ALBUM REVIEW:
The movie is about a dull university student who meets a cyborg.
They start to like each other, but since she can't truly feel
emotions he decides he has to leave her. One day an earthquake
hits Tokyo and she saves the boy's life, discovering her own
emotions in the process. Sounds romantic? The 61 minute soundtrack
album is one romantic affair too, and will appeal to the die
hard romantic side of you as well.
The
disc consists of 20 tracks, including radio friendly hits
performed by popular Japanese R & B singer Misia (her
powerful vocals are put to good use in the catchy track one)
and pop group Hi Fi Camp (track 5, the typical J Pop tune
that can be quite a guilty pleasure to listen to). The folksy
"Send" is a breathy and fresh song that makes for
comfortable listening.
The
rest of the album contains original score material composed
by Naoki Otsubi. The composer of Crows Zero (2007) has created
an apt score that captures the mood of the movie. There are
futuristic sounding tracks like track 4 and track 12 which
effectively makes use of grand orchestrations and techno synthesizers
to evoke ultramodern images in your mind.
Then
there is the abundance of romantically performed cues which
make use of piano to melancholically bring to mind the human
cyborg relationship between two unlikely beings. From the
lyrical oboe solo in track 2, the forlorn flute solo in track
13, to the emotional strings in track 14, these tracks are
perfect companions on those dreamy rainy afternoons. You just
need someone beside you to enjoy the music.
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (11) Send
Review
by John Li
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