mink – e+motion

Artist: mink Title: e+motion Release Date: 2005.12.07 Product Code: RZCD-45313/4 Limited Edition: Schedule notebook Label: rhythm zone

mink is someone who rather requires a bit of an explanation. Her name is short for “made in Korea,” and she debuted in Japan by sending in her demos to avex Japan, because that was the industry she wanted to work in. Since then she has consistently worked her way up, released several singles, and two albums. She has a third album out, so here I’ll provide a brief review of her second album to introduce her first before I get to the new album.

 

01. One Wish

The opening track of this album is a slow love song. It has a rather pretty melody set to simple piano chords, and builds up with other instruments. The simplicity of the instrumentals really showcases mink’s voice. Even though this is a very plain song, it’s worth a listen because mink makes it sound good. The only fault I can find with this song is that after a few listenings, one begins to realize the arrangement is a little too simple.

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02. Rescue Me ~kimi ga ita kara~

“Rescue Me” is one of my favorite tracks on this album. Mink’s voice singing “Every time I need a place to fall…” in the beginning of the chorus is very powerful, and the entire song is written and arranged well. Mink performs this piece with power and with emotion. This track also really showcases the lower register in her voice. The way her voice trails off during the last line is A+.

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03. Automatically

This song has somewhat of a gospel feeling to it. The lyrics are a little cheesy, but it’s actually rather shocking that mink, a person of Korean descent can sing gospel this convincingly. She doesn’t sound exactly like someone singing gospel, but rather lends her own unique style and voice to this genre. Here she showcases her vocal powers and builds up the song with her strong voice.

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04. Seinaru yoru ni itai basho

Amazing, one of the only songs that didn’t stick in my head for weeks after listening to this album! The verse to this song is a bit weak, but the soft and gorgeous vocals in the chorus are worth listening to. Here mink shows a slightly different side to her, and despite the mediocre writing in the verse, this Christmas song touches the heart.

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05. Bring it on ~atarashii sekai e~

This track is another gospel track, very much similar to Automatically. The gospel chorus is certainly wonderful in this track! This song is full of spirit and fighting power. The bassline is absolutely wonderful and the brass backgrounds really gives the song that little extra something that makes it good.

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06. Egao no housoku

Here the album slows down a bit with another ballad. Mink once again lends her powerful vocals to a softer feeling, and the song drifts along beautifully until the chorus where it suddenly builds up to a powerful height. It’s really a beautiful ballad. The chord changes throughout this song are pleasantly surprising and beautiful.

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07. One Suitcase ~wakare no asa~

This is the track that made me love mink forever. “One suit case and a phone that won’t ring anymore. Is there something I should know? Will there be a morning after? Should I stay? Should I go?” The catchy melody and the wonderfully done instrumentals give this song a brisk, mysterious feeling. This is a song that can’t really be explained, but rather must be experienced.

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08. Amazing Grace

This is one of the weaker tracks on this album. It has too many instrumental interludes and doesn’t seem to fit together as a whole. It’s still a great track that shows off mink’s vocal abilities, but it sounds like more showing off than a song. It also has the disadvantage of being a commonly known song, even in Japan. Worth a listen, but not really anything amazing.

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09. beautiful -BAYAKA Piano Mix

“Beautiful” is a song that appeared on her first album, and here is a wonderful dance remix to it. Apparently, mink’s songs do well in American clubs and even charts in the United States dance charts. I have to say, the DJs who remix her songs are pretty amazing. This track is the first of two remix tracks on the album. At 7:42 minutes long, it maintains a catchy beat while not losing the original ballad’s wonderfully realized vocals.

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10. Glory of Life -Darryl James remix

“Glory of Life” was one of my favorite songs on her first album (and is one of my favorite songs by mink, period), and I’m glad to see more remixes of it. This is the song that charted on the Billboard dance charts! The song builds up the beat and the background gospel vocals for more than a minute (yes, you read right, it’s a techno/dance song with a gospel choir). Once again, the remix does not lose mink’s smooth vocals along the way, but rather brings it out more with a beat. “Now we’re fighting to win.. to hold on to this dream, for the glory of life..”

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Conclusion:
This is a powerful second album coming from mink, and while it’s not perfect and has several slightly weak songs, it’s well deserving of four stars. Please give it a listen and support her for her upcoming album, “SHALOM.”

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