eufonius – Paradigm July 23, 2012

Track Listing

1. Paradigm
2. future indications
3. Paradigm (instrumental ver.)
4. future indications (instrumental ver.)

1. Paradigm

I’ve been having a hard time solidifying my enjoyment for eufonius’ music because it seems their singles work but their albums don’t  I think Paradigm is a pleasant tune to listen to and it kind of flows by just as much.  riya’s vocals are light and fluffy and has a good amount emotion behind this happy-go-lucky anison song. 

2. future indications

As for their B-side it kind of reminds me of their sound from “bezel” because it’s got this interesting arrangement and sounds a little more unique than “Paradigm”.  I will say there are problems in the meshing of riya’s voice and the background vocals…they just don’t harmonize very well.  At least the song is a bit more memorable than the A-side.

 

 

I do think Paradigm as a single did better than “Prism Sign” did but that’s because future indications was a pretty good song from them overall.  Paradigm is good too but it’s more of the same from the duo which is no surprise.  Just a small step in the right direction basically.

eufonius – Prism Sign February 12, 2012

Track Listing

1. Prism Sign
2. near and far
3. Prism Sign (instrumental)
4. near and far (instrumental)

1. Prism Sign

It hasn’t been that long since I’ve heard the duo last and they begin a new era with Prism Sign which kind of sounds like a lot of their stuff I’ve listened to already.  Mostly from “Phonon” which wasn’t that long ago.  Meaning the song sounds like your typical animu song but it does have a little more oomph from the guitars that are present.  It’s still rather light though so it might not impress many people that have been fans of them but it’s not sore or…bad. 

2. near and far

The B-side for the single takes things in a much slower and calmer vibe and I kind of like it that way so we can pay attention a bit more to riya’s vocals.  Though it doesn’t get too exciting since it just has acoustic guitar as the main melodic component to the song.  However, it does gain little specks of interesting sounds and some backing vocals.  Still, I think I would’ve added a whole lot more to the song than keeping it at a quiet pace.

 

 

I’m not sure how to really feel for this single but the best it could go is average since neither song really stood out to me.  Prism Sign sounds like it just missed being put on “Phonon” since it sounds a lot like a good portion of those songs.  near and far though is a little too basic and not enough surprise I guess…but neither songs are ~bad~ if you say that.

eufonius – Phonon November 24, 2011

Track Listing

1. phonon
2. Cyclation
3. Hiyoku no Hane
4. Mana
5. Kirari Kururi
6. Yuki na Miki
7. fugace
8. Bunkainou
9. Namida no Kioku
10. Kirakira
11. My Smile
12. Hikari no Fillment
13. Haruka na Hibi

1. phonon

Opening the album is an introduction to the album and it’s kind of simple and yet interesting for the intro.  It’s got this kind of video-game-ish arrangement mixed with riya singing under some filters for a bit before it opens up with more drums and clearer vocals.  Interesting intro…

2. Cyclation

Moving into the first full song, Cyclation is just as interesting as the opening since it’s poppy but has many little quirks about it that I really enjoyed about it.  Though with a title like that, I was expecting something dark, but this worked as well since it sounds like fantasy music and I loved every second of it.  Reminds me of “Aletheia”…

3. Hiyoku no Hane

Makes sense that this album would have two A-sides released in the era for it (though strange to leave off “Confetti” and “Literal”).  Hiyoku no Hane was the second A-side released in the era and continues this rather dance-ish anime fluff pop that eufonius accels in.  While I don’t think riya’s vocals are much to write home about, the song is stronger and really shows why it was an A-side.  Overall, I enjoyed this song, but “Cyclation” was better.

4. Mana

Since everything else but the last track are new songs, I was curious to what we were going to get.  Mana takes a much more minimal outlook for its arrangement and to me that kind of pulled me out since it kind of was just a little too bare.  riya does sound quite nice however and the instrumentation we did get gave off a Haruka Shimotsuki kind of flavor.  It gets more interesting the longer the song goes.  It’s nice for being the album’s first ballad.

