Tracks:

1. Tokyo Biyori

2. message.

3. Hum a Tune

4. Tokyo Biyori (Instrumental)

5. message. (Instrumental)

Tomiko Van’s Tokyo Biyori was released on June 18th, 2008, almost two years after her 3rd single, Yumeji. It’s her 4th single and it charted at #18 on the Oricon Weekly Charts, and it has sold 5,219 copies.

Compared to all the music Van has released during her solo career, Tokyo Biyori has to be one of the most minimalistic, safer ones. While all in all I think this song is pleasant, it’s way too campy and to be frank, boring. Despite it being boring, Van sounds really nice among the flowing strings and pleasant acoustic guitar and though I don’t like this song much, it’s nice to hear her singing a slower song. She’s much better at upbeat songs, though.

message. is a pretty unique song. Not only is it completely different from what Van normally does, it’s her first self-composed song. I like this song a lot more for one main reason: it’s upbeat. Van’s vocals sound a lot better in an upbeat song. For her first composition, I say she did an okay job at combining brazen acoustic guitar with an echoey, ethereal twist. Despite it being a nice B-side, it’s one of my least favourite.

Our last B-side is a pretty annoying cover of ORIGINAL LOVE’s Hum a Tune. Van totally sounds out of her element in this really long winded, boring cover.  She sings at a lower register, which I don’t think suits her at ALL and the pop-rock song couldn’t be more typical. Sorry Van, not this time.

Overall Grade: