み | Mi

うるて | Urute immediately kicks off the album with an inexplicably blissful combination of water stream field recordings, and miscellaneous dialogue; wondrously combined with heart-wrenchingly intimate vocals, performances and harmonisations.

High 8.

おおはる | Ooharu continues with the other-worldly vocals, combining them with a bright —or even sparkly, or dazzling— piano accompaniment. The recordings also create an amazingly immersive soundscape of nature-like qualities, once again.

Low-Mid 9.

ととろきみづ | Totorokimidu is an instrumental track that lets the piano shine by itself. The composition is spirited, heartfelt, and heartwarming. The piano tone itself is also ephemeral and simply artful, allowing for the piano solo to be more than enough.

Mid 9.

たにのはまべ | Tani No Hamabe is one of the small interludes made purely of dialogue. Sadly, this is where the language barrier and the lack of findable lyrics combine to leave listeners who don’t understand Japanese stumped. But it’s still somehow charming and a nice precursor to the next cut, and as such, it won’t affect scoring.

Nice interlude.

しらいき | Shiraiki is an endearing piano and voice arrangement where the old lady from the last interlude intimately sings, accompanied by the bright-toned, perfectly recorded piano that the record recurringly shows off, as well as what sounds like a mellotron to adorn some parts of the performances.

Mid-High 8.

おおはる・ぴあの | Ooharu (Piano) is a re-introduction of the earlier song of the same name, played solely on piano. Personally, the lack of field recordings and other quirks that accentuated the previous track left this moment feeling somewhat unevocative, though the compositional side of the performance is still left untouched and thus remains applaudable of course.

High 7.

やまふろ | Yamafuro is the combination of some singing, rhythmic splashes of water and some Japanese cicadas.

Mid 7.

あまみず | Amamizu pulls out all the stops and uses every resource employed thus far and then some more. There is playful percussion, a jumpy piano performance, ethereal backing vocals, and recordings of water. Of course, this is a sight to behold, although it slightly trades off some of the intimacy and closeness felt elsewhere on the album for this maximalism (personally).

Low 9.

I Am Water is another showcase of a pristinely recorded piano solo. This time, the composition is playful, carefree, and sparkly once again.

Low-Mid 8.

かみしゃま・語り | Kami Shama (Katari) introduces the “Kami Shama” motif in the piano accompaniment, combined with some more recordings of cicadas and an old lady monologuing. Again, there’s something inexplicably calming and heart-touching about these greatly curated combinations of sounds that Masakatsu Takagi achieves.

High 8.

せみよび | Semiyobi is a laid-back, nature-filled solo of what sounds like a kokyū, a bowed Japanese instrument. It’s quite candid, and even intimate due to its lighthearted approach and atmospheric recording inclusions. It is, however, slightly lacking in the raw awe felt elsewhere.

High 7.

うたがき I | Utagaki, Pt.1 is a more ambiental, and somewhat foreboding combination of string instruments, eerie drones and play-singing.

Mid 8.

うたがき II | Utagaki, Pt.2  is a massively uplifting combination of string and piano performances with an immaculately passionate and inspiring melodic motif. The structure of the track alternates spotlessly between blissful, tense and heartwarming tones.

High 9.

うたがき III | Utagaki, Pt.3 begins with an unassuming piano arrangement, before descending into a full-blown, unnerving ambience of what was first proposed in part 1. The play-singing is brought back, along with unsettling cat-like or baby sounds.

Mid-High 8.

育てなさい 火を熾しなさい 食べなさい 笑いなさい | Nurse Them Make a Fire Feed Yourself Express Your Mirth uses woodwind and percussion to express similar music ideas to the ones introduced “Utagaki, Pt.2” with different timbres — and it’s just as admirable. However, this only goes on for a bit before the track becomes an endearing though not all that evocative sound-collage of children playing, varied laughter, and a dramatic singing performance.

Mid 8.

