I normally cannot stand Jazz and along with rap, they remain the two genres I can happily leave any day of the week – however even I can tell a fantastic musical artist in those genres – especially when I can listen to it! Welcome Nat Osborn with your band – you may finally have given me entry point for jazzy music at long last. I can’t give a higher compliment than that!
The new album “The King and the Clown” is out Tuesday.
65 Minutes, 7 songs. That’s a whole lot of epic going on. “50 Words for Snow” in many ways is anything but epic because it’s such a quiet and intimate album as a whole. Effectively a winter album, the songs weave their own patterns of weather.
“Snowflakes” is equally hypnotic as it is touching with a specific piano riff and hushed, muted and warm percussion lightly fumbles around the background. Interestingly it features (and opens with) her son Bertie singing beautifully. You can hear her nuances in his vocals and it fits together beautifully as a duet. Veering off to a jazz edge is the dischordant “Lake Tohoe” which seems to thrive in the opening few minutes with off-key moments and clashing vocals over soft piano and light dustings of electronics simmering away in the background. When the string ensemble arrives is when the song really comes together for me however with a perfect blend of humming and strings. Kate’s vocal’s have deepened and now feel quite sultry here. “Misty” completes the piano heavy jazzier trio that open the album with a simple melody, hushed vocals and as with the previous two, a lack of urgency and a take-my-hand warmth feels yours ears and heart. It’s strange how sometimes doing less makes everything feel like much more. The strings are used sparingly, as are the electronics in the background but you’re aware they’re there. Finally the track breaks into a more climactic ending with subtle guitar and Kate finally breaking out of her hushed tones to release her full voice upon us. It’s a wonderful section.
“Wild Man” is the most commercial track on the album (which is saying a lot about the rest) and in its seven minute entirety the infectious guitar riff is just as powerful and hypnotic but the single is bookended by an atmospheric opening and an additional verse at the end. “Snowed in at Wheeler Street” has a background almost tampura like chord which instantly harks me back to Aerial’s Disc 2. Add to this Elton John popping up playing the part of a lover in what is almost like a conversation in music. It’s typically unique and as anti song structure as possible – yet it makes perfect sense. This is the first track on the album that seems particularly downcast and blue.
Going into the more wilder side of Kate is the title track “50 Words for Snow”. Kate’s vocal’s count 1 through to 50 through a filter that sucks the life out it while Stephen Fry lists off the words! Think Aerial’s title track’s song structure and you’re part way there. It’s the most upbeat of the tracks and most interesting arrangement with lots of wind samples and weird warping whooping sounds. For the chorus Kate then tells us all how many words are left to be told! It’s by far my favourite track on the album. “Among Angels” closes the album in a beautiful way almost like the closing of a season with some delicate piano and vocal travels.
“50 Words For Snow” did not hit me on first listen aside from the single and the title track. Everything else is very long-winded and although it’s full of wisdom and emotion, it lacks the immediate punch to hook you. My interest was more than piqued however and I wanted to go back and rediscover the songs again that I didn’t immediately want to place on repeat. Suddenly like sections in the songs made sense, they formed songs within songs. Then it clicks. Like Aerial, its one that you need to sit through from start to finish to completely appreciate. On their own, the tracks are beautiful, together, they weave a season of winter chills, hearty spills and the warmth of music and language combined in one of the best examples I’ve heard for a winter album.
Marcus Singletary’s album “Smokin’” was recommended to me as something to look at for my love of harking back to T-Rex era rock riffs. Marcus simply has it down to a T. “Smokin’” has an overproduced sound with massive drums, all the insutrments pushed to the fore and a lot of dueling vocal layers to rock out to.
A great example is the Bolan-esque “Can It Be Real” with epic stadium guitar hooks and plenty of organs freaking out. It sounds like it’s coming from a tech-noir rock club and its fantastic. “Drop of a Hat” shows a more funky edge with a bit of brass thrown in and jazzy organs flying around. It’s a very dynamic sound that flips through your ears, one that you’ll struggle to stay still to. “Farmer” is a lighter track which veers towards Blur territory with a “he’s a farmer” as the chorus. It also reminds me strangely of scooby-doo with its comical b-movie bridge. It’s a real mix up of different odds and ends that remarkably works perfectly together. “Get the Dance Gene” has some sublime guitar work in it as it effortlessly slides from chord to chord as you boogie to the beat. The uptempo jazz funk rock hybrid from 1970 sound is at its peachy peak in this awesome track.
