"Fighters of the Crystal" and "Rapid Onslaught" at least up the tempo for a bit of variety, even if the themes themselves are not that much more memorable than their counterparts. (Incidentally it's the only track composed by Kumi Tanioka over album mainstay Naoshi Mizuta.) Gustaberg comes the closest to inspiring, falling just short at its conclusion and let down by an arrangement that gives precedent to the flute, when a more expressive rendition by violins could have potentially taken the rising main melody to its highest level. The main melody in Mhaura - though a bit on the sappy side - doesn't go to the same extreme as some of the other themes in the album (particularly Uematsu's "Distant Worlds"), and a slightly dark refrain helps keep it in check. Of the tracks that hold true to the album's signature quaint, serene style, "Mhaura" and "Gustaberg" best manage to maintain interest. (The second half is so similar to the first it makes little difference.) The slower the tempo the more noticeable the simplicity of the compositions - the plodding melody in "Griffons Never Die" brings to mind the image of a tyke pecking away a newly learned melody on his first keyboard. "Faded Memories" doesn't even take that long - it manages to bore only 30 seconds in, still halfway through its main melody. Even tracks like "Voyager", which sound quite pleasant on first exposure, grow trite and tiresome by their first repetition. The problem lies in the source compositions, which are painfully predictable. In contrast, Sanctuary wisely sticks with the same rich instrumental pallet throughout most of its duration. Though the jazz fusion and the piano arrangements of the first album played well off each other, a couple of misguided efforts like the Final Fantasy V Dear Friends'esque "Awakening" and the contemporary gospel "Blessed in Her Glorious Light" gave it a slightly haphazard edge.
One thing that can certainly be said of Sanctuary is it's more consistent than its predecessor. Almost entirely gone are the jazz-fusion guitars and synth of the first album, replaced by a more organic ensemble of violins, flute, accordion and more. The anticipated follow-up album in the Final Fantasy XI Star Onions series, "Sanctuary", shares the same general source of music as its predecessor, and that's about all.
0 kommentar(er)
