{single} Rurutia – Suzaku no Sora

April 19, 2008 at 8:46 pm | Posted in Music, Rurutia | 2 Comments

Rurutia – Suzaku no Sora
ルルティア – 朱雀の空

(released September 30th, 2002)

1. 朱雀の空 [Suzaku no Sora]
2. 幻惑の風 [Genwaku no Kaze]

Rurutia’s 4th single. Suzaku no Sora is a departure from Rurutia’s previous works – while her previous singles featured a mix of electronic and acoustic pop, this one’s a bit more rock-oriented. Rurutia never ceases to amaze me; even though she has an established style, she’s still out to try something new.

Suzaku no Sora is one song that never fails to “get to me” no matter how many times I listen to it because the emotion echoes so strongly in it. Rurutia’s delicate whisper betrays the pain in this song. Her vocals are at their best, especially the transitions to her lower range and to head voice at certain parts. There’s heavier guitar and percussion than in her usual fare and a strong synth line. This song makes me feel like I’m watching the point where the sun sets in the ocean, staining the afternoon sky blood-red. Not surprisingly, this is one of my favorite songs.

Genwaku no Kaze lives up to its title (“bewitching wind”) because the first image I get is a forest on a windy autumn late afternoon with the leaves swirling around. This track has a similar rock-influenced feel as the previous, but it’s markedly more “atmospheric” and I don’t think I hear any synths. Rurutia’s using a more lilting singing style, and the backing vocals blend so well with the main voice that this entire song feels like an illusion. The best part is the “bridge” before the final chorus with only vocal “oohs” and a variety of percussion.

Overall Grade: A+