New FictionJunction Album "Parade" (Release April 19, 2023) [MV out on YT!]
- Thread starter Justisamuel
- Start date
george1234
Moderator
Is it a metallophone aka glockenspiel ?
Lorde-Kowz
I have reached Yuki nirvana
No, it's what percussionists use to produce those twinkly sounds Kajiura loves.
Lorde-Kowz
I have reached Yuki nirvana
CallOfLegend
I adore Yuki
george1234
Moderator
Is it Joelle on main vocal ? The melody sounds alot like Homura at the beginning. I like that its focused on one vocal instead of the Kalafina style that were most of the songs on the post 2008 FJ. But it does follow the formula of the c/w songs of the past FJ singles like hitomi no chikara, nohara and that Kaori one with the saxophone.
Last edited:
ritarudandoo
Yuki is my reason for existence
initial impression of Parade:
- the old FJ formula of Kaori verses Wakana chorus is replaced with Joelle verses Kaori chorus
- kinda eeeh, i know it's gonna be a ballad leaning song based on the teaser but I feel like the title Parade is weirdly chosen
- idk why but I really don't enjoy Kaori's voice in this song
- Joelle sounded kinda weirdly restrained on the first verse
- not a really memorable song tbh
- on second listen I've just come to realize that the last lines were Kimi no Paradeeee, Boku no Paradeeeee... i thought it was kimi no hou e lol
When I read Parade the only song that keeps repeating in my mind was Kalafina's Eden lol
- the old FJ formula of Kaori verses Wakana chorus is replaced with Joelle verses Kaori chorus
- kinda eeeh, i know it's gonna be a ballad leaning song based on the teaser but I feel like the title Parade is weirdly chosen
- idk why but I really don't enjoy Kaori's voice in this song
- Joelle sounded kinda weirdly restrained on the first verse
- not a really memorable song tbh
- on second listen I've just come to realize that the last lines were Kimi no Paradeeee, Boku no Paradeeeee... i thought it was kimi no hou e lol
When I read Parade the only song that keeps repeating in my mind was Kalafina's Eden lol
george1234
Moderator
True parade title redirected to that Vanitas bgm this is more like "Dance in nature".
Not a fan. The song is very forgettable - the arrangement, instrumentation, melody, lyrics...all bog standard Kajiura, it's sounds like she was on autopilot when she wrote this.
And to top it off it's a Joelle-led song. I don't dislike her voice, but she really isn't selling it here. I've listened to it twice and can't help but feel that if Yuriko was on main vocal, it would at least sound interesting. It's just so boring as it is.
And to top it off it's a Joelle-led song. I don't dislike her voice, but she really isn't selling it here. I've listened to it twice and can't help but feel that if Yuriko was on main vocal, it would at least sound interesting. It's just so boring as it is.
george1234
Moderator
Its sweet song - angel gate type of song so its okay i guess to be like that. Yuriko getting main vocal even is more rare than Keiko so why do we even complain ?
SurgamIdentidem
TETOTETOMETOME
This is of course only my personal opinion, but for me, this must be the single most uninteresting song she has composed since Saeko Chiba’s second album. It is very rare that I can’t find anything to like in a Kajiura song. One thing that I usually can count on when listening to Kajiura is that her songs will keep my attention, regardless of whether I think they are overall great or not so much. Parade is not necessarily a bad song or anything, but just incredibly boring in pretty much every aspect in my opinion. This makes me a bit worried now for the rest of the album to be honest, especially since I already found Rito’s and Lino Leia’s songs uncharacteristically uninteresting…
Lorde-Kowz
I have reached Yuki nirvana
It's Joelle on verses and pre-refrain and Kaori on refrain, for those that can't differentiate between them.
Nothing amazing, but I like it. Doesn't feel very post-KnK Kajiura. The composition feels more like a Saeko Chiba/Yuuka era ballad but with a more modern Kajiura arrangement and sound. It even has an English bridge instead of Kajiurago.
Now, where are my sampurus for the rest of the album? reeeeee.
Nothing amazing, but I like it. Doesn't feel very post-KnK Kajiura. The composition feels more like a Saeko Chiba/Yuuka era ballad but with a more modern Kajiura arrangement and sound. It even has an English bridge instead of Kajiurago.
Now, where are my sampurus for the rest of the album? reeeeee.
ritarudandoo
Yuki is my reason for existence
^^
I know it's a matter of preference but I can't really accept this everything album slander lol
I know it's a matter of preference but I can't really accept this everything album slander lol
Westkana
HA! I live in her CLOSET!
May be breaking from the mold here but I really enjoy the song! It feels like classic Kajiura, I feel something that's needed for the first FJ album in a decade and the first fully-produced non-soundtrack album in 8 years (may be wrong but the last one was FotW?). Yes, it may seem uninteresting compared to some of the other songs that have come out recently but I feel like it's a perfect album closer and something to kinda announce the return of FJ (more or less).
I can definitely see how Joelle and Kaori sound similar, but I was able to pretty quickly tell the difference- Kaori's voice is a bit heavier/huskier than Joelle.
