An acoustic best-of for peaceful hours.
With ACOUSTIC:LATTE, Every Little Thing presented a self-cover of their greatest hits as acoustic versions. As a result, a best-of of a different kind came out on February 16, 2005. Certainly, Kaori’s singing style is easy to tell after a very short time, but the music itself is very unique and no song sounds like the previous one.
The prelude into this acoustic ambiance is happy, lighthearted and dreamy due to the bright guitar chords, the strong bass, the rousing piano chords and Kaori’s light vocals. A bit slower with a relaxed French flair and a certain feeling of homesickness, water(s) takes over, accompanied by an accordion. It may seem a bit short when compared directly with the other songs on the album though, as most of them come in at just under five minutes. The likewise peaceful nostalgia can better be described as a sad love song with Irish spirit and impresses with a very wonderful guitar solo before the end.
In the next song, Ai no kakera, you get to experience yearning melodies and an exotic Spanish guitar chord, which brings in a lot of atmosphere from the very first moment. But that isn’t all the CD has to offer: Time goes by is a melancholy song that will make you think, but it also provides a lot of space for dreaming. The initial grief makes way for optimism; this is musically interpreted with more and more layers of strings, acoustic guitars and the piano.
Keeping the more upbeat mood, the next song says good-bye to all of your sorrows. Within this casual song, the joys of living stands in focus. This is followed by the soft love song Shiawase no fuukei, where the sound of an organ provides a nice feeling. The following track is as fragile as the title states: fragile is a charming piece of music with a slow melody, light vocals and atmospheric use of guitars and a piano.
For the swinging, lighthearted Azayaka na mono, the piano and organ feel like a breath of fresh air, and with the dreamy, light ballad NECESSARY, you can relax completely. The next, almost monumental yearning love song Ai no uta sends shivers down the spine, due to its ambiance created by the haunting melody, instruments and vocal style; it's a song which will bring tears to anyone's eyes. Every Little Thing lets the CD close with a leisurely-paced, melancholy piece, which is inspired by hope and shines with a calm sitar solo.
ACOUSTIC:LATTE seems to be one of those albums best enjoyed outside, listened to while sitting on the banks of a river or on a park bench. It unwinds and catches you up at the same time, pushing you into a sweeter fantasy. ACOUSTIC:LATTE would be enjoyed by all classical and acoustic fans, one doesn't need to be familiar with the band to enjoy the great music.
