I ordered the limited edition single and... it hasn’t arrived yet. Then again, it’s kinda not even released yet. But WAAAAAAH.


So, anyway, here’s my review of the CD first, then the DVD when I get it. So as of the first part, I will not discuss the music video at all.


Before I begin, let me say something: This is a *very* odd single, and the songs are strange even for Kajiura-sama. It was not what I was expecting at all, personally. Before listening to it, the rumors stated that the title song, progressive, was a rock-type song featuring Hikaru, and that the B-side, Utsukushisa was a beautiful ballad that Kajiura-sama wasn’t sure she should have released at all. The first one sounded promising, the second did not.


I was rather surprised when I listened to it.


1) progressive - 5:46 - 7/10
This is much more of a pop song than I was expecting. However, the violin work is superb and takes the focus a bit away from the more poppish elements, which is nice. The song features Hikaru for the most part, and Keiko takes a few lines here and there to even it out. Wakana is mostly harmony and Kajiurago. In this way, it reminded me at first of my second favourite Kalafina song, Mata Kaze ga Tsuyokunatta. However, at a deeper glance, the song is very different. I like the Kajiurago and any part sung by Wakana the best, such as the part at the end. The way her voice at the end mixed with the guitar and the violin sounded very dark to me. This is a huge contrast to the upbeat verse and chorus. The one thing that bothers me about this song is that it doesn’t seem to flow well from one part to the next. I love the verse, but it doesn’t fit with the chorus, and I love the chorus, but it doesn’t fit with the bridge, that sort of thing. I think it might be more of an issue with the arrangement than the overall composition, though. Anyway, the choral stuff in Kajiurago is amazing. Have I said that yet?


2) Utsukushisa - 4:53 - 10/10
Just... love. Seriously.
I wasn’t expecting to love this song as much as I did. Even as I was listening, I wasn’t quite impressed at first. Wakana’s singing over the piano really didn’t make a huge impression on me, but then the song seemed to speed up a bit, more orchestral elements and percussion were added and I... began to feel what I always do when I listen to a track that really moves me. Songs like ARIA, gloria, Houseki, all of these cause me to feel an unexplainable melancholy that I thrive on. So even without having dissected the song fully, I knew it was going to be a song I would love. For the specifics... the melody is simple, yet haunting. The harmonies are brilliant. The song gets more and more complex as it continues, eventually adding a full Kajiurago chorus and electric guitar and it just lifts and is fantastic. I can’t really describe it in words. It’s amazing.


3) progressive ~instrumental~ - 5:41
Ummm, wtf, it’s a different length? Anyway, it’s an instrumental, I’m probably going to have to cover progressive just because I have this instrumental to sing on top of. Oh well.


My thoughts?
I love this single, but not for the reasons I was expecting to love it. That’s good, though. Music shouldn’t be too predictable. And this single was hardly predictable. Anyway, Utsukushisa scored a place as my third favourite Kalafina song ever.


Overall rating = 8, because I can’t force myself to listen to the instrumental of progressive when I hardly know the original, so it gets a 7 too.


Keiko, I love yooooooooou!!!! Sing more on the next single, please?




- calidynd


Halo officially couldn't be bothered to fuck with this.