“Meditate” shifts to a sitar and woodwind sample with what sounds like the best stylophone-esque sample I’ve heard used in a stadium rock song in years. It starts off funky and builds into a big finale you’ll be singing along to quite happily. “Misty Morning” too is anthemic. It reminds me of Cornershop and a bit of Madness thrown in but with more grit and dirt. There’s some excellent saxophone playing throughout the track too. “Psychedelic People” is more laid back and organ based with some fun flute flourishes as if it emphasis the flower power fun. “You Could Be Lucky” is a great track also as it sums everything up nicely by adding a bit of everything from the above and ties it in a fantastic four and a half-minute package.
Marcus Singletary has crafted a great album that has a distinctive sound, a heart and soul to smile for with a beat to boogie to – all while being a complete throwback love song to 70′s rock. It’s unashamedly upbeat and embracing while it rings every drop of sweat from your panting face as you try to keep up. Great fun.
Utada Hikaru’s parting arrow before her rest from the music business comes in the form of Single Collection Vol 2. Whilst I’m sure you all know the singles well if you’re a Hikki fan, the 5 track second disc of new songs meant I had to grab the album when it was released digitally in Europe!
Firstly a quick shout out to Beautiful Worlds Acoustica PLANitb Mix which is absolutely fantastic at the end of disc 1, a previously download only track which is now available on CD – an equal to the original. Think rock-dance.
“Arashi no Megami” opens disc 2 with a power rock ballad. Starting off with piano and vocals, slowly the bass and guitars creep in and before you know it, you have a Utada Aerosmith song! It doesn’t quite go into massive rock chorus’ but it’s about as rocked out Hikaru has been for a while. “Show Me Love (Not A Dream)” opens to a beautiful ambient keyboard pulsing with heavily processed drum rolls in the distance which soon burst into a real rock track. This track really caught my attention as Hikki roars “it’s all in my head” to pounding drums and grungey guitars. It’s such a fabulous removal from another she’s done recently – I could quite happily take a grunge Utada next album!
“Goodbye Happiness” is very much of the last two albums. Completely digital j-pop but with a tinge of sadness and spoonful of chirp. Utada has always been able to write fantastically catchy songs that never grate on you and just stay with you and this is a great example of this. You’ll like it on first listen but love it by the fifth.
Then time for something completely different, “Hymne a L’amour -Ai no Anthem-” is a lounge song. With the electric piano, flutes and hi-hats bashing away, it’s a complete transformation. Utada’s voice suits the type of song and it’s really surprising at how versatile and cameleon like all these different styles in five songs have allowed Utada to be. The final track “Can’t Wait Til Christmas” is a beautiful ballad to end the mini CD.
I have to say that the complete variation on this mini CD took me by surprise. It’s whet my pallette for Grunge Hikki! However, as long as we get to hear more music from her in the future, I’m sure whichever style she goes for will be magic. This see’s her staying gold.
Myra Flynn’s debut album “Crooked Measures” is a diverse beast. It basks in the warm glow of Myra’s soulful vocals and a vast range of song styles from folk to jazz and leapfrogging many singer/songwriter genres inbetween.
“Feel Like the Sunshine” opens the album with a fuzzy warm funky folksy track with some beautiful vocal layering that breeze over you. Myra’s voice is something that really hits you square in the jaw. It’s sultry and silky smooth and lures you into false security. Sometimes, especially in other songs, you forget the lyrics aren’t exactly happy, but you don’t immediately feel that. This opener is a great finger clicker!
“Long Fall Down” is a slower soft rock ballad where all the instrumentation and vocals drip emotion through the speakers. The strings really add to the overall feel and depth of the song as it sways by. “Just Because” initially takes things down to an intimate level before drums and vocal layers aplenty flood in for a simple but effective melody and hook. It builds and builds into a low key finale and ends up being a real powerhouse of a song that displays Myra’s talent at some of its best. “So It Goes” slinks and shimmies along with plenty of soul and diva in its vocal delivery. This is the track where you want to stand up and shout the lyrics whilst shaking your fist at the audience surely!
