Melodies Of Life is the vocal track to Final Fantasy IX. On the single there are 3 versions of the song. The first is in Japanese; the second in English and the third is an instrumental version. Also included on the single is Galway Sky, a completely new song for the CD.
Melodies Of Life is a straightforward love song about feeling alive with love. Many accused the song of being a bit too laid back, but I don’t find that the case. After a soft beginning, it gradually builds up for the chorus’, which are fairly powerful. If you found the song too laid back, then it’s probably due to the rest of the soundtrack being a bit more low key compared to say Final Fantasy VIII. Instead of going military, this is Final Fantasy returning to its roots, and the song would not be out of place in say the Pray CD. Of the two vocal versions of the song, the Japanese version is better, because it follows with the music easier, and sometimes the English vocal arrives a little too late for piece’s and fluctuates in tone a little too much. The Japanese version is what Melodies Of Life was written for, and that’s why it stands out more. The Instrumental version is a bonus, and can be used for Karaoke purposes since it has no synth voice.
Galway Sky is the new song and is absolutely astonishing! Emiko’s vocals shimmer here with the uptempo chorus’ and the excellent bridges. It doesn’t borrow from any song from the Final Fantasy IX OST and come across like a breath of fresh air. Galway Sky has a distinct Japanese feel, from the vocals to the instruments used, and for the first time in a long while, a male and female vocal track actually works! The end of the song shows the vocalists playing off eachother to great effect and Galway Sky is reason enough to buy this single.