Review: From the onset, “Super Driver” and “Tomare!” were in for an uphill climb. “Bouken Desho Desho” and “Hare Hare Yukai” had set a high bar for Haruhi’s OP/EDs and not surprisingly, neither of their followups are able to measure up. Part of it, I think, stems from the way the older songs were able to instill excitement because at that time, Haruhi’s arrival was a breath of fresh air upon an anime environment that was showing signs of stagnation and the impact of those two songs rippled across the anime fanbase. The arrival of Haruhi’s second season rekindled the enthusiasm, but this time, its atmosphere is muted by familiarity. While the excitement is still there, it diminished and the current OP/ED sequences parallel the show’s fortunes. A distinction does need to be made when talking about this quality drop however because “Super Driver” was a major letdown, but the ED “Tomare!” manages to treat us to an enjoyable listening experience that hearkens back to “Hare Hare Yukai.”

It is the energy delivered by the rhythm and the instrumentation that accomplishes this feat. The bustling atmosphere from the introduction gives us a taste of what is to come but instead of assaulting our senses with excitement and enthusiasm, the piece backs off, allowing the vocalists to build it back up to its zesty chorus. It does help that each of the vocalists bring a unique quality to the song; Yuuko Gotou’s entrance can best be described as a soothing tone with a touch of timidity and Minori Chihara’s continuation is sharp as it juggles a vague feeling of doubt, but Aya Hirano tops both of them by delivering that Haruhistic push of confidence with her emphatic “Tomare!” before proceeding with her buildup. By the time the chorus rolls around, it has become quite clear that the song’s message aims to reach people rendered immobile by fear and uncertainty and push them to grab at life’s opportunities and use it to create meaningful memories. Carpe diem. The backup vocals and the instruments complement the main vocalist in the chorus by instilling an infectious feeling of exhileration which encourages the listener to pursue those endless possibilities. With such an optimistic message, it’s easy to be drawn into “Tomare!’s” delightful atmosphere, making it a competent successor to “Hare Hare Yukai.”

“Senzaiteki Taiyou no Shoumei” works in complementing “Tomare!” by toning down the excitement in the preceding track through an easygoing, generic pop melody. All the elements that go into a good, forgettable pop song are present here, from the catchy melody, to the succession of singing that is perfectly competent if unremarkable (though in Aya Hirano’s case, her tones fit perfectly and her vibrato is well-executed, which I suppose is remarkable), and of course, you leave it feeling rather upbeat even if you can’t recall what the song sounds like a week from now. But that’s not a bad thing since after “Tomare!,” you want the followup piece to be calming, and “Senzaiteki Taiyou no Shoumei” allows you to relax and unwind.

“Tomare!” won’t ingrain itself in the minds of anime fans the way “Hare Hare Yukai” was able to, but even with the weight of the latter bearing over it, it succeeds in being an enjoyable album all the same. The excitement is there, the enthusiasm is there, and the call to proactively grab life by the horns is definitely there. Those three aspects grab at what Haruhi is all about and if the show is looking to keep those aspects in the viewer’s mind after each episode, “Tomare!” is a perfectly fine way of achieving that end.

Rating: Good

Review: Given the whole Endless Eight fiasco (just as planned?), this album just has so much going against it, mostly in terms of its association with what’s currently airing and to Aya Hirano’s inability to sing well. While I’d like to be able to get into “Super Driver’s” upbeat atmosphere, I simply cannot because for all the energy that both the singer and the background instruments try to inject into the song, the whole process feels forced, resulting in a performance that is neither compelling nor enjoyable.

The main issue I have with “Super Driver” is that Aya Hirano’s expressiveness as she sings it feels manufactured. From the lyrics, it looks as though she is aiming to convey the excitement of exploring new opportunities on one’s own terms, but I’m not buying it at all. The song itself feels too formulaic and mechanical; while the drums and bass in the beginning do an adequate job of catching one’s attention with its beat and the electric guitars infuse some energy into the song decently, all of that is written off because Hirano’s approach to the song is suspect. Her expressiveness appears muted. For example, when she sings the lines:

jibun de mitsuketa myself
suki ni natte touzen
kudaranai yarikata kette
subete wa atashi ga kimeru!

I had expected a forceful delivery so as to demonstrate how resolute she is on seizing the day as she builds the song up to the chorus section. Unfortunately, her delivery falls flat, sounding as if Hirano was going through the singing motions rather than giving it her all by putting in some genuine emotion into the song. When the chorus does come, it just comes off as being unsatisfying as all that energy that’s supposed to be present fails to materialize. I didn’t feel a rush of adrenaline or a sense of excitement while listening to “Super Driver” and when you amplify the sense of lethargy that I derived from the first verse and chorus by stretching it to over four minutes, the song really becomes grating as it overstays its welcome.

