Ultra Blue - Utada Hikaru

Utada is regressing. Her first album, First Love, was the work of an unnaturally talented ingenue. Her second, Distance, was a rousingly diverse collection of songs that improved on her debut in every way. Deep River was a melancholy masterpiece. Since then it's been rough going. Her American crossover attempt, Exodus, was a disappointment and will probably prevent her from ever catching on in the land of her birth. Ultra Blue is marketed as Utada's triumphant return to the Japanese pop scene, but that market has changed a lot since her last album in 2002, and Ultra Blue is the least ambitious album of Utada's career.

The album consists of songs from Utada's five single releases over the past 4 years, plus a collection of pleasant-sounding, but unmemorable filler tracks. The secondary tracks here are largely mid-tempo synth-pop in the style of Erasure. The arrangements are all synthesized, with a cheap, shimmery sameness. The vocal performances are too controlled and mannered to elevate the forgettable and meandering melodies. "This is Love" opens the album with a little energy, and "WINGS" would have been a beautiful song with a more organic accompaniment. The best of the new tracks is "Eclipse (Interlude)" which is a two-minute instrumental that expanded into full-length form would have been the only danceable track on the album.

As far as the older songs, "Colors" is the oldest and hews closest to the traditional Utada sound perfected on Deep River. "Be My Last" is a lovely ballad which stands out largely for its emotive performance and real instrument accompaniment. The best of the singles, and best track on the album by far, is "Passion", which builds a textured sonic landscape out of ethereal samples, backmasked vocals, and a complex cadence.

If only the whole album had taken some chances instead of playing it safe, we might be watching the maturation of a great artist. As it stands now, Utada's early potential is still largely unrealized and she is being surpassed by the artists she influenced and inspired. It took her five albums to do so, but with Ultra Blue she has finally started her sophomore slump.