I can definitely see how Joelle and Kaori sound similar, but I was able to pretty quickly tell the difference- Kaori's voice is a bit heavier/huskier than Joelle.
Also- those are wind chimes (or more formally, a "mark tree"); glockenspiel looks/sounds a lot closer to how you would picture a xylophone. But Kowz is exactly right that it's what's used to create the twinkly sounds Kajiura (among others) love using.
SurgamIdentidem
TETOTETOMETOME
It wasn't my intention to slander everything, there are certainly songs on there that I enjoy, such as (We are so) together, here we stand in the morning dew or sayonara solitia to mention a few. But yes, I have to admit, as a whole it's easily my least favorite Kajiura-produced album and I agree with @Lorde-Kowz that Parade seems to be inspired by this era, not to mention that she is is covering two Saeko Chiba songs on the album. But it's good to see, that there are people who like it more than I do.
george1234
Moderator
Saeko's Hikari is great too, dont remember from which album it is :)
grunty
I have reached Yuki nirvana
A little late since I'm on holiday... Apologies for some garbage wording and post structure, I'm on my phone.
I listened to the premiere and I didn't like it, but then later I got back to it and warmed up to it a little. The biggest reason I feel I didn't like it originally is that this is one of the 4 last original songs we're getting on this album and based on all the other tracks that we know, I already expected to not care for this album. Yet I still was silently hoping for a new FJ song to finally grab me by the balls and well, as expected from the teaser, this was not the one to do that. (Justice for fairy game, lul.)
So back to what I actually think of the track as of now... It's fine. A triumphant and confident "me" song. (At least that's what I got from it without knowing Japanese.)
It doesn't have very jarring transitions in the arrangement which I appreciate. Unlike some of you above, I did not feel it was THAT autopilotey - there is some consideration here and variety in color between parts.
Singing wise, again, to me Joelle is actually doing a lot of heavy lifting with her delivery to sell the verses. But I also get it that if someone doesn't like her voice, it will bring the song down even more. (Just like I expect some have no hope to like Aimer's song, lul.) I don't like two parts from Joelle - the first jump in the first prechorus sounds off but I'm not sure if it's her or the harmonies, or maybe both together (the same part in the second prechorus is perfectly fine); and then in the second verse when she sings "naka ni ite" (or something, 2:10 in the PV), the texture of her voice gets darker/deeper and it again feels off.
Kaori is a little weirder in that I feel she would rather belt in this register but they are keeping it softer so she sounds a bit unfomfortable. But it's fine. Hope she survives vol18 lives.
No real comments on the bridges and expanded backing vocals from Yuriko and Keiko - they're there, lul. Maybe I'll have more to say when I get home.
The PV itself is perfectly fine for what it is.
Tldr: had I not been familiar with Kajiura, would this make me research her? Probably not. Would I skip it when it comes on? No. It's probably the most easy to listen to song we got so far from this album.
I listened to the premiere and I didn't like it, but then later I got back to it and warmed up to it a little. The biggest reason I feel I didn't like it originally is that this is one of the 4 last original songs we're getting on this album and based on all the other tracks that we know, I already expected to not care for this album. Yet I still was silently hoping for a new FJ song to finally grab me by the balls and well, as expected from the teaser, this was not the one to do that. (Justice for fairy game, lul.)
So back to what I actually think of the track as of now... It's fine. A triumphant and confident "me" song. (At least that's what I got from it without knowing Japanese.)
It doesn't have very jarring transitions in the arrangement which I appreciate. Unlike some of you above, I did not feel it was THAT autopilotey - there is some consideration here and variety in color between parts.
Singing wise, again, to me Joelle is actually doing a lot of heavy lifting with her delivery to sell the verses. But I also get it that if someone doesn't like her voice, it will bring the song down even more. (Just like I expect some have no hope to like Aimer's song, lul.) I don't like two parts from Joelle - the first jump in the first prechorus sounds off but I'm not sure if it's her or the harmonies, or maybe both together (the same part in the second prechorus is perfectly fine); and then in the second verse when she sings "naka ni ite" (or something, 2:10 in the PV), the texture of her voice gets darker/deeper and it again feels off.
Kaori is a little weirder in that I feel she would rather belt in this register but they are keeping it softer so she sounds a bit unfomfortable. But it's fine. Hope she survives vol18 lives.
No real comments on the bridges and expanded backing vocals from Yuriko and Keiko - they're there, lul. Maybe I'll have more to say when I get home.
The PV itself is perfectly fine for what it is.
Tldr: had I not been familiar with Kajiura, would this make me research her? Probably not. Would I skip it when it comes on? No. It's probably the most easy to listen to song we got so far from this album.
Last edited:
maxwell halliwell
I like Yuki
This song is straight from saeko chiba's era; I don't like Joelle's voice, sorry.
The video was very wuthering heights, and i hated they covered the musicians' face, totally unnecessary.
The video was very wuthering heights, and i hated they covered the musicians' face, totally unnecessary.