Finally listening... I'm gonna write as I listen...so, it's gonna be long.
Spoiler:
M - I like the "low" parts over the climactic ones. I like how they kept the arrangement simple in certain places where the original wasn't. But it's hard for me to put the melody with the arrangement completely. I wish there were less instruments.
Love Song - Starting with tympani and brass is nice. I actually think it was a good choice for the composer to choose this sort of arrangement for this song, with the heavy brass. I also feel like it's more connected with the melody than M was. Piccolo epicness in the background also. Oh...I wish this part at 3:00 had one standout instrument in the back instead of it being just her vocals. Ending is meh.
SEASONS - I wish there wasn't so much heavy brass here. This will be a classical song like M was I suppose. Yeah. It's not too bad for this song...it would be nice live. Gives a really BIG song.
You & Me - Oh yeah. I liked this arrangement for this song I think. Just because it was positive. Did the original song have this tempo? I can't remember. Her English still bothers me. Like the little percussion things happening in the verses. And the clarinets. I think he did a good job of filling in the song behind the melody. I actually liked the melody for this song, cause when you sing it, it feels like you're telling a story. Don't like the La La's. I kinda wished they cut the last verse, and ended with those flutes.
BLUE BIRD - Interesting decision for the opening. It was sweet. omg I miss these vocals, holy ****. I think I wanted something more like HAPPY ENDING for this song...obviously not getting it...but okay. I feel like the melody takes over here, like with M. Oh...no, trumpets. I don't care for this arrangement. It moves alright though. Oh, but no, no, not for me.
Days - lol If the woodwinds don't own this song I'll be mad Composer person. Harp is nice. I like that he kept it simple there. He knows there's already so much going on with the vocal track lol I don't know if I like how they kept in the harmonies for her voice. I do like the balance between the arrangement and the melody though. Ah there, before 4:00, the only reason to keep in those low harmonies.
It's still kind of typical. I would have liked to see something different done for the song. But the composition for Days is already such a mess.
Voyage - aww Voyage. Oh interesting with the violin opening. This one is also typical, but I like it. lol I forgot about Ayu's vibrato. I think, oh nice french horn, I think the good parts of this arrangement lie with what's underneath those overhead strings and top melody. The backing brass, and lower strings, that french horn. aw flute trill prettiness. Otherwise, typical.
Haha! I knew the brass was gonna come in there. I like how they did the grace note.
Song 4 U - omg is that FINALLY A ****ING PIANO. Damn. This song is boring me tbh lol Nice flute run. This is another that I feel, at least during the chorus, the melody takes over and there isn't a nice balance. Woah, that verse was disjointed. I don't like this one because I don't think I wanted such a big arrangement for this melody. My favorite parts are the low parts or the piano ones.
This is also another, where I wish they could have done more with it. Like Days. They could have been more creative. The arrangement is just "there".
Missing - oh pretty.... oh no no don't go there. ah okay. But the chorus will. I think. Yep there it goes. Another. The arrangement is nice, but it's just there. The flute runs are really nice, but you have to pick them out. And ew...what's with this boring transition. I think he was trying to go for the more somber tone, while keeping everything in there, and filling in the background, but idk, it just doesn't work for me. It's boring.
Dearest - Alright last song...this song always makes me cry lol Pretty harp. Actually, I think if all of these songs didn't have that harp, they'd all suffer. I want to kill him for using those overhead strings so much. This arrangement is also typical and boring. Just there. Can't hold it's own without the melody.
CAN YOU PLEASE BRING OUT THE PIANO OMG. Why is it stuck way back there? Kill those other instruments! You don't need them! ****.
This low part is nice. SEE. PRETTY PIANO IS ALL THAT'S NEEDED.
Yeah. This song also...could have utilized so many of these beautiful instruments. Classical is not ALL about these high strings. A song like this...could have been so creative.
Why are you ending with the harp and not the piano. Who should have been the star of that song.
Okay. I got a little angry towards the end...Sorry. But. um I think it's nice. I could have been...amazing, but. It's just so Japanese "I love high strings and flute runs all the time".
Some of the arrangements are boring. Many of them don't do anything interesting in their own right, and that makes me really disappointed. You have SUCH an array of gorgeous instruments. USE THEM.
And don't just throw them all together just doing simple chords so that they get lost and nothing happens.
I think my favorite might be LOVE SONG just because the arrangement wasn't AS typical and it complimented that melody nicely.
So many of them were on the same level. REALLY upset about my BLUE BIRD.
6.5/10 for the album I guess.