Hikaru Utada - Deep River

Third album for Japanese singer/songwriter who's possibly the most recognized Asian music artist in the world. 12 tracks. 2002. Album Description

Great Pop Album

Out of all Utada Hikaru's albums, I believe Deep River is the most pop. First Love and Distance both had very strong R&B influences, and Exodus, Ultra Blue, and Heart Station have a very experimental tone to them. It's not that Utada doesn't experiment a little in this album; I just believe it's the most commercially friendly. There are definite tinges of rock and some of her old R&B style, but Deep River is definitely the easiest to listen to.

The entire album flows very well, from the uncoventional ballad SAKURA Drops, to the upbeat dance Traveling, then going through the catchy Shiawase ni Narou. Next is Deep River, which is by far my favorite Utada ballad ever. I really feel like the ballads in Deep River are top notch.
Anyways, next is the R&B-tinged Letters, which I never really liked no matter how much I listened to it. I think it's because I felt like the melody was overpowered by the instrumentals.
Playball, Tokyo Nights, and ASAP follow. I grouped these three together because I felt like they sound slightly similar. However, they're all extremely catchy in their own way, and each deserve a special listen. I find them all to be the most intense songs of the album. Tokyo Nights is especially intriguing.
After those tracks is the rock-influenced Uso Mitaini na I Love You (A Fake I Love You), which borrows the bridge from Simple and Clean. I liked this track very much and I was happy to see Utada delve into the rock genre for a little bit. Her sultry, smooth voice really compliments the song.
The classic ballad, Final Distance is one of my favorites, and I love the way Utada sings it with the emotional tension she is known for. After the bridge, which starts with quiet strings slowly building up to a climax to end suddenly, is Hikari. I thought this was a perfect end to the album, as she stated it was a very personal song, and plus because I feel that it is such a timeless song. The energy that emanates from Utada's voice in this song really embodies the spirit of Deep River.

And I am done with my review. March 28, 2008

The Best Album in Her Japanese Discography

I will admit that I actually prefer the experimental sounds of Utada's English-language "Exodus" album to her R&B-flavoured Japanese albums that made her famous, but nonetheless, "Deep River" is still a great album, despite her shortcomings lyrically (she was only seventeen when she wrote this, though, so one really can't expect too much!) The tracks I particularly favour are

2. "Travelling" - Up until "Exodus" and with the exception of remixes, Utada did not have a really "danceable" track. "Travelling" remedied that. While not exactly catchy, it is very upbeat, and one does get the feeling she tries to portray in the song - a fast-paced trip.

3. "Shiawase ni Narou" - Literally, "Let's Be Happy", "Shiawase ni Narou" is my personal favourite from this album because of the way it starts out as a piano ballad, but then kicks in with the cool drum beats. Towards the middle, piano and drum are juxtaposed, making for a very interesting and catchy song.

6. "Purei Boru" or "Play Ball" - The R&B influences are strong in this song, and the beat/tempo is what I like best about it. Lyrically, it's a love song masquerading as a song about a baseball game being played on a summer evening.

7. "Tokyo Nights" - It took me a while to warm up to this song. I still don't like the beginning too much, but it gets better. It even has part of a melody from her songs "Hikari"/"Simple and Clean." It starts out slowly, and then speeds up a little.

8. "A.S.A.P." - This song would have been perfect if it weren't for the ending - and the repeated chorus of "A.S.A.P." Otherwise, it's a good song, an unusual mix of dark and mysterious and R&B.

9. "Uso Mitai na I Love You" - Roughly translated, "Like a Lie, I Love You", this song stands out from most of Hikaru's works in that it is a metal-inspired song. It's not that great of a tune, but the hook from her song "Simple and Clean" comes from this song.

12. "Hikari" - Literally "light", this song was the main reason I bought the album. It was one of the catchiest songs I had ever heard, and although its novelty is wearing off now, it is still a great song, music-wise and lyric-wise.

If you're a fan of Utada's Japanese works only, this is definitely the album to get. Otherwise, I would look at "Exodus" first.

July 27, 2007

Excellent music

I've been a huge Utada fan since I first heard her music. This CD has to be her best in my opinion. Especially the song "Final Distance". July 22, 2007

Hikki Forever

This is her best cd ever and one of my most favorite cds! Like previous reviewers have said, you really dont need to understand Japanese to appreciate and enjoy her songs. Most J-pop singers that I've heard, sing in a higher pitch, whereas Utada is more melodic and deep. I especially like Letters and Tokyo Nights! July 10, 2007

A very accomplished album from a fine Pop singer

This extremely good album stands out from the crowd. Along with Shiina Ringo's "Heisei Fûzoku", released in February 2007, "Deep River" is the best album I've heard from a Japanese singer recently. Miss Hikaru Utada has a very agreeable vocal timbre and she is an accomplished singer - she sings with apparent ease throughout her tessitura and she sings phrases with style and expression, leaving some space in the music for a breath and the instrumental music (a number of lesser Japanese Pop singers sound like they are on adrenaline the entire time they are singing) and she doesn't clutter the melodic lines with pointless melismata.
Hikaru Utada's voice has a somewhat pathétique quality - she sounds a little sad even in the upbeat songs. A glance at the superb black & white cover photo of Hikaru-san shows us a serious and intense young woman. Yes, this is Pop music, but it comes from a different place - in a number of ways!

The music "grooves" along when it needs to and provides a modern "Torch Song" sound when necessary. The instrumental music is patently modern and UN-Rock'n'Roll, which suits me just fine! I guess that one could play a number of the songs on this album in nightclubs - some of the songs would clearly lend themselves to being remixed.

If you're only interest in acquiring one modern Japanese Pop album in your collection, "Deep River" could be that "only one" that you're after. Needless to say, it isn't as "arty", "out there", "mad" or as touched with genius as Shiina's Ringo's "Heisei Fûzoku" ["Japanese Manners" - a euphemism for the sex trade] or "Karuki Zamen Kuri No Hana" ["Lime, Semen & Chestnuts"], but it is pretty good!

May 7, 2007

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