Another Crack at the U.S. by Hikki

It's been five years since Utada Hikaru tried to break into the American music market with "Exodus"; this time, she played down the experimentation and went with a more radio-friendly R&B/pop sound aimed directly at the mainstream. Does it work? Yes and no.

The lead single, "Come Back to Me," is pretty enough, but it doesn't really come out and grab you. I think it's a bit too laid back; perhaps something a bit more upbeat would have worked better as the album's first single. Elsewhere, songs like "Apple and Cinnamon" and "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI" are absolutely gorgeous tracks that showcase Utada's voice, and make a pretty compelling argument for owning this album.

A lot has been made of the aggressive, sexually-charged lyrics that make up much of the album (like on "Dirty Desire" and "Poppin'"). While I agree the lyrics aren't the most intelligent, I can look past them -- especially in the case of "Dirty Desire," which is a pretty good track otherwise (and it's not like Utada is the first person to ever have suggestive lyrics in a song). In fact, I kind of like some of the more upbeat R&B numbers; they're generally catchy and get your foot tapping. That being said, songs like "Automatic Part II" just don't really work well, musically or lyrically.

If you compare this record to some of Utada's more popular discs released in Japan, it loses out (some might say badly). Taken on its own, though, it's pleasant enough and can certainly hold its own against other Western pop acts.