2017.08.20 Recent CD Pickup Reviews

It’s been a while since the last round of short reviews… mostly because I was too lazy to write them. A few CDs I hadn’t finished listening to, and if I haven’t finished them I obviously can’t review them.

Here’s a photo first, the stars of this batch:

First up, a piano collection from Aktionfield:

Sound for Read ～謎解きはコーヒーとともに～

Like the title says, it’s an instrumental album, aimed at people who “like reading and want a bit of background music to go with it.” Aktionfield only does instrumental stuff, that’s their thing, and honestly this is probably the best of their instrumental work so far. The vibe is properly laid-back, it fits the background-music role.

What I actually want to complain about is that this album sounds more like visual novel BGM.

Samples: https://aktionfield.booth.pm/items/481982 http://music.163.com/#/album?id=35555207

the A

An early Aktionfield release, but actually their highest-quality one. The melodies across the whole thing have real ideas behind them. It doesn’t come across as fresh or refined, but it just feels comfortable to listen to.

I figure comfortable is enough. Still piano-led, with other electronic instruments doing light backing. There’s some rearranged classical stuff toward the end of the album; a lot of those famous pieces I’d never heard before either, so it was a first listen for me, and it felt… kind of weird.

Samples: https://aktionfield.booth.pm/items/419833

Grasp at the Air

Aktionfield’s first album? Probably. All I want to say is, fitting that it’s the first…

Really…

It’s bad.

Both the melodies and the arrangements are amateur hour. Feels like someone who just learned to play piano recorded some random stuff. But who’d have guessed later Aktionfield would improve that much? The biggest problem with this album is that it has no clear identity: some tracks are electronic production, some are piano pieces, some are remixes. A total mess. They figured that out later, though — every album since has its own defined concept, so they really did improve a lot.

So it still has value as a comparison point, I guess.

Samples: https://aktionfield.booth.pm/items/249627

空色ナイフ - 海辺のレイルロード

Sorairo Knife’s second mini-album. I have to say, Matsumoto Aki finally got back on track here. Only two tracks, but the quality is on a whole different level from the first album.

Strong recommendation for the lead track: 海辺のレイルロード.

Style, rhythm, lyrics — all of it has something going for it.

Samples: http://music.163.com/#/album?id=35614051

すずしろ - シュガープラネタリウム

I bought this one on impulse, because I’d heard Suzushiro’s cover of スノウ・ダンス and it was so good.

But this album isn’t a cover album…

It’s mostly denpa songs, with a fantasy electronic theme around “sweets” and “space.” For me it’s about half and half. The first few tracks are way too denpa for me to handle, but the later ones clicked — cute, genuinely good.

Also it’s a pain to get. The Booth listing says Suzushiro burned and shipped the CDs herself from home, so what I’ve got in my hands was made by the girl herself. Ah… ますます興奮した.

Samples: http://music.163.com/#/album?id=35590846

カサブランカの蕾 Original Sound Track

I only noticed I’d forgotten this album after I finished taking photos. It’s genuinely worth buying.

I don’t mean the BGM — I mean the game’s OP and ED.

The OP is about the sweetness of the protagonist being in love, and the ED carries the same theme as the game’s ending.

As for what the game is about, just read what I wrote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2UT61JLvr0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AndLtvFpUyw

ゴールデンアワー ORIGINAL SOUND TRACK CD

Can I just say I haven’t even played the game yet? Haven’t played it, so I don’t know what mood I’m supposed to listen to this CD in, fuck.

I actually preordered it together with カサブランカの蕾 Original Sound Track.

Pretty sure I was the first in the country to get it, too. Not that I’d ever rip and upload it, of course. Seems someone else has uploaded it now, though.

For now I just think the OP is really good, and MME’s shitty arrangement still has that vocals-floating-separately thing going on.

Samples: http://music.163.com/#/album?id=35934666

『お家に帰るまでがましまろです』キャラクターソング&サウンドアルバム

This is the album that made me feel like I’d been had.

I preordered it, and then the fucker turns out to be included in the game’s preorder bonus?

And I paid full price for the preorder.

The album’s still good, mind you, and the game is great too. And the album’s OP is seriously amazing.

Samples: http://music.163.com/#/album?id=35864064

The next batch of CDs should be arriving next week… I’ll try to write the next round up a bit sooner.