5. Kirari Kururi

It’s nice that at the fifth track, we get something that’s natural sounding (this being mostly an acoustic track).  It’s light and fluffy and just is all-around positive.  I mean if YUI sang this it would make sense (well the use of accordion would be something new).  Still, it’s pretty basic for me and it doesn’t really stand out to me besides sounding like a closer for an anime.

6. Yuki na Miki

Which is weird because Yuki na Miki has this anime-sound down tight.  There’s not much to really say about this song that I haven’t mentioned from “Kirari Kururi” which is sad because there’s a little more music here, well piano and more percussion, but still.  I thought it had a strong introduction but the rest was just mild and not very memorable.

7. fugace

Things seem to slow down once again for our next song fugace.  I enjoyed the piano-only arrangement of the song since it makes for a nice middle to the album.  However, I’m once again finding myself not being a fan of riya’s vocals since they’re high-pitched and she hits some not-so-good notes.  If she could sing in a deeper tone, I think the song would’ve sound so much better.

8. Bunkainou

The direction of the album is staying at a ballad to mid-tempo feel for me at this point and I’m starting to get a little bored here.  Bunkainou is one of the mid-tempo tracks and while I praised the fact that we get some natural instruments once again, riya still can’t find her place since her vocals definitely have problems fitting in the arrangement.  She’s trying but her voice is too thin here…

9. Namida no Kioku

Bah, I’m just kind of at this point where I’m starting to doze off from the album and trying to finish this review up lol.  Namida no Kioku is the exact same sentiments I had with “fugace”.  Piano/acoustic guitar arrangement but some after it gets this rush of sound that includes marching drums…which is the chorus basically.  It does kind of interest me, but I’m still very bored of the verses.

10. Kirakira

I’m so happy that Kirakira picked up my senses in a very unorthodox kind of way.  Kirakira doesn’t sound like anything else on this album primarily because the music is very 8bit and mixed with the groups normal string-pop.  It’s definitely the epitome of sore thumb since it’s different from anything else, but it woke me up from that long series of songs prior. 

11. My Smile

Sadly, the boost of interest in the album quickly fades away again when My Smile starts up.  It fits with “Kirari Kururi” and “Bunkainou” in the way that there’s acoustic guitar and light instrumentation.  I’m starting to find that these songs are just not comfortable for riya since those songs have vocal issues.  Just not my kind of tune from the duo.

12. Hikari no Fillment

Is it weird to cover something that’s only been out for roughly a year?  I’m not sure why they’re covering Ayahi Takagaki’s song but I’m sure Hajime was the reason since he’s the group’s essential producer and musician.  I will say that riya doesn’t do as a good job as Ayahi did (simply because the latter has a deeper and fuller voice).  Musically, it’s not changed so there’s not much to be said about that either.  It’s an alright cover but doesn’t beat the original.

13. Haruka na Hibi

Closing this dreary album is the era’s first A-side!  Of course unlike the boost of energy from “Hiyoku no Hane”, this A-side was a ballad and quite a quiet one too since it was hard to hear the music at first.  Song does gradually get better and has a bit more going for it which is nice to hear and the chorus is relaxing to listen to.  It’s a nice way to close the album at least!

Tracks Recommended

• Cyclation
• Kirakira
• Mana
• Hiyoku no Hane

Song of Avoidance

• My Smile

At first I thought Phonon was going to be pretty solid of an album, but after Mana, things swiftly went downhill with blips of good stuff.  eufonius I think seems to be stronger when there’s singles and no album since their music seems to get more boring when there’s more of them.  Of course the good songs on the album did very well but ballads and pop/rock doesn’t do well for them when it’s back and forth.  Ehhhhh….

eufonius – Aletheia October 31, 2011

Track Listing

1. roop
2. Aletheia
3. Hoshi no Pulse
4. Kiri Hito wa
5. Lull
6. Divinity
7. Kono Koe ga Todoitara
8. Kimi ni Aeta Kara
9. natalis

1. roop

Starting off the mini-album, roop is pretty interesting of an introduction since it starts minimilistically with glockenspiel (I think) before light electronic influences and riya’s ad-libs join in the fun.  It’s an interesting piece since it ends with actual lyrics and at a peak point. 

