On their 14th studio effort, the
Dreams Come True outfit provided what was essentially a collection of singles and B-sides, with a bit of filler thrown in to round out the set. The individual tracks can often stand on their own decently, though the coherence is low and the repetition feels fairly high over the course of the whole CD. The album opens with a very nice, if simplistic, R&B ballad complete with slight touches of gospel in the chorus. From there, it devolves into a standardized series of ballads and pop anthems. Though the tone and songs feel much like those of any other modern J-pop group with a tendency toward contemporary R&B, there are a few high points along the way. "Appeal," while a simple midtempo ballad, gives lead singer
Yoshida Miwa a chance to show off a nicer range. "Sayonara 59ers" provides a brief glimpse of some Spanish guitar from time to time, mixing some very nice (though brief) solos with an otherwise standard arrangement. "Carnaval" tries to incorporate Brazilian elements, but instead comes out sounding more like a failed
Miami Sound Machine track. "Nocturne 001" is an outstandingly standard R&B piece, but gives
Miwa an opportunity to show off a deeper element in her vocals, not often called for in the other tracks. She indeed has some vocal chops, though they are rarely seen in their full glory. "Nocturne" provides just a glimpse of that glory. There's a bit of failed funk in "Unpretty Day," but the album otherwise never quite takes off after the early tracks. The album never quite presents itself as bad, but it never quite presents anything beyond the mediocre, either.
Dreams Come True provides glimpses of greatness here, but only of the most fleeting nature. ~ Adam Greenberg