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	<title>Paradise Lost &#187; Changin&#8217; My Life</title>
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		<title>[Jpop] Changin&#8217; My Life- Changin&#8217; My Life</title>
		<link>http://www.paradise.honest-lies.com/2008/08/10/jpop-changin-my-life-changin-my-life/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Aug 2008 23:54:19 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Changin' My Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese pop]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.paradise.honest-lies.com/w/?p=309</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love Changin' my life, and I have for a long while. The keyboard, the dance beats and the synth that makes up their sound should sound outdated- yet somehow they make it work. This is their debut album released 2002.07.26 There are powerful songs like Myself and Confidence, and upbeat energetic numbers like Luv.Remix and Focus. I think some of these songs are sub par, but there are really some great tracks too that are just awesome to listen to..]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333;">Changin&#8217; my Life is best known through their songs used for Full Moon wo Sagashite. Indeed, between 2.5 and 3 years ago it was those songs that first started my interest in the Japanese pop scene. This is their debut album released 2002.07.26. It contains the three singles and their B-sides released beforehand.</span></p>
<p>The album opens with <strong>Myself</strong>, the ending and theme for Full Moon Wo Sagashite and an amazing song in it&#8217;s own right. It&#8217;s hard for me to talk about this song in a way; which I have been listening to even longer than certain Ayu songs- probably 3 years this song has been with me.  Well, it blends a lot of synth, a keyboard part, and some strings for a rather beautiful instrumentation. It has a soft, almost ethereal feeling to it. I always think of winter and snow falling ^_^  Myco doesn&#8217;t have the best voice, but for sure her voice is powerful and presents a lot of emotion. I love the backing vocals too. Even the lyrics: &#8220;Why do I love you so much? The answer is so close I cannot reach it&#8221; are just really sad. I love how it builds up to the ending, before quietly ending. It&#8217;s a powerful and moving ballad full of longing and one of my favourite songs.</p>
<p><strong>Luv.Remix</strong> follows Myself, and it&#8217;s a lot faster and more upbeat. It has a very quirky instrumentation- something that should sound outdated with the use of synth and keyboard but yet&#8230;it really doesn&#8217;t. I really love the constant dance beat and the vibrant string part. The chorus is really strange, with what Myco does with her voice- but it&#8217;s really cool and adds something very unique to it. I also like the quiet backing vocals. The song has a great, upbeat feeling to it and its fun to listen to. It does get a little repetitive after a while unfortunately. Though I do really love the ending with Myco&#8217;s soft ad-libbing. Really makes listening worthwhile for an ending like that!</p>
<p>Then it&#8217;s an album version of <strong>Star Dust</strong>. This song has a beautiful piano part, with the bass and some strings too. Myco sounds beautiful and her voice carries a lot of emotion. I notice her voice sounds a little strained at times, but it&#8217;s not distracting nor does it ruin the song. Overall it’s a very bittersweet ballad, which is soft and gentle making for a very relaxed feeling. I really do like the instrumentation, especially the piano and synth solo instrumental. It conjures up the image of a starry night: which is fitting given the title. The backing vocals this time round are a little distracting, a little too harsh for the song, but that&#8217;s the only thing that really gets me. Otherwise this is a very beautiful song.</p>
<p><strong>Confidence</strong> follows and it&#8217;s a favourite. It opens with a beautiful piano part, and some wonderful and light vocals from Myco. The song is really gentle, with wonderful keyboard instrumentation. I love how it builds up to the chorus, becoming stronger and well, more confident. It’s a wonderful (and appropriate) effect. I also love all the other variations this song goes through, the use of dynamics and the way it builds up and then down is very interesting. This is a beautiful and relaxing song which really, is just so pretty. As always, it carries a lot of emotion and a soft power to it. Like Luv.Remix the ending is something worth waiting for too XD Myco sounds so pretty in this song! </p>