“Aishite!” isn’t really all that much better, but at least it isn’t worse than “Super Driver.” The song is underwhelming because its melody is best described as bland, but inoffensive J-Pop. There really isn’t much in this song that stands out aside from the call and response section that sounds just a bit campy (especially when you hear the female voices respond) but once you finish listening to it, you’ll not likely remember much of anything about it, good or bad. As such, “Aishite!” cements its role as a throwaway song.

There really isn’t anything positive that can be said about this single and the most negative thing is that it’s just boring overall. I’m not sure whether the excessive amount of studio editing or Aya Hirano’s delivery is at fault in this instance, but it never quite recaptures the amount of energy and excitement that I had derived from “Bouken Desho Desho?.” This single, like the rest of the current Haruhi airing, only makes us want to go back to a time where the franchise was still fresh and enjoyable.

Rating: Not Good

Review: Suzumiya Haruhi no Gensou’s release was met with some skepticism from two fronts. The first had to do with TAMUSIC’s colossal failure in The Recital of Haruhi Suzumiya, which raised the question as to whether an orchestrated Haruhi album could actually be done competently. The second related to the fact that much of Haruhi’s BGM wasn’t exactly memorable because after looking through this album’s track list, I couldn’t say I was able to recall any of the melodies beyond Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony and the songs like “God Knows,” “Bouken Desho Desho?,” and “Hare Hare Yukai.” The latter issue isn’t as much a problem since context, while helpful, isn’t a necessary component in making this album enjoyable and thankfully, the former concern doesn’t raise its ugly head when you have Shiro Hamaguchi doing the orchestral arrangements. With his solid track record in arranging Final Fantasy music to piano and orchestra, there is reason to hope that he can work his magic with Haruhi.

Right off the bat, Hamaguchi’s arrangement of “Koi no Mikuru Densetsu” is impressive. At first glance, this off-tune variant of a cheesy magical girl OP doesn’t seem to be a particularly viable candidate for serious orchestration, but the arrangement manages to prove these initial thoughts wrong. I enjoyed how it provides a different spin on the original by upping the tempo, giving the track a sense of urgency that, when combined with the orchestra, yields a piece that is absolutely epic. While it focuses more on the serious side, a lighthearted moment pops up in the “Come on let’s dance, baby” segment, which helps keeps the listener engaged all the way up to its glorious conclusion.

Koi no Mikuru Densetsu
[See post to listen to audio]

By starting out so commendably, Hamaguchi sets a high bar for his arrangements and the succession of pieces manages to meet these lofty expectations. As we go further into the album, we’ll find that most of the pieces are the result of combining various themes from Haruhi’s BGM into a cohesive medley. Even though my memory of Haruhi’s music is spotty at best, I still found most of the medleys to be enjoyable since the transitions from one theme to another are handled quite well.

Take, for example, “Kouchou Kouchou ~ Mikuru no Kokoro ~ Chiisaku demo Shiawase ~ Oioi ~ Comical Hustle,” which explores many aspects of day to day life. The bustling, energetic theme meanders about before settling into the next two sections which offer a mellow, heartfelt atmosphere, leaving the listener feeling calm and at ease. Around the 4:40 mark, the orchestra builds up bombastically towards a sillier air as it depicts Haruhi while she’s executing one of her hare-brained schemes. Although it starts off softly, the mischief grows in scope and excitement before going into the final section where it draws upon its storehouse of energy to bring about a rousing finish. By capturing both the exciting and relaxing moments of day to day life so well, this medley succeeds in being enjoyable and engaging.

Kouchou Kouchou ~ Mikuru no Kokoro ~ Chiisaku demo Shiawase ~ Oioi ~ Comical Hustle
[See post to listen to audio]

Other tracks to note include “Sunao na Kimochi ~ Aru Ame no Hi ~ Haruhi no Omoi” which relies on the piano to touch upon a wide range of emotions, from contentment, to introspection, to hope, as the piece reassures the listener that the future has never looked brighter. And of course, the arrangement of “Hare Hare Yukai” deserves a mention for taking a different approach from the original. The sense of joy and excitement doesn’t appear until you reach the middle section, and even then, the fun is muted compared to the original as the piece aims towards an epic experience rather than a fun one. Although I do enjoy this interpretation of “Hare Hare Yukai,” my preference favors the original which captured that sense of happiness and joy far better than the arrangement.

Sunao na Kimochi ~ Aru Ame no Hi ~ Haruhi no Omoi
[See post to listen to audio]

So while these arrangements are good, the same can’t be said for Aya Hirano’s songs. It’s no secret that her live performances are pretty bad and I think that the nicest thing that can be said here is that she doesn’t ruin the overall enjoyment of this album. Nevertheless, it’s kind of painful whenever she sings off tune or employs a grating vibrato which makes her performances impossible to ignore. Of all her songs, “God knows…” is her worst song on this album since, in addition to the previously mentioned problems, her performance during the chorus part sounds awkward since she seems to be trying so hard that she forgets to breathe, resulting in a windy delivery that lacks impact. The other performances aren’t this awful, but they are a step down in terms of quality, even if the orchestration is decent all around.

