Kanon Wakeshima
Shinshoku Dolce

Hello (again) DeBaser users!!! This is the first music review I'm posting on this site and since all the artists I like have already been reviewed by other users, I thought I'd start with a singer absent from this database: Kanon Wakeshima, a Japanese singer born in Tokyo in 1988. Now, to everyone who will be tempted to shower the album and review with 1s, a little plea: listen before you criticize! Because, I assure you, if something is musically bad and created solely to make money, I'm among the first to avoid it, and "Shinshoku Dolce" does not fall at all into the aforementioned category of albums. But let's not get too sidetracked and begin the album review.

The first thing I thought when I listened to one of the singles was: "This is the Japanese version of Emilie Autumn!" Kanon's style, while having its own characteristics, is clearly inspired by that of the Californian violinist: electronic sounds and percussion blend with classical instruments (and in this album, it's the cello, which the Japanese singer is an excellent player of). The main difference between the two is that, in "Opheliac" the electronic-industrial and choruses prevail, which can make some tracks unlistenable at first, while in "Shinshoku Dolce" it is the aforementioned cello that takes the lead, making the album much more accessible. In simple terms: take "Enchant," Autumn's debut album, and replace the Celtic and enchanted sound with one decidedly more dark and classical.

Let's move on to a more in-depth analysis of the album: there are two instrumental tracks, "Sweet Ticket" and "Sweet Dreams", which respectively open and close the album. The first starts only with the cello, to which drums, a string orchestra, and synthesizers are added. It ends effectively leaving everything in suspense. "Sweet Dreams" is instead played entirely by a music box and I think it's definitely a good way to conclude an album. Then there are the two singles "Still Doll" and "Suna No Oshiro", which are probably the most valuable tracks on the album: in the first, you find yourself transported into a very dark yet fascinating Victorian atmosphere (perhaps the greatest similarity with Autumn) effectively created by the icy sound of the synthesizer-music box.

The other single in question has a faster rhythm than "Still Doll", which is instead very slow, and stands out for the use of the singer's voice, which starts whispering and then hits higher notes, as well as for the excellently recreated pathos. Speaking of vocals, this is where the first flaw of the album lies: although possessing a very graceful and pleasant timbre, Kanon's range is very limited. Initially, you don't notice it, also because, thanks to the skillful use of the cello (played by her), the voice takes a back seat, but after a while, you get tired of always hearing the same notes. Exceptions are tracks like "Maboroshi", where the singer tries to give a different tone to her voice, and "Kuroi Torikago" (a very dark track), where she tries to hit slightly lower notes, along with the aforementioned "Suna No Oshiro." Among the other songs, special attention should be paid to "Skip Turn Step", with its waltz rhythm and very classic-19th-century sound.

In conclusion, we have an overall good album, endowed with an original sound and definitely not for everyone, but not without flaws, which prevent it from going beyond three stars: it seems indeed that the singer has copied from song to song, but be careful! By this, I do not mean that they are indistinguishable from each other, there are slow and fast ones, romantic and unsettling ones, but the structure is always the same: instrumental introduction, sung part, cello solo, and resumption of the singing. The general impression is thus that Kanon could have done more: I find that talent and creativity are not lacking, but she needs to find the courage to detach herself from the structures she has tested, initially effective and maybe even surprising, but after three or four songs they become stale. So, a passing grade, but more could (and should) have been done.

I hope you enjoyed the review and see you next time! ;-)  

P.S: not to be insistent, but at least listen to some pieces of the album before expressing a judgment (recommended are the singles and "Kuroi Torikago").