<p>Track 5 is an album version of <strong>Embraced love</strong>, the B-side to the Star Dust single. Embraced Love is a little odd. It starts badly with Myco sounding a little flat and the thumping instrumentation, and various other parts of it  is a tiny bit annoying too (it ends just as strangely too). The song first comes off a little flat, a little mediocre. But then comes the chorus, which is a lot more powerful with better vocals and the song picks up. This is a weaker track, it has some very nice parts and I like the rock edge apparent during and after the first chorus- however the beginning is a bit weak and generally off-putting. Also, sometimes Myco sounds strained. This song has good and bad points to it. I would say once you get past the beginning, and if you can get used to rather weaker vocals now and then then it is decent. I do like how they ventured into an edgier song for this.</p>
<p>Next up is <strong>SAYONARAはわたしから</strong><em>(Goodbye from me)</em>, the song with very strong vocals from Myco building up to a fast and edgy dance number. Complete with synth, keyboard and backing vocals. I find the backing vocals a little annoying when they suddenly pop up now and then- though they sound quite nice for the &#8220;say goodbye&#8221; parts. Other than that I like the thumping dance beat, and Myco&#8217;s powerful vocals.  The high pitched Keyboard sound that pops up now and then it rather nice too. Myco&#8217;s adlibbing at the end is just gold, and I like how the guys end it before it fades off.</p>
<p>Then it&#8217;s the fast and exciting <strong>Focus</strong>. The song in Mitsuki&#8217;s dream episode one of Full Moon ^_^ The song is very fast and energetic, with wonderful blend of fast dance beat and some awesome synthetic strings. The song carries a lot of attitude, and mainly a lot of energy!! I really love it; it&#8217;s so catchy and upbeat. A fun and energetic song which makes me smile a lot!!</p>
<p><strong>Crazy for You</strong> was the B-side to Luv.Remix and it follows next. The song has much more mainstream pop/RnB feel than a lot of their other work. Frankly I think Myco&#8217;s vocals are really weird in the beginning, and the heavy beat smothers her in the chorus. It really picks up in the chorus where there&#8217;s a bit of edgy guitar work and good use of backing vocals- gives the song a bit of power and an edge. This song is like Embraced love- a bit of a mixed bag really. So I&#8217;m forced to say it&#8217;s no more than decent.</p>
<p>The album is nearly over with <strong>Nostalgia</strong>, where suddenly the album goes back to relaxing and soft ballads. This song has a very sad and regretful feeling to it. Myco sounds really wonderful and sincere. It&#8217;s a beautiful and laid-back ballad. That one synth part is a bit strange though! This song reminds me a lot of Myself, but a little toned down and more laid-back. The song is very pretty, but it&#8217;s not outstanding.</p>
<p>Lastly it&#8217;s an album version of <strong>New Future</strong>- and it&#8217;s only 5 minutes long?! New Future&#8217;s biggest flaw before was that it went on for ages but this is more compact. Either way it&#8217;s a great way to end an album, being a very powerful song about hope and looking toward the future. It makes me think of Mitsuki <img src='http://www.paradise.honest-lies.com/w/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif' alt=':P' class='wp-smiley' />  Anyway, we all know this one right? &#8220;Let&#8217;s sing a song~&#8221;. Ah&#8230;this song must be ingrained in my brain by now. It&#8217;s a very pretty, very powerful song with a lot of energy and hope. Myco gives an impressive vocal performance, and the instrumentation is lovely too.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 1.25em;">Overall rating: 8.5/10 (Good, let down by weaker tracks in a way)<br />
Favourite Tracks: Myself, Stardust, Confidence, Focus</span></p>
<p>I love Changin&#8217; my life, and I have for a long while.  For about a year all I&#8217;d heard was their best of album, until I found this album of theirs. Changin my life has a strange sound. The keyboard, the dance beats and the synth should sound outdated- yet somehow they make it work.  Their work can be powerful songs like Myself and Confidence, and upbeat energetic numbers like Luv.Remix and Focus. I think some of these songs are sub par, but there are really some great tracks too that are just awesome to listen to.</p>
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