Title: No Limit
Artist: Mari Iijima
Distributor: Self-Produced
Reviewer: Agent 760
Media Reviewed: CD
Type: Contemporary
Grade: C+
You might remember her from her days as the
feminine siren of the television show Superdimensional Fortress Macross, but did
you also know that her first love was music?
Since her days as the capricious Lynn Minmei, she has been writing music
for contemporary listening in Japan for many years since the show ended in 1983.
These days, she has been trying her hand in music right here in the USA. Her inaugural American album "No Limit" is Iijima's crossover to an English speaking audience. However, her songs don't hit the mark like they do in Japan.
There's "No Limit" to the various reasons as to why this album should be downloaded off the internet than actually bought, but if you are a true Iijima fan, then you have a reason to pick this album up. The album itself is about 45 minutes in length, which is average for any album and features a few songs that could easily be heard on your local quiet storm station. The rhythms and melodies in "No Limit" are enough to bob your head to, but the lyrics to the songs are a little on the disturbing side.
The overall feeling that you get after listening to this album is to go find a rope and hang yourself. Most of the songs in "No Limit" deal with feelings of bitterness that are associated with a breakup from a relationship. The song "Stop Keeping In Touch" is about a girl seeing an ex-boyfriend who is happy in his new relationship and tells his ex all about it, while "For A Little While" deals with feelings of depression. On the upside, however, there are some songs that don't denounce love, such as "More Than Yesterday" which deals with one of the joys of being in a relationship: knowing that your lover remembers your name.
One of the biggest obstacles for this album is the English pronunciation of some of the lyrics. Mari's heavy Japanese accent hurt her more than helped her on this album. Some of the words came out muffled or inaudible, which makes you rely on context clues heavily to understand the lyrics. However, it doesn't detract from the overall listening experience.
"No Limit" is a strong album, with some memorable tunes. However, the overall tone of the album does not make it palatable for the general public. Also, the $24.98 price tag further doesn't justify owning this album... Maybe just listen to it once or borrow it from someone, but it definitely is not a keeper.
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