[EzExZeRo7497]

July 4th, 2014
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Little Songs About Raindrops by Lullatone
Lullatone is an ambient (pop) duo from Japan. Their music is characterised as innocent and child-like. Lullatone prefers to call their own music "pajama-pop". Little Songs About Raindrops is their third studio album. I have never listened to Lullatone before, so I have no idea what to expect. I'm slightly anticipating a more mellow Piana (if it's even possible), but I could be way off. We'll see.

Hmm. My Petit Prelude is a lo-fi recording of a music box, quite the fitting title. Yesterday continues this lo-fi sound, but with glitch sounds. It reminds me of Asuna's Flowers a bit, might be thinking of the wrong album though. There's a really really off-pitch voice every now and then, and it bothers me. It's really grating, I just hope that the voice gets better throughout the album.

Wake Up Wake Up is the first long track here, six minutes long. It starts with a serene melody of xylophone (or musicbox), which is really neat. Really captures that child-like atmosphere. The track adds more layers as it progresses. Distorted voices, dreamy synths, field recordings... you get the idea. It's very nice. I wouldn't say that it's particularly soothing, but it's quite... naive and innocent. I feel like a child, stuck in a crib, being fascinated by every little sound in the room. These mish-mash of sounds don't make anything very magical, but it's still nice. It's so odd though, towards the second half there's the occasional cymbal which I thought would clash with the soft melodies. Turns out I was really wrong, it was a nice little layer. Not the best layer, but still good. But anyway, this track is great.

Leaves Falling is more soothing, with acoustic guitar brought in the mix. There's still a xylophone, but the melody is quite minimal. There's a particular IDM-esque beat going in the track, which does clash considerably with the rest of the track. Not too fond of that little bit. The same structure goes on for most of the track, up to the ending. Where it's merely an acoustic guitar melody, with a glitch sound every beat. It was nicer than the part before it.

The album is generally minimal melodies with some glitch elements. Seems to be a thing among Japanese ambient producers. What sets between Lullatone and other ambient glitch producers like Asuna and Ametsub is the emotion. While Asuna created a more synthetic vibe a la Fennesz, this is quite warm and child-like. The latter moreso. I can't really compare this to any album I've listened to, in terms of atmosphere at least. It's a collection of sounds that I feel like I've heard when I was really young. Normally that wouldn't impress me, because nostalgia isn't really my thing. There's this gentle warmth though, almost like a pat on the head, a stroke of the hair. Tracks like Morning Coffee have this. It has this one occasional element (usually a harmonica) which is really warm to me. It keeps me comfortable. I feel like a curious little child with my stuffed teddy bear next to me. It's nice.

The experience throughout is pretty nice. It's a nice change from most ambient albums I listen to. At the same time though, this isn't an album that I'd listen to regularly. It's not very engaging, it doesn't create much of an atmosphere to be in. This album is very lackluster in terms of how it sounds. It's a combination of sounds that somewhat work. It works just enough to create melodies, but not enough to do something more. This applies for most of the album, unfortunately. A Miniature Finale and Wake Up Wake Up are the only exceptions. They do sound nice though, but the memorability isn't quite there. Or at least, not as memorable as I'd like it to be.

Twinkly, innocent and dreamy. This album is honestly very pretty, but it's very flawed. I honestly want to give this a high rating, but there are so many notable issues with the album. I want Lullatone to be more overwhelming with their sound. Tracks like A Miniature Finale did this very well. It's large and overwhelming, but still child-like. It's a great great track - a little disappointed that the same quality wasn't throughout the album. Oh well, it's still a nice listen. Just one that could've been more compelling.

Album Highlights: Wake Up Wake Up, A Miniature Finale
Track Average Rating: 3.22/5
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
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Aeronautics by Masterplan (recommended by L.B.D.D)
That is a sick album cover. Masterplan is a German progressive/melodic power metal band, and Aeronautics is their sophomore studio album. First time listening to Masterplan, though I remember Ji linking a couple of their tracks a few times.

Oh jesus, this is so heavy. Crimson Rider kicks you right in the face with really harsh instrumentation, which is sick. Vocals are very easy to get used to, but it doesn't quite complement the instrumentation. Up to the last minute anyway, then it gets wonderful. Really really catchy, also pretty damn epic. Main issue is that it ends too abruptly though. Otherwise it's pretty solid.

Back For My Life is a ballad, nowhere as heavy as Crimson Rider. When it gets heavy though... it's pretty solid. Vocals generally become a bit too weak compared to the instrumentation though. It especially shows when he's trying to sing fast. Not too fond of that, but there are some shining moments here. Could be better, I suppose. It's not too bad though.

Wounds is pretty formulaic power metal, but it's decent. It reminds me really strongly of Sonata Arctica. It's alright for the most part, then the solo comes in. It becomes very very heavy, very grandiose. Pretty sad to know that it's rather short-lived, though. The rest of the track is decent, just nothing overly special I suppose. I do want something faster when it comes to power metal, and this doesn't fit the bill.

Pretty standard power metal album, I feel. Aside from some harder moments, it doesn't quite stand out from other power metal albums. Demetori has many fantastic tracks (especially in its progression), Nightwish has a symphony... this doesn't have too much. Aside from a couple of louder/heavier moments and variation, it doesn't provide much more than a standard power metal release. Not quite something that I'd go "hey, that's really good" unfortunately.

Even as a power metal release though, I don't think it's a very good one. As I said in my Galneryus review, I feel that the over-the-top energy of power metal is what appeals to me the most. The adrenaline-pumping and testosterone-filled instrumentation and vocals should really have that punch. This doesn't quite do that for me. While I wouldn't call this weak, it sure isn't as strong as it should be. Crimson Rider is a huge punch in the face, but the other tracks didn't quite follow. There are some respectable attempts like Into The Arena, but most of them miss the mark. They seem to be lacking in both the catchiness and strength departments. The album does get better in the latter half, but not by much. It's noticeable enough for me to say that it's better, but it's still not as good as I want it to be. It still doesn't have that grandiose atmosphere, or any catchiness for engagement. The songs here are definitely more structured, but not still good enough I feel.

Just doesn't click with me. There are some gleaming moments here, but they're pretty far and wide. I don't think it's quite worth it to listen through the album to find them. I can imagine this appealing to people who are into progressive metal a lot more than power metal. I'm not a fan of progressive metal. The album just doesn't appeal to me like most power metal albums would, I suppose. Simply not my cup of tea.

And the search for a fantastic power metal album continues...

Album Highlights: Crimson Rider, Into The Arena
Track Average Rating: 2.9/5
Overall Rating: 5.5/10