2. Aletheia

When I began the song, Aletheia opened up kind of like “Eden” by Kalafina XD.  At least it changes up right after the opening into a light and dancey kind of song.  To me, it’s bouncy and riya’s light and fluffy vocals sound pleasant to the ears and it’s kind of pretty awesome at the same time, hey, to me, this is a great start for the mini-album!

3. Hoshi no Pulse

After the bouncy atmosphere from “Aletheia” dissipates, we enter Hoshi no Pulse which could be classified as a ballad, but it has a little synth involvement in the background alongside some acoustic guitar.  It doesn’t build up very well and even though riya sounds pretty in the song, it doesn’t really help that it moves a little too slowly fo me. 

4. Kiri Hito wa

I guess we’re going back to something upbeat for the next track.  It is a little more natural-sounding than the previous songs simply because there’s not a lot of synth stuff.  It’s pretty simple in its arranging styles since it’s just acoustic-based.  Maybe it’s just me but I’m not totally finding myself enjoying riya’s vocals as much, but the music was bright enough that I didn’t totally bag it.  So all in all, it’s a pretty solid song.

5. Lull

Beautiful strings open up Lull before it turns into this quiet-moving kind of song.  Of course it’s another ballad from the duo and while it’s one of the odd songs on the mini, it’s kind of pretty and the arrangement is just pretty.  However, that’s when the strings appear in the song after a while because with out it, it’s a snooze-fest but it doesn’t take very long.  riya has this kind of cute voice that works well in the setting (odd but w/e). 

6. Divinity

The next two songs are strange in the way that they were both A-sides…(IN 2009!!!!).  Divinity is the later-released one and I was curious to what it was going to sound like.  After the lullaby-like feel of “Lull” (OIC), the slight tribal-like feel of the song is kind of refreshing to me.  It’s a fun song once it enters the chorus (even though riya has some notes she has to hold x.x).  It carries itself just like “Aletheia” with dance beats later on…but still the chorus could’ve been much better!

7. Kono Koe ga Todoitara

Kono Koe ga Todoitara kind of seems to be strange to me.  At first it was quite pleasant and majority of it does sound pretty and a bit like “Kiri Hito wa” but with strings.  However, there’s some parts that really were unnecessary to the ears (mostly a few places in the verses).  The quick burst of sound and strained vocals really disturbed me the most.  Still, the song was nice enough right? XD

8. Kimi ni Aeta Kara

I couldn’t believe that eufonius could get even more simpler and quieter after the previous two ballads, but it seems that it happened with Kimi ni Aeta Kara which features acoustic guitar,  piano, and riya’s vocals.  It’s pretty damn simplistic of a song and it makes me wish there was more to the arrangement this time around. 

9. natalis

Which is a little unfortunate that natalis is another quiet song.  At least there’s backing vocals to play along with the acoustic guitar.  I will say that I did find this so much more memorable than “Kimi ni Aeta Kara” just in the sense that it reminds me of some city in a Final Fantasy game (more along the lines from IX or VI).  After a while, the song gets some digital clicking which is a little odd, but it’s still pretty good of a song and closes the mini on a good note.

 

 

eufonius has been quite interesting since I started reviewing them with “bezel”.  I must say that that “so-called” album failed to impress me very well but with Aletheia, they actually did a lot better here funny enough.  Some of the songs were a little bare, but the upbeat songs and natalis were pretty sweet songs.  I’d say if there’s a solid place to start eufonius, this is a better choice than “bezel”.

eufonius – Literal August 14, 2011

Track Listing

1. Literal
2. lingers on
3. Holograph ~Piano ver.~
4. Literal ~instrumental~

1. Literal

I somehow found myself enjoying the beginning riffs of Literal.  It does seem pretty basic in the arrangement which is a surprise since “bezel” was anything but simple lol.  There’s also something about riya’s vocals that doesn’t seem to connect to me this time around which is kind of bizarre for me since once again I liked it a lot.  Right now, I’m not really fond of the song to be honest.

