[SotW] Song of the Week - WEEK 195 Voting/WEEK 196 Nominating

This has never happened before, but I'm familiar with a majority of the tracks this week (6). Let's see how they stack up with their respective Christmassy sounds!

Alone in the Dark 2 (PC Game Rip) - Intro is a delicate, slightly creepy piece that's subdued almost to the point of tedium. I think for the most part it escapes dullville and ultimately has a nice chilly ambiance, but as far as Yuletide tunes go it's not that great.

Ape Escape 2 (Game Rip) - Snowball Mountain is a perennial favourite of mine, and my favourite Christmas VGM tune ever. In addition to the wickedly absurd, Koji Hayama can cook up some delightful, bright melodic tunes such as this with great touch and finesse. It shines from start to finish, makes me want to play Ape Escape 2 again, and never fails to put me in the Christmas spirit!

Canvas2 Original Sound Tracks - Jingle Jingle Nadesiko! is similarly joyous and cheerful. It's a sweet jingle that fits this time of year particularly well. A great go-to Christmas tune (if only the violin was more punctuated!).

Along with the "Intro" track, Daze Before Christmas (SNES Game Rip) - Santa's Workshop is one of two tracks this week that I'm not familiar with. It's definitely an odd track, and really hard to describe and evaluate. The mix of "Jingle Bells" with some more mature jazzy bits ends up piquing my interest however. Solid!

The whole Hanakisou... album has a wonderful sense of Winter, which is conveyed impeccably through the orchestration. Hanakisou Orchestra Arrange Album "Hanakisou Symphony" - The Town's Breath ~ Market Scenery is a lovely, warm track that happens to have one of my favourite pieces from the score in it, "Market Scenery". The transition between the two songs is a tad crude, but that's a minor blemish on an otherwise spectacular and Christmassy performance.

Speaking of Wintery scores, the score to Kanon is just made for the (north hemisphere...) Christmas time of year. I find the music to Kanon to be more appropriate as background music, and this definitely rings true with KANON arrange best album "recollections" - pure snows. It's a very icy yet warm piece of synth ambiance that's enhanced well by reverb and chimes. Though for me, it lacks that bit of punch that makes it truly engaging and memorable.

Sam & Max Season Two Soundtrack - Unholy Workshop isn't one of my favourite Sam & Max pieces, though it's still an entertaining listen to some extent. My problem with it is that, while it conjures a slick and bumbling atmosphere and tone, it's too disjointed and sparse to really get into.

The Original Sound Track Album Of Giant Egg ~ Music Popped Out Of The Egg - Lullaby of Snow Mountain definitely comes from a wacky, 'left field' soundtrack. This particular track has a melodic sense that I, for whatever reason, enjoy---though the appropriateness of this track for the Yuletide week is scarce at best..! Still a fun and mildly absurd track though.

christmas POINTS (or: theme week pun laziness)

2 points: Ape Escape 2 (Game Rip) - Snowball Mountain
2 points: Hanakisou Orchestra Arrange Album "Hanakisou Symphony" - The Town's Breath ~ Market Scenery
1 point: Canvas2 Original Sound Tracks - Jingle Jingle Nadesiko!
1 point: Daze Before Christmas (SNES Game Rip) - Santa's Workshop
5th: The Original Sound Track Album Of Giant Egg ~ Music Popped Out Of The Egg - Lullaby of Snow Mountain
6th: KANON arrange best album "recollections" - pure snows
7th: Sam & Max Season Two Soundtrack - Unholy Workshop
8th: Alone in the Dark 2 (PC Game Rip) - Intro

Very enjoyable week! Merry Christmas to all SotW'ers!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

OK, very unexpected result. o.0" This isn't how I would have predicted it at all! Glad to see Hanakisou got a placing though.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Yes, and I hope the winning track this week wasn't indicative of everyone's Christmas. You know, a Christmas full blasphemous practices; malfunctioning and broken gifts; and seedy relatives.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.