“Bones”, like a lot of the album, is suited to a video montage in a rom-com film where the leads share a lovely day out together. It has a certain glow to it, a homeliness that invites you on, especially with the excellent vocal collage at the end. “Hold It Up” is more folk rock with some techie twists which effectively make what sounds like a string strum become the percussive beat to the track.
“Small Talk” takes the album into a different plain. The snazzy blues track with a fantastic chourus that instantly sticks in your head on the first listen, its a playful track and makes you smile while it deals with tons of issues. It’s a real standout in terms of style in the album and therefore sticks out as a favourite of mine.
“What Am I” is a rock ballad which again showcases a simple melody with strong vocals with splashes of jazz, soul and blues all rolled into your average acoustic singer/songwriter. “Where Do You Go” strips things back to a piano/vocal base and it takes its time to deliver each line, which makes things weigh so much more on you as a listener. Some of the songs on the album do feel like the words are flying by at 100mph, but here its refreshing to feel each nuance.
“Miss Independance” is a great track. Claps, hums and vocal tracks collide to give a track with attitude! This kind of daring arrangement of a track showcases Flynn’s future potential as it absolutely suits her sassy voice which has such a huge range, she could happily be the whole choir and here it shows. This is without doubt my favourite track from the album.
“Fragile” closes the album with an uptempo jazz-rock track which again throws a new genre at us. It’s an uplifting end to what is on the whole a warm album. It has a catchy chorus, simple chord and melody structure and features Myra’s vocals – it can’t really lose!
“Crooked Measures” took me a few listens to understand. Having come from seeing her play a piano/vocal track live – I was compelled to buy the album and the overall sound wasn’t really what I was expecting. As a listener, I really struggle with anything with a hint of Jazz and so its a testament to Flynn’s music that I came back and began to really enjoy the album as a whole! Its probably twice as hard too, to make an album that’s as much as warm glowy one as a miserable one and still have credibility. “Crooked Measures” succeeds with that. It’s catchy, fun, if a bit safe and samey in places, Myra’s vocals absolutely raise the music to a higher plain and when she breaks the mould from the usual soft rock, Flynn’s music really bursts into life.
Shiina Ringo throws herself from pure rock to jazz and back again at the flick of a switch and this live vault is “Papaya Mango” from her jazz side. It’s such a cute showy song, one to kick your legs too with big feathers on!
This weeks music video comes from the Final Fantasy X-2 Vocal Collection bonus disc of Paine. Her vocal theme “Dormant Memories” is performed by Megumi Toyoguchi. The video shows lots of in game footage with a wandering Megumi. Enjoy
OverClocked Remix is something of a stamp of quality assurance. The community that continues to grow from strength to strength has been embraced by music and game lovers alike for its sublime remixing skills. “FF4 Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption” is the latest project which has spanned over thirty remixers and three discs of music.
Disc 1 is entitled “Act I Betrayal” and opens with “Full of Courage” by Nutritious as a rousing opening track. Both regal and militant, this track seeps with pride and the arrangement breathes 21st Century life into the original “Red Wing”. “The Might of Baron” from audio fidelity takes it to the stadium rock level with a great marching boots samples and a great vein of tension that is given a real pay off with its interesting use of different instrumentation to make a fantastic track.
AeroZ’s “Overture~Tellah’s Prophecy” is an electronica medley that crafts many of the signature themes into a great heavy bass orientated track with seamless transitions. “Journey to Solace” from Avaris is eerie as it is compellingly beautiful. The song continues to move and shape shift into a more dramatic piece but its the quieter moments that make this track more effective. “Ana(pro)logue” from Another Soundscape has a retro/new age feel to it taking an older synth sound, cleaning it up and then turning it into summer breeze party track. The change of pace and tone is very welcome and its unabashed joy is infectious.
“The Flying Machine” by John Revoredo has some of the most realistic samples I’ve heard in a free remix soundtrack. It’s an orchestral arrangement of the Main Theme and could possibly be my most favourite arrangement of it to date. In contrast, Mazedude’s “Welcome to Our Town” has gone for the low-fi route and it works. The gently blips and burps give it a relaxing potion feel that’s quite unique like an alien symphony.
