Destiny Line – Ai no Matador –

GAM’s debut studio album, entitled 1st GAM, was released on 05.27.07. This group is a combination of H!P members Fujimoto Miki and Matsuura Aya and was released after three singles: Thanks!, メロディーズ and LU LU LU.

Thanks! is the album’s opener. The song starts off with a cool instrumental, highlighted by the guitar before the first verse starts. The vocals fit with the music perfectly and the listener is led on a journey while listening. The twinkling sounds that appear in the instrumentation definitely stands out as gives a very pretty feeling. Hooking the listener is the chorus, which features some stronger vocals and the music remains interesting. The pure instrumental section sounds absolutely fantastic, putting the spotlight on the sleekness of the music before the chorus is re-introduced. Thanks! is a great album opener showing off the girls’ cool flare that makes them stand out.

Keeping up the energy is track number two, 純潔 ~Only.~ Opening this song is an enjoyable and addictive twinkling po instrumental sequence before the first verse starts. The vocals here have a little more maturity to them that stands out to the listener and actually compliments the music perfectly. The chorus sounds great as the girls show off a little more vocal power, particularly with the last word. The pure instrumental section captures the listener and does a fantastic job of coming back to the chorus. For being addictive and strongly upbeat, it’s a great track to follow Thanks!

メロディーズ is up next and offers a more relaxing atmosphere. The song begins with a sweet instrumental and the snapping is actually a nice touch along with the ringing of the bells. Things then pick up a little bit for a midtempo feel. The chorus sounds great as the girls sing with emotion and nice vocal power. The following English part in which “melodies in the memories” is sung is a bit strange but it’s nothing too annoying.

The fourth song is 愛の船. A nice instrumental section starts the song off and there are some lighter rock tints that catch the listener’s ear. The first verse starts and the girls’ vocals sound great. They hold their notes strongly and harmonize perfectly. The chorus stands out as the girls show more vocal strength and the instrumentation becomes more central than before. The song isn’t as addictive as the previous ones but it’s definitely a nice number and shows a different sound for the girls.

ここで キスして  is next. The song starts off with a dreamy sound that makes the listener really enjoy before the instrumentation becomes a little more varied. The first verse has sleekness as the girls smoothly sing their way over the addictive instrumentation. Popping very nicely is the chorus as the girls’ vocal prowess comes to the forefront as they hit their notes with power and feeling. The pure instrumental section sounds absolutely wonderful as the coolness of the song is strongly spotlighted and catches the listener’s ear perfectly. This song is wonderful by having a slower sound while still maintaing that coolness and showing off the girls’ vocals.

LU LU LU is the following song. A very nice and upbeat instrumentation starts the song off and there is a positive and happy feeling to it that stands out. The first verse then starts and the girls carry a certain fragility to their voices that move with the music perfectly. As the girls show off a little more power, the vocals allow the chorus to stand out from the rest of the song. The English line “I will love you forever” and how the girls hit the higher notes strongly are both factors in its strength. LU LU LU is an excellent song and definitely one to check out.

The seventh song is the addictive, イチャイチャ Summer. The song begins a fun instrumental that really captures the sounds of summer perfectly. The vocals during the first verse have a certain element of whisper to them that connects each line very nicely and directs the listener. The chorus is wonderful and has a prettiness that just makes it all the more addictive and the repeating words help it resonate strongly in the listener’s mind. This song is one of the best songs on the album and really stays in the listener’s mind.

Up next is 愛情オアシス. The song starts off with a cool instrumental that hooks the listener from first listen. The first verse then starts and the looming feeling in the instrumentation goes perfectly with the girls’ vocals. The chorus really stands out for more vocal power that the girls deliver and the transition into pure instrumentation is genius. This song is a fantastic upbeat number that the girls really deliver their all on to make the listener pay attention from start to finish.

…H continues the upbeat and enjoyable sound. To begin the song, an aggressive and addictive instrumental comes out. The chorus features some great vocals and have a certain happy element to them that stands out as the instrumentation continues to be edgy. Vocals during the first verse sound great and stand out very nicely. The pure instrumental section sounds great and spotlights just how creative and interesting the music is on this song.

The title track, 甘い誘惑, is the album’s last real number. A rock-filled instrumentation starts the song off and then the chorus begins, which sounds a little repetitive but it doesn’t sound bad. The first verse then starts and there is a more mellow feeling instilled. Moments of pure instrumentation actually are the standout parts of the song and the vocals are nice overall although it doesn’t particularly hook the listener as well as other songs.

Thanks! (誘惑 Remix) is the last song on the album. This version of the song holds a sweeter and lighter atmosphere than the original. It’s a nice addition but the original version is much stronger and is really what makes the listener hooked.

Album Ranking: A +

GAM’s debut album shows off these two girls talents fantastically. Upbeat numbers like 純潔 ~Only,~ …H and 愛情オアシス  as well as slow songs like   イチャイチャ Summer and ここで キスして all show the different sounds these girls can handle. The album is very strong and one of the strongest out of H!P.