Cafe SQ Bonus Album (Village Vanguard)
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Album Title: Cafe SQ Bonus Album (Village Vanguard) |
| Record Label: Square Enix |
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| Catalog No.: SQEX-VV10276 |
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| Release Date: November 23, 2011 |
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| Purchase: Buy Used Copy |
Overview
Cafe SQ is the latest in a series of albums dedicated to interpretations of Square Enix favourites by musicians beyond the games industry. As the name suggests, it focuses on relaxing jazz and folk performances, but the album features quite a bit of variety nonetheless. Those who bought the album through Japan’s alternative store Village Vanguard were eligible to receive a bonus album featuring three exclusive remixes and a chiptune live recording not featured in the main album.
Body
The bonus album opens with a rendition of Final Fantasy VI‘s hidden gem, “Coin Song”. The arrangement seems a little constrained by the original melody and develops in a somewhat contrived manner, at least compared to the expansive renditions on the main album. However, the acoustic guitar performance is lovely and brings out the nostalgic tones of the original beautifully. Serph also returns from his dubious outing in the main album to interpret Final Fantasy XIII‘s “The Promise”. The electronic distortion and noise here may appeal to some, but in many ways distracts from the beautiful chamber tones of the original. Unlike Mitsuto Suzuki’s similarly styled arrangements, Serph takes things a little too far.
The album also featured a gargantuan recording of Sexy Synthesizer’s live set at SQ Party Level 1. He offered a nonstop remix of numerous classics from Square’s classics across a 30 minute playtime. Among the highlights, an ecstatic remix of Chrono Trigger‘s victory theme, an abstract interlude dedicated to Nanashi no Geemu, the hyperactive beats of Secret of Mana‘s boss theme, and a climax dedicated to Final Fantasy‘s main theme. While the melodies and renditions were enjoyable, they tended to focus on upbeat pop-flavoured renditions and did not feature the diverse moods and styles featured in SQ Chips. It’s nevertheless excellent that this performance was recorded for the album and perhaps Square Enix will consider a full album release for the concert at some point.
The album closes with a rendition of Final Fantasy VI‘s “Aria di Mezzo Carattere” by The Reign of Kindo. As one might expect from the band, the instrumentals are beautiful — combining sentimental piano figures with romantic violin and cello performances. However, Joseph Secchiaro’s vocal performance will be a select taste — a melodramatic balladic performance with a strong American accent. While the lyrics were a beautiful complement to the original game’s 16-bit visuals, they sound terribly cheesy in this rendition.
Summary
Overall, the three outtakes from Cafe SQ all have their problems and were best excluded from the main album. Nevertheless, the live set from SQ Party Level 1 is an interesting and nostalgic listen. Those purchasing Cafe SQ would therefore be advised to purchase the release from Village Vanguard.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
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Posted on August 1, 2012 by Chris Greening. Last modified on August 1, 2012.
About the Author
Chris Greening I've contributed to websites related to game audio since 2002. In this time, I've reviewed over a thousand albums and interviewed hundreds of musicians across the world. As the founder and webmaster of VGMO -Video Game Music Online-, I hope to create a cutting-edge, journalistic resource for all those soundtrack enthusiasts out there. In the process, I would love to further cultivate my passion for music, writing, and generally building things. Please enjoy the site and don't hesitate to say hello!
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