God knows…
[See post to listen to audio]

On the plus side, Minori Chihara manages to put forth an enjoyable performance in “Yuki, Muon, Madobe nite.” where she switches between her Yuki voice and a more emotionally-charged voice, but overall, it’s a passable job. There are a few points where I think she struggles a bit, especially when she has to sing those lower-pitched notes at a fast tempo, but even with that considered, I wasn’t displeased with how the song turned out.

Yuki, Muon, Madobe nite.
[See post to listen to audio]

Finally, the inclusion of the first movement of Shostakovich’s “Leningrad” Symphony, while fitting in the way it employs a steady, militaristic melody to complement the scenes in the computer game episode, fails to be engaging because of its repetitive nature. Yes, I am aware that this is the point of a movement that uses the same form that Ravel uses in his Bolero, but when the option exists to choose a more compelling piece like the 4th movement of Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” Symphony, the “Pathetique” should take precedence over the “Leningrad.” That said, the “Leningrad” isn’t bad and it offers a nice introduction for people not familiar with Shostakovich (though his 5th Symphony is still my favorite).

Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60, “Leningrad” First Movement
[See post to listen to audio]

From looking at the music here, Hamaguchi’s efforts yield a solid album through and through. There are a few issues that mostly crop up as a result of Aya Hirano’s inability to sing, but it’s not so bad as to ruin one’s listening experience. I wouldn’t go as far as to rate it higher than the ARIA piano albums, but it’s still really good and worth a listen as its excellent arrangements work well in capturing our favorite moments in Haruhi back when the show wasn’t looping endlessly.

Rating: Excellent

Review: I’ve already made a comment on lelangir’s music blog regarding Yuki’s song from White Album and now that her character’s CD has been released, we are finally able to focus all of our attention on her performance from episode 13. As lelangir points out, “WHITE ALBUM” is a cheesy song, but it does a decent job of bringing about a calming, soothing effect that leaves the listener feeling pretty mellow by the time it ends. Part of that is due to Aya Hirano’s performance using a non-Haruhi voice (as lelangir points out yet again) to fit in with this piece’s overall comforting mood. There’s no doubt that it is a nice change from her usual fare even if the final product isn’t all too remarkable.

WHITE ALBUM:
[See post to listen to audio]

When it comes down to actively reviewing “WHITE ALBUM,” the process of doing so is difficult in the same vein that it’s difficult reviewing Suara’s “Maiochiru Yuki no You ni.” That is, there’s actually very little to describe here that can’t be summed up by saying that this song is very comforting and mellow, and that people who gravitate towards such tracks will enjoy it quite a bit. The song starts up with a feel-good pop backdrop provided by the keyboards and a light rhythm section that makes way for Aya Hirano’s entrance. As she sings, her tone is different in that is a lot mellower, thereby allowing her to subtly convey her feelings of contentment as she remains calm in spite of the travails that she sings about. The parts where the saxophone plays during the brief interludes complement the mood through the instrument’s timbre and together with Hirano, reassures the listeners that in spite of all the difficulties that exist, things will turn out all right in the end.

Although I’m not totally enamored with “WHITE ALBUM,” I will concede that its soothing effect will get me to listen to it once in awhile when I feel the need to be comforted. And if you were to look at this song and compare it to Hirano’s other performances, I’d say that it’s significantly better than some of her works that I’ve listened to most recently (“Unnamed World” and “Namida Namida Namida” if you must know).

Tsuiteru ne Notteru ne:
[See post to listen to audio]

Before I go into the second song on this album, let me disclose the fact that I have no personal experience with the 80s’ club scene. But in listening to “Tsuiteru ne Notteru ne,” I’d say that if I were to find myself in such a setting, I would expect to hear music that is in a similar vein to that song. “Tsuiteru ne Notteru ne” is a complete reversal of “WHITE ALBUM” in the way its tone and mood are presented. The opening lines come off as being more aggressive and dominating through its harsh dance beat that fits in with the club setting that I talked about earlier. Again, Aya Hirano’s voice complements the song by keeping pace with the beat and hitting the stresses as she sings the lyrics. The melody itself is also catchy in the way this song sticks in your mind, especially during the chorus section’s opening motive, making it a decent piece to listen to if you want a bit more variety out of listening to Aya Hirano.

Those of you who’ve talked to me know that I’ve dropped White Album for quite some time now, but if there’s anything this album did get me to do, it was to watch the segment in episode 13 in which Yuki (Aya Hirano) sings “WHITE ALBUM.” My thoughts on it remain unchanged in that it’s a pleasant, soothing pop melody with little substance to get in the way. The same can be said for “Tsuiteru ne Notteru ne.” I wasn’t initially particularly impressed with that track, but it did grow on me after awhile though not enough that I’d wholeheartedly recommend it. When it comes down to it, this album isn’t bad by any stretch. Its failing, if anything is that it’s just not particularly memorable through the long haul.

Rating: Decent