Annabel - Alternative

Rozen Maiden: Zuruckspulen ED

Tracklist:

1. Alternative

2. Ao ni Tokeru

3. Alternative (Instrumental)

4. Ao ni Tokeru (Instrumental)

1. Alternative

A quiet, impending single frequency opens the first track before dissolving into a slow, serene but a bit creepy instrumentation with the constant company of unusual pulsing synths in the background. All while Annabel is singing with her whisper-like voice, not increasing her volume even when the arrangement is threatening to overwhelm her, the atmosphere gains a more powerful violin background similar to ALI PROJECT, although still retaining the dark spirit of the Rozen Maiden anime. Even though the melody is entrancing, clear classical music influences can be heard, especially in the middle eight, pairing high violins and the deep double bass, as the song ends with a silent harp, leaving a dreamy aftertaste. Alternative is an excellent impression, especially as this is my first time listening to a song of hers.
Rating: 9

2. Ao ni Tokeru

Changing things up from the haunting ambient we've been able to hear, Ao ni Tokeru appears with a silent flute and a quirky xylophone, as it slowly achieves a much faster tempo and becomes a catchy mix of anison and J-pop in the chorus. That being said, aside the arrangement, the melody sounds too frantic, random and disharmonic the whole time, losing on the laid-back and relaxing aspect of it in the beginning, while, surprisingly, being quite boring. The B-side doesn't come near the quality Alternative had.
Rating: 5

Annabel's style, at least how I see it in this single, is very similar to Nagi Yanagi, which is perhaps brought up by the fact that they were a musical duo once. Despite the somewhat failed Ao ni Tokeru, I am looking forward to reviewing her further works. My overall rating is: 7.

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ALI PROJECT - Watashi no Bara wo Haminasai

Rozen Maiden: Zuruckspulen OP

Tracklist:

1. Watashi no Bara wo Haminasai

2. Fraulein Rose

3. Otome no Aganai

1. Watashi no Bara wo Haminasai

A gliding violin introduction sets the uplifting, yet slightly creepy atmosphere for a catchy synth melody followed by Arika's singing. Although it's more of their Light Alice style than the heavy gothic music we usually expect, it still follows some eccentric chord progressions utilizing bells in the midst of a seemingly cheerful melody, making it quite similar to their previous single, and perfect for the grim setting of the Rozen Maiden anime. Especially for a newcomer to their music, Arika's vocals may seem thin and inconsistent, but she again proves, despite her age and long career, that she can still perform the vocal stunts and even have an excellent vibrato capability. The strange ambiental noise and distorted guitars that have been following the instrumentation through the whole track are expressed at the final chorus, wrapping up the song in a mysterious fashion.

Rating: 9

2. Fraulein Rose

Silently, Fraulein Rose makes its entrance with a deep, relaxing piano, and, judging by the title, is also somewhat Rozen Maiden-themed, despite not being a tie-in. On the contrary of such a deep arrangement, Arika sings even higher this time, with a fairy tale-like dreamy choir backing her up, until the tempo and an acoustic guitar set in. This track is much of their usual style, but still has that one bit of melancholy and the strange, scary heavy gothic moments. Instead of the usual vocal filtering and layering, Arika reaches very high without her voice actually going into falsetto, and the same choir is silently being added every time an effective transition needs to be made. Suddenly, the mood is broken by an explosive, dark theme including strings much deeper than we've been able to hear, but not a long time passes before the serene ambient returns.

Rating: 10

3. Otome no Aganai

The big violin orchestra unravels, following a melody very much like the main melody of Watashi no Bara wo Haminasai. Slowly, everything starts getting heavier and heavier with more classical music-like crescendos and dramatic effects, before it returns to the restful thematic. Unfortunately, the third track in the single isn't anything especially memorable, but it's worth listening to even if only for the haunting arrangement, and the usage of Arika's light voice once again. 

Rating: 8

If Arika with her 50 years of age can do music this excellent, to the point where the worst track in the single still deserves an 8, then she surely sets the bar higher for any other musician. My overall rating is: 9.

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