[] Turn-A Gundam OST II Dianna & Kihel [KICA-481]

This is another series that Kanno has composed for in which a majority of the tracks are bordering on perfection in terms of melody and orchestration. The numerous amount me musicals styles represented (mostly Western) adds originality thought This leads to the Jpop OP/ED themes sounding a bit out of place.

A few of my favorites (keep in mind, I have no knowledge of the series or where these themes are used):

02 White Falcon
A pounding, dramatic orchestral introduction gives way to a thrilling trumpet anthem. The flute and horn "march" prevalent throughout the series is then intenerated into the last part of the track.

05 Barbarian
A lightning fast jig, that really gets the toes tapping. The lead is nicely paired with the orchestra, and leads to a sublime build up by the end.

09 Winter Sun
A soft, soothing track that features several acoustic guitars playing the lead. The arrangement is very cohesive, and they manage to create a very dynamic sound when combined with the clarinet and percussion. And of course the very western style of composition is always a plus. I only wish it was a bit longer.

16 Puff the Pussy Puzzle
A jazzy track that features quirky synth sound effects and a bobbing clarinet melody. The second half gets a bit more minimalist and features plucked strings and a synth beat. Original racks like this are one of the main reasons I love her work so much.

18 Blond
A light, flowing orchestral piece that features a gorgeous violin lead. The compositing is very strong here, and manages to stir up a tremendous amount of emotional depth without sounding too sad.

20 Morning of NOCIS
Starting off with a cold, almost errior flute solo accentuated by orchestral swells, which leads into a serene version of "Quiet Landing" (most likely a character theme). This iteration possesses just as much of the power the original had, but the orchestration is a bit more embellished here (resulting in a more "magical" tone.)

22 She's so high
An interesting variation on "Moon" that uses more subdued instrumentation. The vocals are toward the background a bit more, resulting in a more airy take on a great theme. Personally though, I prefer the stern, drum march of the original.

As a whole, this is series represents some of Kanno's best works. It is a rare thing for the level of quality on an album to possess such a consistent degree of quality. It is a shame these albums don't have as much exposure as say "Cowboy Bebop", as they are just about at the same level.

Rating: 4.9/5

Jam it back in, in the dark.