Cyril the Wolf’s interpretation of Rydia is well gauged. Using an acoustic guitar and then building on it into a nice jazzy band, “Emerald Beauty” is the first band version of the theme that actually sounds right and that’s a tribute to the arranger for knowing exactly where to go with it. “RDX Necklace” by Children of the Monkey Machine and audio fidelity has a long ambient build up while the main tune (Ring of Bomb) is only barely heard in the background. It’s an interesting concept but as it builds up and up it only really comes to life in the final minute and you’ve already had three minutes of distorted guitars. However on repeated listens you do begin to appreciate it more and spot the subtle changes going on behind the mask of noise.
Tweek’s “Of Fiend and Man” is a real rock out of titanic proportions. Like a neo gothic finale, this is an absolute stonker of a track. Followed by a nice brass arrangement by DragonAvenger, “Interlude-Yay!” makes winning worth while! “The Skies Hold No Angels For Us” from Level 99 and audio fidelity follows as an excellent track. Starting off as a full on rock track the arrangement is spot on and then suddenly in the middle is a piano solo segment. Of course its back to manic guitar solos again for a bit but the different segments of this track make it one of the most accomplished arrangements as it completely transforms the track into an original.
The collaboration of Adadoss and James George give us “Edward’s Dream Quartet”, a seven minute string quartet arrangement of Melody of Lute. The arrangement is elegantly done and the sound of turning pages is a great little touch. Who knew there were so many ways to play the song! “Golbez ‘n Goblins” from bLiNd is a dance floor filler. I love the cross over of what should be an orchestral track being given high heels and a disco ball and these kind of dark wave dance tracks always get me going and this is top notch. The final track from disc 1 is “Fighting for Tomorrow” OA, Nutritious and The Fabul Men’s Choir. This is a stunning track for its otherwordly feel. It reminded me of bands such as Faun, Omnia and such at the beginning with a harsh choir. Then out pops all the electronic gizmo’s for a riot and when the vocals kick back in again its simply one of the best things I’ve heard in 2009.
Disc 2 is “Act 2 Strife”. AeroZ kicks things off with “Mystic Variations”, an early 90′s throwback to electro jazz beat and works well as quirky happy-go-lucky introduction. Cyril the Wolf and OA’s “Metal Mage” is possibly the most deranged version of Palom and Porom and is all the more fun and silly for it. Heavy Metal with over the top voice acting? Yes please! In contrast “Smiling Hilltop for Four Hands” from Long Dao is a nice piano led track. The arrangement is great and isn’t hindered much by the poor midi sound quality at all (which says a lot!). “Step Into the Light” from Nutritious is spacious and airy. It’s large scope is portrayed well and its reverb really gives it an extra layer.
The Prophet of Mephisto’s “Long Time Gone” is a sublime arrangement that’s full of life and soul. Adding the electric guitars onto what is a lazy but fast tempo track is a great mash-up and works perfectly. “Rhymes with Elixer” from The Scuba Divers featuring Liontamer takes the Chocobo theme and turns it into a rap track. Liontamer can definitely MC well and the female chorus line is absolutely hilarious “Chocobo-Chocobo you’re so fine, you’ve got more bling than all of those guys!” Cue mental images of a pimped up Chocobo… Normally I’m not into these kind of remixes as they can be really hit and miss but this is so tongue in cheek over a really dark angsty arrangement it just makes you smile without realising. DragonAvenger returns with a short but sweet brass arrangement of Big Chocobo entitled “Interlude~ Nom!”
Nathan Rich’s “Blue Planet in Mode 7″ is a really nice transitional track. From its intricate quiet sections to its bouncy bridges and big chorus’ the track is always on the move and is a fabulous arrangement. “Goodbye Cid…” from Wiesty, audio fidelity, OA is a come down track. It’s acoustic edge and space bar synth that leads the theme wistfully floats around you until the half way mark where things turn more electric. This is another great example of track and arrangement evolution. Ilp0′s “Almost Fell for the Trojan” is another ballad track that’s been given the band treatment and this one waltzes bitter-sweetly into the horizon with another beautiful arrangment.
