I was pleasantly surprised when I purchased this album. I saw the video for "Hino Tori" (track # 3) and impulsively purchased the entire album.

Even though this album may be categorized as J-pop; this artist deserves far better than to be banished to the ranks of the Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson-types. Instead, she delivers complex lyrics backed by a musical score that is infused with Jazz and Latin (and maybe a little Caribbean on track # 9??) beats.

I'm actually reviewing this album after I purchased it a second time (I carried my first copy around everywhere and it became too scratched to play properly).

Quite a cool album, this one. Mika Nakashima seems to take a relaxed pace on a number of the songs - listen to "Marionette", for example. Other songs exhibit a more funky rhythm & blues approach, "Be in silence" and "Venus in the dark", to name but two. "Yuki no hana" shows us some of the things Mika Nakashima can do with her voice in this ballad. "Aroma" takes Nakashima-san into her upper register, where she sounds very comfortable and at ease.

Mika Nakashima has a lot of potential, vocally, and she is a very expressive and stylish singer.

Her material is very attractive and just "edgy" enough for me. She ain't no Shiina Ringo, to be sure, but she has made a very agreeable and enjoyable album here. The presentation and photography are good, too.

Mika's third proper album, released in 2005, took a slight step away from her first two major releases, 'True' (2002) and 'Love' (2003), and yet stuck to her traditional soft adult contemporary formula for which she's been famous all this time. Where 'True' was more adult contemporary and 'Love' was that genre AND easy listening (even though she's best described as 'J-Pop'), 'Music' and other albums afterward took elements of both genres and threw a mixture of other styles into the mix. 'Adult Alternative,' maybe?

Anyway, I'm going to get into my track-by-track comments on this album, so here goes nothing.

1. Sakurairo Maukoro (Floating Cherry Blossoms): This song starts out with a sweet piano arrangement before the violins and other instrumentations come in. It's a lovely, sweet ballad with lyrics that pay tribute to the four seasons.

2. Oborozukiyo~Inori (Prayer on a Hazy, Moonlight Night): This is a duet with Japanese violinist Taro Hakase, who had recorded the hit song 'To Love You More' with Celine Dion in 1995. Don't you love his violin solo and the arrangement?

3. Hi no Tori (Phoenix): This song ranks with Track 1 as one of the best on the album so far. Not only is the backup smooth and relaxing, but so is the melody and Mika's voice. It's more 'Adult Contemporary' in nature, but then so, like I said, is almost all of Mika's otherwise 'J-Pop' music. This is the theme to the Japanese cartoon of the same name.

4. Kumo no Ito (Spiderweb): Mellow and relaxing electronica ballad.

5. Rocking Horse: This is the first uptempo number on the CD. Its beats are very Latin-like, which makes the song fun to listen to...maybe even to sing along to and DANCE to, to boot!

6. Carrot & Whip: This is good, too.

7. Shadows of You: Okay, I'll admit this song isn't the best on the CD, but fortunately it doesn't weigh everything else down.

8. Legend (Main): This is the third 'electronica' song on the CD. You might need to stock up on tissues for this song in case you shed a tear (it's that sweet and gentle). There was an 'Original Version' available on the single of this track, and it sounds more ballad-like.

9. Hemrock: Joyous 70s-sounding pop song with a groovy edge.

10. Seven: This jazz-flavored pop track could make you get up off your feet in two seconds. Like 'Love Addict' without the 20th-century classical sound, and great fun.

11. Fake: The momentum slows down again with this song. This is more blues-like in nature, but it's a soothing and calming track. Not to mention another one of those signs that Mika-san sets herself apart from the Top 40 of today.

12. Fed Up: Mika takes a turn at rock balladry with this song. The mood of this song left me almost breathless.

13. Hitori (Alone): Like Tracks 1 and 3, this has to be among the best on the album. I said about 'Legend' and 'Oborozukiyo' that you'd been pre-warned to dish out the Kleenex, and you'll definitely need it for this one. It's sweet and poignant. This is the 'Album Version,' on which there's only a piano and a haunting string arrangement. The 'Single Version' (available on the 'Hitori' single) adds more instruments.

All in all, this album gets an A+ from me for just about everything (vocal performance, arrangement, production, etc.). It's worth the buy if you like soft music, or if you like Mika. (You might also want to check out 'True,' 'Love,' and 'Best' while you're at it. Go to YesAsia if you want to save money on them.)