Hayley Sings Japanese Songs 2 Hayley Westenra (CD)

The deceptively-titled Hayley Sings Japanese Songs 2 by Kiwi youngster Hayley Westenra should really be Hayley's English Covers of Japanese Songs. This CD is the follow-up to Hayley Sings Japanese Songs.

Dedicated to Westenra's mother, the album features mostly songs about motherhood. Compared to her first record of Japanese covers, here the talented Westenra displays a matured sense of emotion and even vocal control. Opener Tsubomi starts off softly and builds into a powerful overture that flows into the second track like a river into the ocean.

Tracks three, four and eight are heart-warming odes to mothers that almost everyone can relate to. Cosmos (named after a Japanese autumn flower) is a classic mid-70s song originally performed by Momoe Yamaguchi and still regularly played on local radio stations. The song tells the story of a mother and daughter reminiscing about the past the day before the girl gets married and leaves home.

Itsumo Nando Deno is a mellow folk song and more like Westenra's regular crossover fare. It is a refreshing break from the rest of the pop ballads.

Both albums are great, but if you only get one, choose this.