“Somewhere to Hide” from Hy Bound and Loka Lafevre is a heavy dance floor track and doesn’t do subtle. It’s pounding beats and embellishments make this track, along with the great vocals. AeroZ’s “Fallen Dragoon” has a very short sombre section before turning the arrangement into a Sonic level music track which is great as its not where I’d have thought the track would go. “Fallen Ascent” (got to love some of these arrangement titles) from Children of the Monkey Machine follows the same pattern as his previous arrangement – a lot of noise and ambience while the theme swirls around just out of general ear shot. These tracks will be either loved or hated but this track is more accessible than the previous one. Audix’s “Survival Instinct” starts off like a girl-band song but then goes trance’d and never looks back. A faultless arrangement.
Cyril the Wolf’s “OMFG! GET OUT OF THERE!!!” wins best track title award while keeping tension as high as possible with a clever arrangement. Rozovian’s “Lacrima” is an ethereal piece with lots of tuned glasses and the slow gradual change into a more electric track bring implemented well. I think this will be a hidden gem many will uncover after a few listens. The final track of disc 2 is “Theme of Love for Guitar Duet” frmo Pot Hocket which is tender, beautiful, emotive and all kinds of wonderful. So far being the only real ballad of the arrangement it wins you over hands down and instantly became my favourite Theme of Love arrangement.
The final disc is entitled “Act 3 Redemption”. Long Dao starts off with “Tundra of Dwarves” and uses his piano expertise to make a cute wintry track with some nice string sections. Ilp0′s “In the Land of Dwarves” is a smokey jazz turned humorous four piece band take of Giott. The electric guitars work really well here., as do the brass to convey a silly its-all-gone-wrong tone. bLiNd’s “Path of Deception” seals the arrangers pedigree as a damn fine dance arranger. Again this is one of those dark wave techno trance arrangements that I think just works perfectly.
“Treason” from Kidd Cabbage is heavy metal to the point of thrash metal taking over. The tempo of the track is so fast the percussion alone has about 10 beats a second at times! The arrangement is a good one and will go down well with Black Mage fans who are looking for more evil. “Evoking the Dawn” from BogusRed is a gorgeous and sumptuous version of Prelude which speeds up the process and is more grande than the piano collection versions. There aren’t many quiet tracks on this arrangement but each one is worth its weight in gold. Vampire Hunter Dan’s “A Saviour Ascends” is an interesting track that spans all kinds of moods and genres in its seven minutes. From chirpy to dramatic and back again, the variety and constant tempo changes really make this symphonic suite come alive.
James George’s “The Land Still” is a space odyssey and its strength lies in its ambience and little flairs that float around in the background. It’s anti dramatic nature (apart from it ending) makes it more daunting in the run. “Bridge to Eternity” from bLiNd is another boogie woogie fest dark Ibiza style and rounds off an excellent trilogy from the talented arranger.
“Finale Part One ~Eminence Gris” from OA and DragonAvenger takes the unusual approach of making a tense atmospheric track and turning it into a vocal one and surprisingly it really works. The vocals are suitably haunting and coupled with the discordant piano and dramatic percussion it all hits the right spots for a great piece. “Finale Part 2 ~ Genesis of Destruction” is a mega arrangement from audio fidelity, Nutritious, OA, lisabela and Cyril the Wolf and continues the final battle vocal track approach. The vocals are bigger and more dramatic to match the music here. It’s a bizarre duet between a female singing like Sarah Brightman had joined Metalica and a male who is busy feasting on people and making death metal! However as strange as it sounds it works – absolutely 100 per cent works. It’s artistic arrangements like these that really show exactly how far game music and its followers and arrangers have come in the last fifteen years.
“Facing” from Fishy is a great arrangement of the Epilogue and goes from nice ambient swirls to full on electro-rock that Team Sonic would be gagging for. Finally “King of Green” is a bossa nova rendition of Rydia from Abadoss, audio fidelity, bustatunez and theultravisitor. It works a treat and feels like the credits are rolling in front of your ears.
There’s also a selection of bonus tracks but I’ll leave that for you to discover!
