Tuesday, November 15, 2011

ExtraCareful's Soundtrack Pick of the Week

All right, here's a very good song I'd like to share - one that is, surprisingly enough, NOT just another headbanger.

Soramimi Cake (Azumangah Daioh OP)
Masaki Kurihara with the Kuricorder Pops Orchestra and Oranges & Lemons

Even the opening to this silly anime is silly.

This OP does not have guitar solos. It does not contain 5 glorious minutes of Mami Kawada or May'n or Nan Mizuki screaming their hearts out in the midst of a medly of electronic beeps and squeals. Nor does it have the fanfare and steady running beat that all of Hyadain's songs contain. But it is creative and catchy, something a lot of fast and loud songs have seem to have left to some extent or another by the roadside.

The advantage of having an entire pops orchestra play for this OP is clearly demonstrated in the range of sounds that the OP explores. Even disregarding the chromatics, this song has jazzy trumpets, electronic music boxes, running woodwind phrases, and so much more. It's not the fastest song in the world, but it does have that rock steady beat that you can shake your head to, even when you're given the swing-y beat.

Going back to the chromatics, I really like how they "twist" the song into one with more dissonances than are usually expected. I always expect the song to stay on the scale, but those random notes with accidentals keep coming back for more. The singer (from Oranges & Lemons) also keeps up very well, and her flighty voice + the vocal "slides" she does up and down the scale is really enjoyable to hear (and to sing).

This is a much catchier tune than I had originally assumed it to be. You might still catch me humming it at the local Wal-Mart, and I can guarantee that soon after you will too. Anyways, as always, enjoy the song!

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