Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2010

Courtesy of Epic

Since going solo after the breakup of groundbreaking pop band Judy and Mary, Yuki Isoya’s output has been far from consistent. Her fifth album is no different. “Present” is a sunny slice of guitar-pop with a euphoric chorus and even a rare line in (badly broken) English. “Just Life! All Right!” sounds like something Radiohead would disco-dance to, and the mysterious “Chinese Girl” presents Yuki at her most graceful, her helium-fueled voice curling around a delicate melody. Meanwhile, the acoustic trio of “Sayonara, Okaeri,” “Miss Yesterday” and “Onaji Te” are touching, gently optimistic tunes. But a heavy dose of overproduction means the title track comes off as a cheesy Sade throwback, and the melodies are often by-the-numbers. At nearly ¥4,000, you should definitely try before you buy.