“Enchanting, and sweet. Kanon Wakeshima shows the world the power of neoclassical in this hauntingly enchanting album release, “Shinshoku Dolce”.
ARTIST: Kanon Wakeshima
ALBUM: Shinshoku Dolce
LABEL: DefSTAR Records
DURATION: 41:01
RELEASE DATE: 2/18/2009
BUY THIS ALBUM
1. sweet ticket
2. Shinku no Fatalism
3. Kagami
4. still doll (album ver.)
5. Maboroshi
6. ennui kibun!
7. Suna no Oshiro
8. Monochrome frame
9. L’espoir ~mahou no akai ito~
10. kuroi torikago
11. skip turn step ♪
12. Shiroi kokoro
13. sweet dreams
Kanon Wakeshima’s album “Shinshoku Dolce” is a great mix of classical, a hint of techno beats, and a very charming sweet voice.
Kanon Wakeshima is a cellist and vocalist, who is produced by the legendary Malice Mizer/Moi dix Moix guitarist Mana. She shows off both of those talents in this album release, “Shinshoku Dolce”.
sweet ticket is an instrumental track that sets the mood for the whole cd.
Shinku no Fatalism starts off with a very classical sound that quickly gets incorporated with a techno beat and then is followed by her very sweet voice. A great vocal track to start off the cd.
Kagami is one of favorite tracks on the cd and starts off with a musical box opening. Once again the classical element is very prominent but I like what they did with the drums in this track.
still doll is a track that was used for the ending theme for “Vampire Knight”. Somehow the sounds used in this track remind me that of a marionette and her voice in this song is almost haunting yet sweet.
Maboroshi has a very relaxing sound to it during the verses and in the chorus it picks up.
ennui kibun! starts off with very weird sounds such as meowing, birds chirping, and the telephone ringing. This is definitely one of the most unique tracks on the album.
Suna no Oshiro was used for the ending theme of “Vampire Knight Guilty” and is easily one of the darkest tracks on the album.
Monochrome Frame is one of the slower songs on the album and is another one of my favorites on this album. Her voice is not as high as the other songs and has a soothing tone which makes this song sound like a lullaby.
In L’espoir ~mahou no akai ito~, I found a very interesting combination with the melody and the lyrics. Parts of the lyrics centered around her and her rival when it comes to love. But then again, the song is titled “mahou no akai ito”, and akai ito (red string) has to do with love and finding the one you’re destined to be with.
kuroi torikago is one of the more uptempo songs on the album and I am thoroughly impressed with how she’s able to change her voice depending on the song. Her voice is just a touch lower than most of the songs and sounds dark yet enchanting once again.
skip turn step ♪ is another rather chill song on the album and one might find themselves bobbing their heads along with the song… or dancing.
Shiroi kokoro has a very dreamy opening, once again very sweet and enchanting.
sweet dreams ends the album with another instrumental track. The song is a music box track and just like the title, seems to lure the listener to a pleasant sleep, and is a perfect way to end this album.
The cello adds such depth and life to each of the songs. If anything, that aspect definitely sets her apart from anyone else. Her voice and her cello seem to work magic on each song, making the songs sound enchanting and bringing them to life. You feel like you are in a fairytale when you are listening to this album.
The first picture I got in my head when I first heard Kanon Wakeshima start singing, was that I had some porcelain doll dressed in gothic lolita fashion singing to me while I was on some dark, enchanted merry-go-round. So if that is what they were aiming for, they definitely got it. I actually love music like this. I love the classical music with the sweet, enchanting voice and hint of techno. The songs are beautiful, some with very haunting overtones. I keep feeling like I’m in a playroom full of toys that are about to come to life because of this music.
In all seriousness though, I really like this album. Her work reminds me a lot of ALI PROJECT, Kalafina, Sherry, and Malice Mizer. Other than the thoughts that first came to me when I heard her first sing that I mentioned above, I also instantly thought she sounded like Sherry, who did the opening and ending themes to the “Record of Lodoss Wars” OVAs. I felt the same enchanting feeling I felt when I first heard those songs. I felt like I was surrounded by fairytale and fantasy. This album is rather dark but very enchanting. Her skills as a cellist and a vocalist are both very impressive. I look forward to what other masterpieces she will bring us in the future.
BUY THIS ALBUM