Kanako Ito - Anata no Eranda Kono Toki wo

STEINS;GATE Fuka Ryoiki no Deja Vu OP

Tracklist:

1. Anata no Eranda Kono Toki wo

2. resolution

3. Anata no Eranda Kono Toki wo (off vocal)

4. resolution (off vocal)

1. Anata no Eranda Kono Toki wo

A quiet piano solo opens the track, accompanied by some strings, but as soon as the pulsating synths join in, the listener would immediately guess the tie-in anime. A very upbeat and fast tempo is included and makes an impressive, tense techno-rock song. Kanako's voice always seemed a bit stale to me, but it seems that I am getting used to it, or she just works with the arrangement; and from what I could pick out of my random knowledge of Japanese, the lyrics are pretty dark as well. Ultimately, the synths and the guitars climax at the middle eight section, crossed with short dubstep sequences, making for a very dramatic, awesome ending. Besides being eargasmic, this song must also be dubstepic.

Rating: 9

2. resolution

An impending deep, chipping sound gets our hopes up for another upbeat song, but Kanako breaks the unusual introduction with her acoustic guitar and sleepy voice. The pop-rock sound found here is quite different than the first track, however, it is still enjoyable, but not very original amongst the sea of similar songs out there. The vocals here are surprisingly a bit stronger, having an actual chance to stand out more with the not so aggressive instrumentation. As the song comes to a close, with the acoustics dimming down, the ominous-sounding synths take over again, with no apparent reason to it, being completely contrasting to the rest of the track. Maybe the lyrics are in fact serious, and my limited knowledge of Japanese stopped me from seeing this in its full light?

Rating: 7

I love making up new words, and I'm glad such a good song helped me do it. The new single for Kanako is a considerable step up from the last one, showcasing her usual style of music, and of course being tied with quite a renowned anime STEINS;GATE is. My overall rating for this single is: 8

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Kanako Ito - Topology

                                                            Robotics ; Notes ED 2


Tracklist:

1. Topology
2. Kizuna no Kessho (Crystal Bond)
3. Topology (Anime ver.)
4. Topology (off vocal)
5. Kizuna no Kessho (off vocal)


1. Topology

A very peaceful, relaxing piano is used in the whole song, which makes it really easy to listen to, while at the choruses the track turns into a powerful ballad. Kanako's voice sounds a bit strange and nasal at first, especially at the verses, but you get used to it, and it doesn't really ruin the experience. This song brings nothing new to the scene, but it's still an enjoyable one.
Rating: 7

2. Kizuna no Kessho

The two should definitely switch names, because this associates more with "Topology" than "Crystal Bonds". As the verses have the same feeling to them like the previous song, you shouldn't be fooled, because this track becomes an upbeat rocky one very quickly. Though it's nothing special either, my favourite part is at the bridge of the song, where the synths and guitars just get crazy and all over the place.
Rating: 8


Summed up, this is nothing all too original, but the single is definitely worth listening to, and I think it deserves a place on my iPod. My overall rating is: 7.5

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