Song of the Week - WEEK 91 Voting/WEEK 92 Nominating

Gonna get this in while we still have server time. A modest week, but I expected as much after last week's blockbuster grouping.

Atelier Iris ETERNAL MANA 2 Original Soundtrack - Gentle Breeze and the Earth: Light and fluffy, the sort of thing I tend to enjoy. Part of me felt that this track was a little too fluffy, though. It all comes together nicely, but it seemed to lack some of the underlying depth that makes other lighthearted tracks feel fully developed.

Boomshine (Game Rip) - Excremental Intermission (Boomshine Mix): My immediate reaction to this track was a comparison to "The Sims 2: Building Mode 3", as both feature a gorgeous, organic piano. "Excremental Intermission" has a nice percussion line, which the Sims track lacks, however. Two thumbs down to the cliffhanger ending; it kills all sense of musical denouement. I still expect this track to place, though.

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun Soundtrack - Pharotek: Meh. Another entry in an unending series of moody, brooding tracks that seek to stimulate through ambient oppression instead of melodic escapade. Just not my style, although it's not even close to the worst example of the genre that I've ever heard. I could tolerate hearing this again.

Fortune Quest Roll the Dice - Dash de GO!!: Props to the goofiest beginning of any SotW nomination ever. The rest is a wacky, Merry Melodies inspired piece that sounds more like something from an unreleased Sam & Max game. But it's the kind of zany fun that appeals to my years of cartooning experience. Expect some points here.

Genso Suikoden Music Collection ~Celtic Collection 2~ - Emotional Theme ~Genso Suikoden~: I've had this album for a while now and "Emotional Theme" is a fine track, indeed. It's a "grower" whose charm improves over successive listenings. I've always enjoyed the subtle distortion guitars and synths used in the lower layers, something that I feel brings this piece up to a modernized feel while still maintaining a classic, "Celtic" overtone. I hope for this track to do well this week.

Ragnarok Online 2 The Gate of the World (Game Rip) - Intro Theme: A recent string of decent vocal tracks in SotW has diminished my criticisms, but I'm just not feeling this track. The instrumentals are sparse, forcing the listener to focus directly upon the voices, which aren't that spectacular here. I do appreciate the soft, New Age feel this track presents, though, so credit is due there.

Trigger Heart EXELICA OriginalSoundtrack - SOUND ANCHOR - STAGE 1 ~Exelica, Dancing at Dawn~: This is an acceptably synthy track, upbeat and melodic, with some solid variety throughout. In past weeks, this would've earned points, but I feel as though this track is just one shade above being an average "stock" track and is overshadowed by stronger nominations this week.

Way of the Samurai 2 Original Sound Track - Souls Bonded and Split: I don't have the same initial bias against tracks that invoke a strong sense of feudal Japan and China, unlike others here. I enjoy a strong sense of exoticism and culture in my music and feudal rhythms are excellent at providing this. "Souls Bonded And Split" is nice background music, and would be excellent for studying or reading under. My only complaint is that it feels too laid back and is therefore lacking in the same verve displayed by other nominations. I still enjoyed this one but it needs a little more ferocity, in my opinion.


Points, Points, Points: 2 Points to Each!!

Boomshine (Game Rip) - Excremental Intermission (Boomshine Mix)
Genso Suikoden Music Collection ~Celtic Collection 2~ - Emotional Theme ~Genso Suikoden~
Fortune Quest Roll the Dice - Dash de GO!!

The rest were all decent, even the C&C track, but I liked these three tracks noticably more than the rest.


Upon Sims and/or SimCity Musics: Sims and Sims 2 is the best selling PC series of all time, meaning that its music is the most heard, even if it's not necessarily the most immediately recognized. That sort of audience in sheer numbers indicates to me that it's hardly obscure at all and past entries notwithstanding, shouldn't be allowed in SotW.

SimCity music is in a similar category (pun intended). Believe me, I absolutely love "Magic City" from SimCity3K, but have never once thought to nominate it here because the SimCity series has certainly attained mass exposure and pop culture notability; and I cannot under any circumstance fathom it being called "obscure".

But I'm okay with being in the minority, if that's how it works out.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Or, god forbid, we could have an honest-to-goodness tie. The point of SotW isn't winning, per se, but spreading around good music, right? What's the harm in placing an additional track onto the SotW page if the voters obviously felt both were deserving?

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