Mano Eri, You’re Cute But…

I’ve been holding back on commenting on anything Mano Eri until I had a chance to hear all her songs. Now that I’ve accomplished that I figured I can put my half a cent on her in a more informed manner.

It’s been announced that she will be releasing a full album on December 16th.  I’m not sure what to think about this.  From what I have observed Mano Eri either brings feelings of intense loathing or love.  There seems to be little or no middle ground with her.  There are those who find her a little… Bland? Vanilla? Flavorless?

I can see their point.  A lot of her songs are basically different shades of boring presented in some piano ballad form.  With the exception of Lucky Aura, Sekai wa Summer Party & to some extent La La La So So So she sounds like she’s reading a really boring book.  Her vocals are just so damn lifeless. If she were perhaps be taught to emote just a little bit maybe the majority of her songs wouldn’t be so dull?

It probably doesn’t help that her handlers are really trying to pigeon hole her into the whole “girl behind the piano” schtick.  Yeah that works for artists like Jyongri & Angela Aki but they aren’t expected to be all hyper & dance during their songs.  I figure if she wasn’t singing for an H!P fan base it would be fine to see her sitting there looking pretty.

Yet there are those who lover her no matter how bland her music is.   Her songs are most likely not boring to these people, but more like soothing and a breath of fresh air from the standard UFA formula.  I guess kind of like Maeda Yuki or Nakazawa Yuko’s material.

It’s amazing how photogenic she is & I really have no problem looking at her.  Based on her blog & radio show & her appearances on Yorosen she seems to be rather charming and funny.

So what side of the fence am I on?  Well like I said I like looking at her & although I find most of her songs to be sleep inducing I still listen to them because I can hear some sort of potential in her.  She’s still rather new to me (I don’t follow the comings & goings of the H!P Eggs, at all) so I’m not about to give up on her yet.  As of the this writing I can say that I think she’s pretty awesome.

I’m only hoping that this upcoming album has more up tempo songs on it.  I expect maybe all or some of her previously released singles and/or a b-side or 2 to be on it.  I’m not sure if I could take an entire album of slow songs with her current monotone vocal style.  But I won’t pass judgement until I hear the entire thing.