Quite simply, this collection is fantastic. Most of us know the tracks, many of us will be amazed at the arrangements. There is a lot of rock and guitar but there’s enough dance and the occasional slow track to keep everyone happy and just as I said about Summoning of Spirits back in March – how can something this good be free? Life may not be great on Planet Earth at the moment but OverClocked Remix once again shows us that sometimes the best things in life really are free!
FF4 Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption is available to download Saturday (the 18th) and we will have interviews with the arrangers and project leaders all next week as part of the celebration!
“Chrono Trigger: Brink of Time” may well win the award for most edible front cover with its fried breakfast on the front. However the task at hand of arranging what many would agree, is a fantastic soundtrack – would be much harder than scoffing down a yummy breakfast.
Hiroshi Hata & Kalta Ohtsuki give each track on the arranged album a jazz flavour which immediately unsettles me as I’m not a fan of the genre. However I have sat and let this CD flow over me time and time again before I wrote this review so as not to be biased.
“Chrono Trigger” is an interesting jazzed up piece using brass instruments, funky keyboards and bashing basses to up the ante with a lovely string section in the middle. Overall the track met my expectations and went beyond them for a jazz arrangement.
“Secret of Forest” however slows things down for a cool laid back approach and while there’s no denying the guitar work on the piece is sublime it just doesn’t do wonders for me. “Zeal Palace” just confuses however with sparse arrangements and thick bass lines and just never really gets going for me at all.
“Warlock Battle” gives us synthesized electric guitars, computerised basslines but seemingly live drums for the opening bizarre section. Once the main song gets started things improve greatly and it reminds me a bit of a lost Gitarooman track which is fine to me! “Chrono Corridor” is another strange blend of synth and live instrumentation however I enjoyed this track greatly as its jazz fusion and dance elements combine well.
“Undersea Palace” gains extra help from Gizaemon de Furuta for a beautiful electric acoustic guitar solo which is simply beautiful before the keyboard driven background adds excellent tension to a fantastic track. “World Revolution” continues on the same wavelength of pace and desire with a riot of a track which comes across like a jazz/arcade freak out – like something from an arcade shoot-em-up.
“Brink of Time” gets out the double bass for an interesting track which is not entirely successful in its slinky aim but is far from offensive – another track that doesn’t grab me.
“Guardia Millenial Fair” however does grab me with its old style musings and slightly off tone and kilter tunings of the instruments. However towards the end steel drums join in and they just don’t go with the surrounding instruments and it becomes slightly messy. The CD closes with Latin jazz fusion “Outskirts of Time” which is a well accomplished piece that has direction, pace and skill involved.
Despite all this time I’ve owned the CD (several years now) I’m still so very open juried over it. It has skill, class and a feel that’s relatively original and yes, it certainly does arrange the originals! Yet I still have yet to really connect with it in a way that means I look forward to coming back to the CD as soon as possible – and that annoys me because it’s technically well accomplished. A CD very much down to personal taste – a love or hate arrangement.
This weeks live vault comes from the band that revamps our 8 bit melodies – 8 Bit Instrumental. I’ve only recently found this band but I’m really enjoying their work. This is their jazz take on Sonic The Hedgehog 2′s Casino Night. It’s all retro good!
Aoi Teshima has had a busy 2008 releasing two albums. The first is this one, entitled “The Rose ~I Love Cinemas~” which takes eight well known movie famous songs and then gives them the Teshima treatment.
Opening with title track “The Rose” we’re treated to the soft elegance of Aoi’s voice. In harmony with a gentle piano, you can imagine this being what heaven’s waiting music would be. Also it must be noted that the album is completely in English and the elocution is near perfect.
Next up is a beautifully relaxed version of “Moon River” with just vocal and acoustic guitar which is just dreamy and is followed by the serene “Calling You” which hushes you to sleep with a lullaby even with its downbeat nature.
“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” is possibly the only song that doesn’t work perfectly. While trying to turn it into a swing song, the lack of drums or upbeat bass really hampers the overall mood. It’s still a nice version but with percussion it’d have lifted it up. Then we have the song that I’d been waiting for Aoi to sing since I first heard her voice. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is typically stripped down and bare and also beautiful however I surprised that the tempo was faster than say the Eva Cassidy version. I’ve often thought of Aoi’s vocal being the Japanese Eva and so I’m surprised they didn’t milk this song for every second it plays.
