Tracks:

1. Heavenly

2. Start

3. Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo

4. Dita

5. Shinku

6. Nakitai Nara

7. Dear…

8. Taiyou no Flare

9. WAKE YOU UP

10. Shake it up!

11. Neva Eva

12. Marvelous

13. Ai no Uta Strings version

Hitomi Shimatani’s Flare was released on July 16th, 2008. It’s her 7th album and it debuted at #21 on the Oricon Weekly Charts, and it has sold a total of 13,174 copies.

I’m gonna have to say, Heavenly is indeed ~heavenly~. Though, it’s not a big eye-opener, this song is a breath of fresh air, with it’s like 90s dance style. Shimatani sounds really nice and makes the song catchy, despite it being pretty reserved and not that much of a stand-out. The music is a mix of light beats and some strings that really accent the song nicely. It works as the perfect opener for this pretty retro album.

Finally things start to pick up a bit. Our first upbeat song of the album is Start. I really like this song, mainly for it’s upbeat piano that stands out even when it’s trying to be in the background. Like Heavenly, this song has a somewhat 90s sound to it, but I think Shimatani excels at these songs to be completely honest. I kinda didn’t like how she can in a lower tone, I thought it would’ve sounded a lot better if she hadn’t, but I still enjoy this song.

Our next track can pretty much be described as elevator music. Dita is our first song to NOT be a reminiscent of the 90s, but a more Mediterranean style. I thought this song was kind of boring, hence why it’s elevator music, mainly because of the laidback piano and various ethnic beats. I had one major problem with this song: the ear-splitting flute that plays during some parts of the song. Otherwise this song is okay.

Dear… easily reminds me of a nice day at the beach. This whole song has a relaxing island feel, mainly consisting of guitars and various beats. This is a nice song for when you want to take a load off and just daydream.

Here’s the song you’ve all been waiting for! Taiyou no Flare is another song with a delicious hint of crossover, that Shimatani does so well. Unlike Shinku, this song is a lot more upbeat (in the end) and features some upbeat, stunning vocals. Definately one of the highlights off the album, and definately wakes you up after it’s sleepy period.

Shake it up! is another one of those ethnic-ish songs, but this one is a lot faster, and features a constant beat. As well as some upbeat acoustic guitar. I didn’t really like Shimatani’s vocals, but that’s easily overlooked since this song has a nice instrumental.

We conclude the album with a Strings version of the stellar Ai no Uta. The thing I noticed was that the strings don’t exactly start until after the first chorus (which is about a minute into the song.) Though I liked the original, the added strings definately makes up for what was missing and makes it a billion times better. Everything about the song is kept the same, except for what was stated otherwise.

Since this was my first Hitomi Shimatani album, and what I saw about it, I wasn’t too sure on how things would go. I ended up liking most of the album, and I especially liked how she can do the 90s style songs so well. Her crossover = TO DIE FOR. I’m definately hoping she tries more crossover in her later releases. If not, an ethnic song. Either is alright with me!

Overall Grade: