An older fan of LISA will probably associate her with classical R&B, but in case her most recent mini-album got that fever finds its way into your CD-player, you should abolish your view of LISA's musical cosmos and be prepared for a spick-and-span listening experience. With this new work, LISA bids farewell to her primal sound (e.g. SWITCH) and carries the listener away on a journey through modern club sounds and several synth-heavy dance tracks.
Leave is one of those tunes mentioned above; it's a party riot, catchy and mellow. It offers everything a characteristic and felicitous dance song needs: drifting beats, a melodic background, some synth-gimmicks and LISA in top form. Whoever doesn't feel like dancing when faced with this impressive piece of music LISA created with the Swedish production duo Bloodshy & Avant has to be deaf!
other side of now ties in with its predecessor, but while Leave develops from the first second on, this track is more promiscuous and assertive due to the cutthroat synthesizers. The heavy beat implies a gloomy club tune, but while the verses carry this mood, LISA quickly moves into a brighter direction with a sparkling pop chorus that's not really in line with the rest of th song. Still, other side of now is a solid production and will probably appeal to fans of Japanese pop and happy dance music. The same story goes with The Sign, where a bubbly refrain surprisingly supersedes the nineties-like, minimalist verses.
LISA shifts down a gear in Hot Love and flourishes in a Ne-Yo-esque, more urban track with predominantly English lyrics. In a nutshell, it's about going out to party and finding - surprise! - hot love. LISA manages to wrap this message in a fleet-footed melody and sweet lyrics, transferring a special atmosphere and really seems to be in her element. While it's nice that the singer ventures into various genres, some old school LISA is a pleasure.
With One More Song, LISA lets the pulsing house beats rest for a bit and presents a calm, sentimental, though slightly cliché pop ballad with some R&B influence. The track might not be a standout, but the harmonious melody and soulful chorus allow for a breather after four powerful songs, and LISA doesn't overdo it thanks to her serene vocals. After this formidable tune the work seems completed, but there is one more song to follow: Babylon no Kiseki -wall5 remix-, the bonus track. It's a well done new version of her 2002 song, which is definitely more mature than the other songs on this album are and shows a different side of LISA. The fast pace makes it interesting; unfortunately, her voice is swallowed by the dominating instrumentation and lacks recognition value here.
Overall, LISA obviously feels comfortable with her new style and seems very authentic. Nevertheless, she will surely explore other genres in future, and there's no doubt that it's going to be interesting. got that fever symbolizes a step in the right direction. Still, the mini-album could use more highlights and decisiveness; it can't be considered as true house/electro as most of the tracks feature kitschy refrains alongside grown-up, darker verses, and sometimes this mixture just doesn't work. However, fans of lighter club sound should definitely keep an eye on LISA.
