[SotW] Song of the Week - WEEK 170 Voting/WEEK 171 Nominating

I'm finally getting a breather from work and now have a legitimate reason to loaf around, catch-up on my video games, watch shows I've missed out on etc.

So here are my votes for the week with comments.

(2 points) The Sword of Xuan Yuan Side Story Clouds of the Han Dynasty (Game Rip) - Clip82
What I feel the track succeeds in is by not having a melody that stands out too much thanks to the overlaying of percussion beats. This prevents fatigue from setting in after listening to the piece multiple times, mespecially since I've been hearing it so often in the past few days playing the game. But this also means it might not make a good first impression (and I'd be very gratified if at least one person other than myself likes it).

(2 points) L'esprit de l'exil - Canary Creeper
For whatever reasons, I keep thinking there's someone screaming "Mortal Kombat" in the background when this song plays. Which makes the track all the stranger when bagpipes play. But it's otherwise a surprisingly good track. Great melody and meaningful transitions.

(1 point) Castle Crashers (Game Rip) - Jumper
Great song, with neat synths and all. It also gets extra nods for its good whimsical lilt. Wish I have more time on my hands to discover more songs like this. But it ends so abruptly, which is really such a waste.

(1 point) Rush 2 Extreme Racing USA (Game Rip) - Introduction Movie
I must admit the synths are a draw for me in this track. I also like how it builds upon itself and manages to be engaging without having a terribly strong melody.


And the others, which I liked quite a lot, too.

Bermuda Syndrome The Symphonic Soundtrack - The Coral Sea
Snatches of it remind me of a tune I've heard somewhere before. It's very pleasant and I wouldn't mind playing this while busying myself with something else. The ending could have been better, however.

Music From Yaksa & Arcus - Origin of the Master's Roots
Oddly enough, I find myself liking the intro alot. I guess it's to do with its simplicity and instrumentation. The bit that comes after is pretty good but again, the ending was too sudden for my liking.

Street Fighter EX2 - SPINNING BIRD (Chun-Li)
After listening to the track, I'm reminded that it's dangerous to write off songs until you listen to them. Because "Spinning Bird" didn't turn out as bad as I thought it might have (memories of the not too terrific movie adaptation of Chun-Li). It's not the most original song but it sure has a good groove going and some fairly nifty interludes.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 PS2 Game Rip) - Streets
I'm very tempted to give this points because it's catchy and smooth. It really captures the kind of noisy, neon-lighted street you'd expect to be frought with bad guys waiting to be walloped by oversized turtles (or tortoises/terrapins?). But this surprisingly neat piece falls a tad shy of the other tracks I gave points to.

=====

And here's my new nomination which I've been meaning to bring-up for a while. But if the game and correspondingly the music are deemed to be popular, will swap it out with another tune.

* Album Title: Persona 4 Original Soundtrack
* Artist: Shoji Meguro
* Track Title: The Almighty
* Source: SVWC-7566~7: Persona 4 Original Soundtrack - VGMdb
* File Location: Nominations folder (upcoming)
* Disc Number: 2 (of 2)
* Track Number: 23
* Catalogue Number: SVWC-7567
* Year: 2008

Jam it back in, in the dark.