Kin-iro Mosaic’s Soundtrack is Melodic Cuteness

Album Title:	Kin-iro Mosaic Soundbook Hajimemashite Yoroshiku ne
Anime Title:	Kin-iro Mosaic
Artist:	Ruka Kawada, Asuka Nishi, Manami Tanaka, Risa Taneda, Yumi Uchiyama, Nao Toyama
Catalog Number:	VTCL-60349
Release Type:	Soundtrack
Release Date:	August 21, 2013
Purchase at:	CDJapan

Tracklist
[spoiler]

Track Title	Artist	Time
01. Overture ~ England he	Kawada Ruka	1:48
02. Bokusouchi wo Nukete	Kawada Ruka	2:31
03. Kinpatsu Shoujo	Kawada Ruka	0:29
04. Kotoba no Kabe	Kawada Ruka	1:09
05. Taisetsu na Anata ni.	Kawada Ruka	1:32
06. Shinobu to Alice	Kawada Ruka	1:55
07. Saigo no Yoru	Kawada Ruka	3:07
08. Asa	Kawada Ruka	2:09
09. Toukou Tochuu ni	Kawada Ruka	2:08
10. Minna to no Yaritori	Kawada Ruka	2:30
11. Naze na no?	Kawada Ruka	1:50
12. Yasashii Yuugata	Kawada Ruka	2:09
13. Chiisana Alice	Kawada Ruka	1:42
14. Eyecatch 1	Kawada Ruka	0:09
15. Rouka no Karugamo	Kawada Ruka	1:22
16. Eyecatch 2	Kawada Ruka	0:10
17. Tantan to	Kawada Ruka	1:37
18. Kaiwa	Kawada Ruka	1:32
19. Sensei!!	Kawada Ruka	1:36
20. Tajirogi	Kawada Ruka	1:34
21. Ano ne.	Kawada Ruka	1:36
22. Kawara nai Omoi	Kawada Ruka	1:31
23. Itsumade mo Issho ni	Kawada Ruka	2:55
24. Satsuki iro Harujion	Rhodanthe*	3:27
25. Mata ne.	Kawada Ruka	0:22
26. Kiniro + Giniro Mokusei	Tanaka Manami & Touyama Nao	3:54
27. Momo iro Celebration	Nishi Asuka & Tanaka Manami	4:05

[/spoiler]
Review: To fully allow Kin-iro Mosaic’s soundtrack to permeate you through and through requires a willingness to surrender yourself to its balmy airs and discard any traces of cynicism or ill will that you may be harboring. Donning a pair of rose-colored glasses, though not mandatory, also helps in making Ruka Kawada’s musical celebration of friendship and childhood whimsicalities all the more enjoyable. For as much as I have listened to soundtracks from the “N schoolgirls doing cute things” genre (and I’ve listened to quite a lot of them!), few feature the sort of melodic delights that make Kin-iro Mosaic’s soundtrack so endearing.

Overture ~ England he

[audio:1 – kiniromosaic.mp3]
If anything, it’s the dynamism at work that puts a smile on my face as I listen. While many soundtracks are fine with delivering static melodies, Kin-iro Mosaic’s pieces go out of their way to bounce, dart, and dash their away around. “Overture ~ England he,” for example, doesn’t content itself with letting its calming strings shape a quiet ambience with their stirring sustains. Instead, we hear the track springing to life with fervor as the strings propel us forward in their eagerness to convey a sense of limitless possibilities! The excitement continues to build through the harpsichord, which cultivates this growing anticipation before letting loose with unrestrained elation, leaving me hopeful that the rest of the score continues to be this consistent in its ability to engage.

Bokusouchi wo Nukete

[audio:2 – kiniromosaic.mp3]
The second track, “Bokusouchi wo Nukete” certainly does not let me down as its subtly lively melody evokes movement when the strings and flute sashay in concert. Together, the two instruments play out a motif that channels a charming childlike curiosity, one further enhanced by a string section filled with much warmth and happiness. A dab of innocence punctuates the occasion, and the piece sallies on, bringing to bear a very upbeat set of measures where one imagines the growing and strengthening of bonds that bring about the blossoming of a tight-knit friendship.

Shinobu to Alice

[audio:6 – kiniromosaic.mp3]

Toukou Tochuu ni

[audio:9 – kiniromosaic.mp3]
And it’s these musical depictions of character relations blooming and the general joie de vivre which accompany them that make this album such a delight. “Shinobu to Alice” nails this with a staccato flute delivery to paint a sense of curiosity tinged with an initial bit of awkwardness. The piece takes its time meandering about at a cutesy pace, but once the direction is set, the strings come in to allow the piece to shine. Here, the rhythm accelerates and those string tuggings lead us on an enjoyable, carefree romp that revels in its childlike excitement at whatever is around the next corner and over the next hill. This buoyant atmosphere persists in “Toukou Tochuu ni” where the initially laid-back piece begins picking up, dashing about and bouncing forward to infect the anime’s musical fabric with its boundless optimism.

Saigo no Yoru

[audio:7 – kiniromosaic.mp3]
For those looking for something more serene, Ruka Kawada’s piano in “Saigo no Yoru” fits the bill through its quaint tones, starting off with a contented air wafting about, before moving to the harp. The harp’s inclusion makes use of its serene timbre to impart a sense of quietude to the scene, one in which no words need be spoken, as the characters can lounge about, basking in each others’ company. The orgel’s arrival only heightens those dreamy, nostalgic sentiments as the euphoria lingers, followed by the strings sighing beautifully, providing much comfort as the mellowness blankets you completely. This mellow dreaminess permeates other tracks like “Yasashii Yuugata” where the warmth continues to drift through the cello’s pleasant wanderings, leaving one to take in the radiance of the melody’s lovely tranquility.

Itsumade mo Issho ni

[audio:23 – kiniromosaic.mp3]
As the instrumental section winds down, “Itsumade mo Issho ni” encapsulates the overall tone of Kin-iro Mosaic’s soundtrack nicely. Its initial languid pace wakens us slowly and once we’ve stirred, the melody ushers us forward with subdued excitement towards a new day with newer frontiers and avenues to explore. Like many of the tracks, the glowing warmth never leaves nor does the optimism ever fade as we’re wrapped by the music’s euphoric and nostalgic sentiments, reassuring us that the future looks bright indeed.

Yes, the album does end with a set of seiyuu songs which are tolerable at best and obnoxious at worst between the bland pop and shoujo rap. The vocals aside, however, Kin-iro Mosaic’s soundtrack is among the most pleasantly consistent soundtracks I’ve listened to lately, and definitely among the better offerings from the schoolgirl slice of life comedy genre. Granted, that doesn’t say a whole lot since soundtracks, as of late, have clustered around being overbearingly loud and bombastic or blandly nondescript ambience. Kin-iro Mosaic’s score is none of these as it succeeds in imbuing every track with a vivacity and calmness, all wrapped up in a captivating package. Through it, Ruka Kawada’s compositions serve as a reminder that melody need not get in your face to stand out and that the mellow energies they channel are still effective in depicting the joys and antics of childhood without being lost in the background.

Rating: Very Good