Aya Hirano - Hoshikuzu Garandou

DoDonPachi Saidaioujou OP

Tracklist:

1. Hoshikuzu Garandou (Game Ver.)

2. Hoshikuzu Garandou (Original Ver.)

I'll be skipping the first track, since it's just a 90-second short version.

2. Hoshikuzu Garandou (Original Ver.)

A laid-back, jazzy electronica sequence opens Aya's new single, suddenly exploding into an agressive barrage of synths and hard guitars in a very fast tempo. Here, the classical game music sound is shifted around a bit with the hell-like atmosphere in the verses and the effective switches with Aya's vocal solos. Surprisingly, though, her vocals aren't filtered at all, which is what one would expect in such a techno-driven song, but it is a sign of how her voice has matured from the good old days of Haruhi Suzumiya to the now serious and powerful performance. In contrast with the constant build-ups and downs with the song's flow, the middle eight section returns to the funky ambient back from the introduction, employing a glissando (gliding) piano and western-like guitar melodies, only for unusual dubstep synths and a prolonged vocal solo to finish the track with an impressive chord.

Rating: 9

Judging by the style of her previous single back in February, nobody could have guessed that Aya would do another tie-in. Still, her music sounds quite compelling, and is a definite listen for everyone, both her anison and J-pop audience. My overall rating is: 9

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