I’ve had a .flac version of Seventh Heaven on my HD for a while now but when I was in Akihabara I was able to pick up the legal version (I decided against the limited edition since I was worried about spending too much…). It has the prettiest CD inlay booklet I’ve seen in a long time but above all else it’s the neatest way of getting Kalafina’s best material on one shiny disc. In fact the only disappointing omission here for me is the Lacrimosa single and its B-side Gloria but it does include all the major vocal numbers from the Kara no Kyoukai movie series, plus a track or two that you won’t find on any of the OSTs.

Interestingly the group members and Yuki Kajiura, the songwriter behind it all, are reluctant to categorise the material, instead describing it simply as ‘Kalafina sound’; given the range of influences in evidence I can understand their point. Choral-gothic-synth-folk is a bit of a mouthful yet still doesn’t go all the way to summing up how the musical approach of, say, Uninstall (or any of Kajiura’s similar work so far) has progressed. It’s pleasantly surprising how wonderfully this collection of songs works on its own merits outside the BGM/film theme context: you certainly shouldn’t be discouraged if you’re not familiar with the anime that inspired it.

Overture introduces the feel of a bona fide album rather than a mere collection of songs played back to back: it starts with tinklings of piano, a choral harmony and various sound effects drenched in reverb and half-heard lyrics. Oblivious kicks the main event into gear with a pulsating beat and synthesised loops but what sets this apart from dance music and pushes it into listen-at-home territory is the vocal aspect, which sounds absolutely beautiful.

Love Come Down is an even bouncier and uplifting effort with a guitar line added to the mix and a violin solo(!) to offer a contrast in tone. The choice of multiple vocalists pays off at times like these because you can really hear the difference in timbre between them: I’m not sure if these four (now three) girls are classically trained but the operatic style is a cut above the typical contemporary approach. On their own they wring out impressive levels of emotion from the lyrics and melody but the ensemble moments deliver when the dynamic changes require it too.

Natsu no Ringo is much slower and has sparser instrumentation: an acoustic guitar and percussion, with a quena to add an exotic, native-American vibe. It gives the vocals more room to breathe too, bringing the individual performances closer to the fore. Fairytale is another gentle piece driven by the lyrical content while the strings rise and fall in the background; it starts off appropriately like a lullaby but ends on a bolder note. Unusually for me I prefer the higher-pitched vocals over the one who works in the lower registers: the bassier voice doesn’t have as much control over what must be some challenging pieces to perform. Overall I’d say their performances are all technically impressive and pleasant on the ear though.

ARIA is, above all the others, the one I associate most with the KnK films but it’s a stunning and dramatic stand-alone number too. The background samples in the intro and the mournful cello in the background hint at the darker undercurrents and as the singing increases in volume the percussion and instrumentation follow accordingly; the tension and feeling build up for the main refrain which I can only describe as heartbreaking and emotionally devastating, in the best possible way. Theoretically a virtuoso guitar solo and electronic samples are an unlikely foil for tribal drumming and operatic female vocals but it somehow holds together to give one of the highlights of the entire record.

An equally dark and almost as intense effort follows with Mata Kaze ga Tsuyokunatta, which is dominated by a distorted rock guitar part and a cello filling in the verse breaks. The combination of the vocals, string section and guitar lines, swirling with flanging effects and power chords, reminds me a lot of Lacuna Coil actually: it’s stylistically very different from the rest of what’s on offer but maintains that self-styled ‘Kalafina sound’. Kizuato couldn’t be more different in terms of atmospherics however: it’s brighter with an acoustic guitar and has more of an uplifting cinematic-closure mood. I particularly like the way the turn-based lyrical delivery, piano and strings work together there.

Serenato is an album-only offering, and makes a wonderful first impression with the haunting vocal harmonies and minimalist acoustic accompaniment including what must be a sitar. If it’s a sign of Kalafina diversifying from anime soundtracks, I’d say this is a good case to welcome it: the choice of instrumentation makes it tantalisingly difficult to pin it to any time or geographic/cultural origin, despite the words being performed in Japanese. Ongaku is another breathless electronic number taking things quickly back into the present day with the guitars held tightly in place by the synthised throb and rapid-fire lyrics.

The problem, if you can call it one, of a musical style with such a strong identity is that it’s a powerful emotional experience. The music isn’t samey but is somewhat demanding so by the time the listener has reached Ashita no Keshiki the effectiveness of the soaring, almost angelic voices begins to lose their impact a little; such is the price of an outfit setting such high standards for themselves I suppose. It feels more like film music than most of the others, which isn’t such a serious misstep when they do so well in helping you forget that fact elsewhere.

Sprinter, as its name suggests, offers a welcome pickup in pace with rock-style guitar chords contributing to a power ballad feel and the acoustic strings section taking a less significant supporting role: it’s another upbeat piece that nevertheless ends gently. This suits the tender Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku, which flows slowly and effortlessly until the percussion makes its entrance; the second half once again uses that unusual yet effective blend of electric and acoustic, held together by the three vocalists as it reaches its dramatic crescendo before bowing out on a brief piano line. It’s one of those great ‘end theme’ tunes that combines a feeling of catharsis with hints of melancholy.

The title track is quite simply gorgeous; a bold statement I know, given my love for the album as a whole but the unhurried pace, buoyed up by the layers of strings and vocals, is both soothing and intense at the same time. At just over six minutes in length it makes excellent use of dynamic shifts between the quiet and restrained and the louder, more dramatic moments, keeping the listener’s interest without changing tempo or throwing off the mood. A piano break is joined by swirling sound effects, volume swells and harmonised voices to bring things to a graceful and breathtaking conclusion.

This is the most balanced mixture of old and new-sounding music I’ve heard this side of Yoko Kanno: easily the best-spent ¥3000 I’ve splurged in recent weeks. It was practically the soundtrack to my holiday but Kara no Kyoukai fanboy or no, I’ve still not tired of hearing it.

Track listing

1. Overture
2. Oblivious
3. Love Come Down
4. 夏の林檎 (Natsu no Ringo)
5. Fairytale
6. ARIA
7. また風が強くなった (Mata Kaze ga Tsuyokunatta)
8. 傷跡 (Kizuato)
9. Serenato
10. 音楽 (Ongaku)
11. 明日の景色 (Ashita no Keshiki)
12. Sprinter
13. 君が光に変えて行く (Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku)
14. seventh heaven