again was YUI’s 14th single. It was released on June 3, 2009. The title track was used as the opening theme song for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Tracks:
1. again
2. Sea
3. SUMMER SONG ~YUI Acoustic Version~
4. again ~instrumental~

Review:
After her not so epic album and a B-Sides compilation YUI is back in action! I”m sure most of us agree that YUI was way too repetitive with her last studio album, yet SUMMER SONG was such a breath of fresh air. And I have to say that I’m am so thrilled that she took a hiatus, it really seems to have worked for her. After nearly a year of no singles she’s released the epic and extraordinary again. I can exactly put my finger on it but for some reason this song sounds remarkably different from all her past works. It might be the oscillating rhythm, shifting from mid-tempo to breakneck in seconds. The guitar still plays a vital role but she varies it and makes it sound unique and so new. And the way she varies her vocals is mesmerizing and she really displays her excellent vocals, which I haven’t heard in a while. And I guess the tone doesn’t hurt either, it’s not so up-beat and acoustic like her previous singles.

YUI’s gotten a lot better with her song writing and has grown as an artist, it’s really shown through with Sea. It’s a laid-back mid-tempo song that’s similar to a ballad yet still has that signature YUI sound. The acoustic guitar plays a role as do the drums. Everything about this song is pretty much laid-back and relaxing. The atmosphere is completely different than the previous song, it’s more calm rather than fast and in a rush. And on another note, I loved the strings, a nice little touch.

And as always we have the YUI Acoustic Version, this time it’s SUMMER SONG. The original was pretty much an acoustic song with just a little more instrumentals like an organ I believe and some percussion, etc. This version has pretty much sucked out all the fun and excitement, leaving it pretty dull. It’s just not nearly as exciting as the original. Yet it still has some charm leftover.

Overall Review: YUI might need to take another hiatus after this, it seems to do wonders for her. again is far much better than more of the singles she’s released to date. The arrangement is far more original and sounds a hell of a lot better than her last works. She’s definitely come back with a bang. again is by far one of her greatest works, again it’s mostly because it sounds so unique and epic. As for the B-Side, I was fairly pleased. It’s different because it’s more laid-back and calm, yet it’s still better than some of her A-Sides. Her acoustic version of the last single was mediocre. That’s the only problem I have with this single. Overall it’s one of her strongest singles to date.

Final Grade