うるて・はるのうち | Urute (Haru No Uchi) is a tranquil piano rendition of “Urute”, with recordings that include chirping birds, distant sounds of flowing water and wind, and other insects. My thoughts on this are similar to the piano version of “Ooharu” — meaning I considerably prefer the full versions of the cuts.

High 7.

かみしゃま | Kami Shama: here, the previously introduced composition is now captivatingly sung by an old lady. Overall, this version of the “Kami Shama” passage is equally heart-touching as it is straightforward, but in a calming way that also has production akin to a warm hug.

High 8.

あげは・合唱 | Ageha (Gassho) is an endearing recording of a choir practice which was in turn transformed with additional instrumentation to exacerbate the moment. Every mistake is met with laughter, and every success is captivatingly adorned with lush strings and chimes. Although conceptually it’s quite charming, it is slightly tedious when considered as a full song within a record.

Mid-High 7.

ぬのふね | Nuno Fune brings back the vocals plus piano disposition with a new singer delivering a candid and heartfelt performance. Having said this, the composition doesn’t boast the same ability to tug on the heartstrings as other similar moments as it’s a tad more bland.

Low-Mid 7.

ゆきんこ | Yukinko is a short palate cleanser combining recordings of rain and distant singing.

Nice interlude.

ももいろのほほ | Momoiro No Hoho is another piano and vocals cut, seemingly with a newly introduced singer. This time around, the song’s simplicity, lightheartedness, and uplifting disposition are at some of their most smile-inducing and day-bettering.

Low 9.

くゎのはら | Kwa No Hara continues with the same approach of the album’s second half with (probably) the same performer from the last track, now recorded with a more stripped-down sound quality. This fits the comparably more melancholic composition which is nonetheless emotive; additionally, with some crickets that end up being a poetic addition to this carefree recording approach.

Low 8.

かみしゃま・合唱 | Kami Shama (Gassho) is another *gasshō*, or chorus, singing a reprise and concluding the first disc of the record. The accordion backing and intimate vocals add together immaculately in a dazzling exercise of musical self-referral.

Low-Mid 9.

よ | Yo

よきにむかえ is a short string and piano introduction to the robust second disc of the album.

Mid 8.

うそひめ is a continuation of the same motifs just introduced, taken to a fantastically grand, tear-inducing level.

High 8.

今より幼い私 is a string arrangement, that despite being sonically beautiful in terms of tone, is somewhat lacking in direction and memorability from a compositional standpoint.

Mid 7.

りゅうびいしゃま is a return to Masakatsu Takagi’s mind-blowing ability in arranging; namely, with a jumpy, playful, massively inspiring set of musical ideas adorned with calmer passages.

Low 9.

彼の地にて goes back to implementing vocals in a soothing fashion. The singing is rather velvety, and the piano accompaniment is fittingly simple, and straightforward; perhaps, too much so.

Low-Mid 7.

彼の地にて・同じ夢 is a piano-only conclusion to the last track. It’s a pleasing continuation implemented to let the last song sink in, but it’s ultimately rather throwaway and feels like a leftover recording.

Low 5.

はたはた is a short interlude of plucked strings. It’s a sweet precursor to the beautiful cut that follows it.

Nice interlude.

かえりしま is a composition for strings. In terms of instrumentation, it has a more strip-down approach, which by no means takes away from the piece’s wonderfully lush harmonisation and memorable melodies. The structure follows a leisurely journey of building upon itself into a grand amalgamation of contrasting motifs.

Low 9.

このち is a proposedly mellow piano piece that slowly progresses from a set of simple cords to a more melodic and arpeggiated feel. It has the cadence of being a nice cut, but it’s bland and leans only slightly towards being evocative.

Mid 5.

紡ぎ風・序曲 is a string section prelude to the (from now on) recurring *紡ぎ風* or “Tsumugi Kaze” composition. It’s a melancholic and somewhat forlorn arrangement — and an emotive one at that.

Low 8.

わたげわらべ is another piano solo with intricate and uplifting harmonic progressions being performed in a comforting and carefree manner.

Low-Mid 8.