“Beauty and the Beast” follows from the Disney film and this is definitely softer and just as effective as hearing Mrs. Potts sing it! VGM fans will notice Fabian Reza Paine from FFX-2 Piano Collections as the pianist. An excellent choice of song with a nice instrumental section which is completely unrushed unlike the previous track.
“What is a Youth?” is the song with the most backbone to it. Its great to hear something a bit more upfront and powerful. This has a downbeat feel to it with a rousing middle that you want to shout out and is a welcome departure from the rest of the album. “Alfie” returns to the piano/vocal ballads that work so well before you end on an acoustic guitar version of “The Rose”.
Fans of her first album will not be disappointed however if like many, you were looking for a bit more variety and versatility you will find that this album is even more streamlined to one sound than Earthsea was. “The Rose” plays to all of Aoi’s ballad strengths to make a completely weepie / relaxing experience but there’s more in the box if she’d only be allowed to let herself go. Japan’s Eva Cassidy? You bet!
Lou Cowell shares a certain pop masters surname but that’s about all they do share in common. There’s no cheese, no pop – just a soulful singer, a piano and an atmosphere that you can cut with a knife.
“Still Around” opens with sparse piano and a cute yet self confidently fragile voice of Lou’s. Reminding me vaguely of Tanya Donelly with a slight Country twang – set against a progressively unveiling piano backdrop – this song really captivates and draws you in. Sometimes less is more and this definitely is the case here.
“A Good Day” brings in the country vibe but in an adult context. The slightly downbeat chord structures juxtapose the whimsical music and really suit each other well. It’s about time we had some alternative country! Paired with “Hold Down the Sun”, a slower ballad, they inject a downbeat optimism and warm despite not really being up-tempo numbers. “Just Like Me” is more jazzy and upbeat in sound with some unusual lyrics.
“Obvious” is back to the ivories with a nice rising chorus amongst downtrodden verses and works very well. “Lonely Little Hurricane” has a cute whistle over melancholy piano and mouth organs but nothing is as cute as the woodwind introduction to “Nobody’s Rhyme”! Quickly it ends and Lou’s vocal talents whisper through one of the stand out tracks of the album. Mirroring the childlike lyrics, the song is like a fairytale turned eighteen years old and ready to go out.
“I Believe” is a simplistic ballad with a touch of jazz in the background adding a nice flow to it which suffers from sitting between two of the three best songs on the album. “Could We Just Kiss” is again simplistic but has such a presence and atmosphere like a smoky 1950′s bar with Lou as the siren at the mic. I’m not usually a fan of this type of music so you know its done well if it wins a non fan over.
“Winter” closes the album with a soft slow song with a piano so warm sounding you could snuggle into it. The jazz instruments really work well here and suit the mood. There is also a hidden track floating around for the hunters.
Lou Cowell is talented. Her music plays it safe enough to catch the mainstream yet her voice and choice in instrumentation at times shows you that she is an individual that can definitely hold her own space in a crowded genre. If there was a problem with the album, it would be that the tempo of the album as a whole rarely changes. However it is a minor setback. I’m not usually a fan of brass instruments and the fact I sat merrily listening to this album is a testament to Lou that she definitely has a cracking album in “I…Um…”
“Tondemo Crisis!” was known in the western world as “Incredible Crisis!” and the game featured a well known band in Japan called the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra who play on the entire soundtrack for the game and lend their expertise to what is one of the funkiest and light-hearted fun soundtracks I’ve come across. It’s not often a band is willing to give their all to a game soundtrack but maybe some more should do – the quality here is exemplary.
The soundtrack opens with “Tondemo Crisis! Theme #1″ which defines the sound for the album. It’s traditional jazz/ska sound with many layers of brass instruments, funky basslines and bouncey beats bring your speakers to life. There are no vocals during the soundtrack at all but this track does have some vocal scatting and beatboxing going on. It’s fast paced fun sets you up for what’s to come.
“Grand Opening ~Also Sprach Zarathstra~” is the famous orchestral build up that I never knew the name of until now – I always remember Elvis using it for some reason! “Family Gathered Round the Table” is a more laid back ska version of the reoccuring secondary theme which is short but great.
