Dew Prism Original Soundtrack

There's one word almost everyone uses to describe the Dewprism ("Threads of Fate" outside of Japan) soundtrack: mellow. And that description is entirely true - the game is intended to be fairly light-hearted. But from a music listener's stand-point, how well does that work?

On the positive side, there are a handful of peaceful, enjoyable selections. The opening song "Theme of Dewprism" is appropriately bouncy, with a memorable melody that's used a few times in different tracks throughout the game. "Pass Through the Forest", the song from the Carona Forest, is one of the best songs in the game - peaceful and catchy, with a marching drum in the background and a unique string instrument that's also often used elsewhere in the soundtrack. It gives the whole soundtrack a distinctive feel.

Otherwise, some of the better songs come from the cutscene music, mostly on Mint's disc. Goofy and light-hearted, this disc really goes along well with Mint's character and prove to be an enjoyable listen. Even the boss themes are well composed, mixing the unique instruments of the game with a more modern drum beat.

Some of the tracks, however, are so blindly upbeat that I find them entirely unlistenable. The happy-go-lucky piano of the Prima Doll's theme irritates me to no end, and Fancy Mel's song is chock full of sickeningly colorful fluff.

However, these winner and loser tracks don't take up much of the soundtrack. A good majority of the rest of the music is just a bit too laid-back - to the point that it's actually boring. The dungeon tracks in particular are some of the worst offenders - they never establish much of a melody and aren't very good for atmosphere either. Instead, these tracks end up as mostly aimless noise, usually with lots of tribal drums, and they are incredibly repetetive to boot.

Ultimately, if you're the type to just lie down and listen to music to be soothed, Dew Prism isn't too bad of a selection. Alas, there's not much excitement, not much emotion... not much of anything really. I personally prefer a bit more meat in my music.

It is no use expecting Dew Prism OST to be a grave spectacle as are most Square soundtracks. You must notice that the substance of this game itself is positive and mild, not epic nor serious. To fit into the theme, Junya Nakano made this refreshing music.

You might regard this OST as shallow and dull. But this guess is wide of the mark, I think. Every track is successful in producing fine effects of light and shade. It never becomes superficial. Even comical tunes are somewhat composed. Listen to the theme song "Dew Prism," and you will see this.

There are various motifs present. "Maya: A Graceful Princess" has a Oriental taste. The Celtic "Serene Town" conjurs nostalgia. Nice guitar sample stands out in the Spanish "Passionate Wanderer." Pop-techno "Fancy Mell" and anime-like "Mint's Scheming" are quite charismatic. Then there are the great dungeon tracks. They are so vivid and cool. Especially "Pass through the Forest" is incredible. I never get tired of listening to it.

Dew Prism OST is too laid-back and clear to force the listener to be impressed emotionally. But once you know the taste of it, you might like to say goodbye to the oppressiveness of other music.