Final Fantasy IX: Melodies of Life – Emiko Shiratori

	Album Title: Final Fantasy IX: Melodies of Life – Emiko Shiratori
	Record Label: King Records
	Catalog No.: KICS-811
	Release Date: August 2, 2000
	Purchase: Buy at CDJapan

Overview

“Melodies of Life” is the vocal track to Final Fantasy IX. On the single there are three versions of the song. The first is in Japanese, the second is in English, and the third is an instrumental version. Also included on the single is “Galway Sky”, a completely new song for the CD.

Body

“Melodies of Life” is a straightforward ballad about feeling alive with love. Many accused the song of being a bit too laid back, but I don’t find that the case. After a soft beginning, it gradually builds up for the choruses, which are fairly powerful. If you found the song too laid back, then it’s probably due to the rest of the soundtrack being a bit more low key compared to, say, Final Fantasy VIII. Instead of going militaristic, this is Final Fantasy returning to its roots and the song would not be out of place in, say, the Vocal Collections CDs.

Of the two vocal versions of the song, the Japanese version is better, because the singer’s voice is more fluid with the instrumentals. Sometimes Emiko Shiratori arrives a little too late for the piece’s English version and fluctuates in tone a little too much. The Japanese version is what “Melodies of Life” was written for, and that’s why it stands out more. The instrumental version is a bonus, and can be used for Karaoke purposes since it has no synth voice.

“Galway Sky” is the new song and is absolutely astonishing! Would you ever expect a Final Fantasy single to be accompanied by a song with a dance-like drum beat? Well here it is, admittedly for the chorus only but, wow, what a song. It doesn’t borrow from any song from the Final Fantasy IX Original Soundtrack and comes across like a breath of fresh air. “Galway Sky” has a distinct Japanese feel, from the vocals to the instruments used, and, for the first time in a long while, a male and female vocal track actually works! “Galway Sky” is reason enough to buy this single.

Summary

Whether for the theme song or the B-side, this vocal single is very impressive. It is slightly more mature in composition and performance than Final Fantasy VIII‘s while still representing the game well. Highly recommended.

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