigsaw puzzle. With images and symbolism galore, this song is definitely all killer and no filler. If there was one flaw that I had to nitpick it would be: I was never any good at puzzles.

Hikari '光'

SE7EN

No comment. Really, don't ask, I'm busy kicking myself and that's all you need to know. Get outta my face.