2. lingers on

Now this was more of what I expected from the duo!  lingers on is definitely a song that is very ethereal and dreamy right from the start and that’s seriously a plus to their music.  riya also fits the role very well since she just kind of flows effortlessly through the tune and it just fits together like a puzzle. 

3. Holograph ~Piano ver.~

Of the songs they could’ve chosen off of “bezel” to get a piano version, Holograph wouldn’t have been my first choice to be honest!  Instead of the acoustic guitar take of the original, it’s replaced by of course piano.  The bad thing is that it’s just piano which = no riya to be found.  Of course it would’ve been way better if she was there but whatever…

Eh, Literal isn’t too bad of a single but I’d only listen to lingers on really.  Only that song is really worth the listen to be honest.  Literal was alright, but it didn’t bring much to the table sadly and the piano-only version of Holograph was a bit empty for me.  Oh well at least they have a mini-album lined up next.

eufonius – bezel June 2, 2011

Track Listing

1. bezel
2. Atomos
3. Holograph
4. Shinen no Kizuna
5. Antenna
6. Synapse
7. delete (Acoustic Ver.)
8. Holograph ~Instrumental~
9. Shinen no Kizuna ~Instrumental~

1. bezel

So we have an intro to the “album” with bezel.  As it is mainly just Hajime’s production skills, this intro is pretty interesting especially the opening where it sounds so weird before the soft piano arrangement replaces it and takes over.  It seriously sounds like video game music like a town theme or something that plays during saving.  It’s interesting that riya does come in for some VERY airy lyrics, but doesn’t detract from the peaceful music.  Two minutes is pretty good for an introduction and did very well.

2. Atomos

Getting into the bulk of the album, Atomos starts off with a nice synthy start but changes to include acoustic guitar and the combination is a pretty upbeat and breezy kind of song.  I think this kind of song is kind of interesting because it reminds me of YUI, but riya’s vocals are lighter and not as gritty as said singer’s.  It’s a nice track to have put after “bezel” and makes a good impression on me.

3. Holograph

Toning things down a bit for Holograph, they dropped the synths and upbeat tempo by making it more of a mid-tempo tune with acoustic guitar still leading the arrangement.  I don’t think it left as much of an impression like “Atomos” did, but I guess it’s alright for now.

4. Shinen no Kizuna

At least our next song is more interesting right?  Shinen no Kizuna feels so heavenly to listen to because of the rather spaced out feel it has.  It still does include acoustic guitar, but it seems there’s even amounts of synths present.  It’s a nice quiet song from the duo and riya sounds the best in this one.

5. Antenna

So it seems that Antenna is the signature cute song off the album and seriously it kind of is.  It’s a bit soft just like “Shinen no Kizuna” but of course given a sugar rush to add a little difference.  I like the the synths and bouncy vibe of the song and of course the acoustic guitar gives it a more breezy feeling to it.  I now have slight moumoon vibes from this song alone…but I think that’s a good thing to be honest.

6. Synapse

The last brand new song, Synapse is pretty relaxed when compared to the other songs of the album, but I’m not sure that’s a good thing especially since the last few songs have been like that.  It’s nice and the strings being in this song are just as good as well, but not enough to really warrant to remember it by. 

7. delete (Acoustic Ver.)

Closing the album (well sort of…instrumentals close the album out), delete gets a new version and that was a song back on their third mini-album, “Σ”.  The acoustic version makes pretty quick work of the original by taking the light pop/rock arrangement and taking it to a more basic sound with just acoustic guitar.  riya also resang this and she sounds great and lighthearted.  It’s alright though.

Tracks Recommended

• Atomos
• Shinen no Kizuna
• bezel

Song of Avoidance

• Holograph

Since this is my first time hearing eufonius, they slightly remind me of moumoon with their arrangements and songs they have on this album alone.  The thing is is that acoustic guitar in all the songs is a little blah and the synths did a good job counteracting it by being all over different songs.  It’s an ok album though….