“Taneo Dance Fever” then gives us a lesson in tempo. A jazzy start to this two minute piece suddenly breaks out into a 1970′s cop chase style sleazy swinging booty shaking madness. It’s percussive stampedes are great and the brass build ups are superb – all very 1970′s flair disco pop! “Bowling Inferno” follows a more panic stricken arrpegio feel with a keyboard going mental in the distant background. “Oh, I feel Dizzy” takes things a step further by adding stabbing piano chords into the mix and some lovely deep saxaphone riffs making a great climax.
“Paramedics, The A Team” is a short and fairly linear piece actually, with no real progression – like a stop gap to breath before the next song. “Live, Fireworks, A Tsubo Massager & a Ferris Wheel” wins the prize for most random title! Although if you play the game, this song accompanies one of the most perverted mini games I’ve ever played on a PlayStation!!! The song itself sounds like it was stolen from Theme Park which is no bad thing.
“Independance Bay” is very cinematic and very close to the opening theme, the brass again here really has great skill in making the themes stand out like a b-movie soundtrack. “And Now the Titanic…~Ska Horse~” is another great number in a similar vein. “Runaway Commutre Express Train” is a short stop gap track again before “One Afternoon of the Wolves” sounds like a paraody of Metal Gear Solid’s sneeking theme with just a funky guitar and a triangle.
The next track “Throwing on Weights” is a magnificent track with a Spanish Latin flavour percussion and brass riffs. Its one of only a few tracks that’s over 3 minutes long and this one deserves to be, its very catchy and much like a showdown event from a cowboy film! “Snowboarding With Wolves” continues the same pace and but more electronically influenced. “Top Ganmodoki” is much more jazzier with a touch of disco funk thrown in for good measure.
A shorter version of the main theme on an electric guitar instead of brass instruments is then followed by a short but sweet “Tsuyoshi’s Theme” which again lends itself to something like Theme Park or Mitsuda’s “Hako No Niwa”. “Ant Lion Hell” is completely different from the rest of the soundtrack as its got a different set of drums and is mainly a marimba that plays with a keyboard and not a lot else. It certainly stands out as a nice twist to what’s very much a brass related soundtrack.
“Kiss of the Spiderman” is another song sounding like it belongs on Theme Park for say the Merry-Go-Round. It’s because it uses the fun light organ that you hear from the ice-cream vans and theme parks around the globe! “Followship of the Ant & Tsuyoshi” is the only ballad style song in the entire soundtrack, a breezy light short piano piece.
“Ririka’s Theme” returns to the Ska roots of the soundtrack although it is much more plugged with this track, with great hooks and an almost hawaiian sound to the electric guitars in play. “The Tense Teacher of Class 2-B” is very much a paraody of the song “Kung-Fu Fighting” – its the same chords and rounded off with some random “Hiii-yaa”‘s if you please. Great light hearted fun!
“De Crane, De Crane” is the only song with breakbeat percussion in and is the longest song just shot of four minutes. It swirls around fast paced and changing it’s instrumentation and building the tension as it goes – weaving in many themes as it goes. The soundtrack then finishes off with a slower jazz organ version of the second track and a reprise of the main theme again this time using a keyboard to play the lead voice.
Tondemo Crisis! OST is a fantastically well balanced soundtrack. It has fun and tension often mixed together and has a very high standard of musicians playing. Almost every single track has a catchy hook or a beat that you can rock about to and each track is a joy to listen to. I’m not a general ska fan however this soundtrkac leapt out to me and I really do recommend it to anyone. Top notch music! (Top notch game too if you can find it on the PS1)
It’s rude to ask of a ladies age however as Deborah is showing, the older we get, the more we should celebrate! She is holding a two night birthday bash concert on the 21st and 22nd of November in Newburyport, MA. She posted in her e-mail that this year is particularly special as she will now older than her mother would have ever been. She makes a cracking show so if you can, visit and prepare to be charmed.
Patrick Wolf has uploaded a new song onto his myspace page. Entitled “Careless Talk” this is done in a 1950′s style light jazz and kind of reminds me of a less playful “Enchanted”. Clocking in at only 2:15 its short and sweet but doesn’t outstay its welcome. It was released on “The Edge of Love” soundtrack last month.