風のワルツ is an accordion solo with a waltz rhythm and added drops of charming, high-pitched, metallic notes. The accordion melodies have a touching and tender feel to them as well, but they feel unserious in a sense — and not necessarily in the carefree nature of the rest of the.

Mid 7.

雲はこび is a not-so-entertaining passage of plucked and metallic notes. It’s slightly needless, though not unlikeable.

Low 5.

ルンタ is a small interlude of what sounds to be a string section tuning.

Nice interlude.

紡ぎ風・だくぼくの道 is the previously mentioned “Tsumugi Kaze” passage, immaculately portrayed in a delightful, inspiring, and triumphant composition of fanfare-like brass arrangements.

Low 9.

あんのん is, honestly, a distracting and irritatingly comedic detour to follow the last piece. The tremolo guitar and vibratory-toned notes are wholly unevocative, though not all that insulting.

Low 3.

ユネワサ・アンギャ is another amazing success in terms of emotion. The lighthearted singing and whistling feel greatly joyous and utopian.

High 8.

紡ぎ風・夢紡ぎ: this “Tsumugi Kaze” rendition is arranged for piano and accordion in a nice and lovably strip-down manner.

Mid-High 8.

浮き雲 is a mysterious amalgamation of a repetitive and atmospheric piano melody, with added flurries of strings and other scratch-like noises. It, sadly, begins this disc’s second half’s tendency towards middling or even throwaway piano pieces.

Low-Mid 7.

渡る風の中 is a straightforward piano composition with little memorability, but it also boasts an admittedly tender performance.

Mid-High 5.

しやどり is a dreamy piano interlude with a very echoey feel; also, it serves the role of introducing the tone of the next track.

Low 6.

私は風を continues this atmospheric ambience with a piano performance that sadly fails to be immersive.

Low-Mid 5.

風花・かぜのねあつめ is the first of four *風花*, or “Kazabana” pieces. This short and sweet piano arrangement is a tad lacking in direction and structure — something which is saddeningly common in the second half of this disc, as previously mentioned.

Low-Mid 6.

風の生 is an entrancing piano composition that begins with an immersive burst of fast chords before calming down into a second section with a mood that is desolate in a sense… and is also considerably inferior.

Mid 8.

風花・春へ is the second of the “Kazabana” pieces. It begins suggesting a lively, though ultimately flavourless mood. However, it suddenly switches into a more repetitive and dreamy disposition.

Mid 7.

たゆら is a piano interlude with child-like delivery — a needless addition to an already uninspired piano-bloated tracklist.

Low 4.

父 is yet another slightly throwaway piano track with not much of a structure or melody to hold onto. Up to this point, the recording of the piano is always applaudable but also unchanging, to the point where this track just comes across as tiring.

Mid 4.

熱風 is a powerful piano composition with adventurous harmony and a celebratory feel. However, because of the nuanced performance and dreamlike piano tone, it has a subtly melancholic touch as well.

High 8.

友風歌 is more of the same disappointment mentioned before. A set of piano melodies without much meat on the bone.

Low-Mid 6.

紡ぎ風 is the final realisation of “Tsumugi Kaze”. It’s inspiring because it has been hinted towards time and time again by this point, but it’s most definitely anti-climactic for the piece to be piano-only in this context — and the previous buildup with brass, accordions and strings only adds insult to injury.

Mid-High 8.

風花・暮れつ方: this third “Kazabana” iteration is another strip-down composition with hypnotically repetitive chords that create a peaceful mood. Unfortunately, it still suffers from being uninspired to an extent.

High 7.

風の家 is… well, the same thing. Again, the tone is still noteworthy, but this idea of shapeless piano melodies has been beaten to death.

Mid 5.

風花・終曲: this “Kazabana” finale is similar to its second rendition; namely because of the sudden midway switch into a set of ephemeral arpeggios and sparkly high-pitched notes. In fact, not only is it similar, but it very well might be the same composition but with some added details and a better recorded, brighter piano; it’s honestly better somehow and, in turn, a good point to end on.

Low 8.