[Album] FINAL FANTASY XII Original Soundtrack (SVWC-7351~54)

My first impression of this OST is that its different and beautiful, but ultimately pretty boring and uninteresting.

Most of the songs all feature the same musical idea. A wall of strings without much in the way of melody, going for more of an environmental type of sound rather than something more structured. Having some of the music like that would've been great, but its almost all like that. Some diversity would've done wonders.

I feel there's too much reverb on the sound. While they may have been aiming for a sound that's as close to an orchestral hall as possible, sometimes it sounds like its being played in a cave. A much crisper sound would've made things better. As it is, it makes things sound too messy and jumbled, and softens the impact it would've otherwise had.

The drums and percussion feel very weak and boring. They mostly serve as background filler, rather than adding a sense of attack or power to songs that would've benefitted from it.

Perhaps a few more listens will change some of my opinions (playing the game wouldn't hurt either I suppose), but as it is now, I'm not impressed at all. It may serve the game well, but as a stand-alone listen without much knowledge as to what situations they apply to, its all too similar and blah.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Well, it was my first listen through, so what I posted was merely first impressions. I stick by the idea that many of the songs are too similar and the melodies aren't strong on that fact.

Too little reverb can make things sound too artifical (unless that's what's intended), and I agree that killing it all would be a bad thing, but this album is saturated with it.

There's nowhere I can't reach.