What would be "Falcom Vocal Collection 7" (if I had my way and life were always consistent) is the latest, and in many ways the most consistently good, of the VOCAL series. Of course, it wouldn't really be collection 7, since each of the VOCAL albums dips from the VCs 1 through 4.

Let's take a look at the vocal roster. We have Kanako Kotera on for some Sora no Kiseki and other modern tracks, including the album's opener, the wonderful "way of life." We get two tracks from u-mi, "Cumulus" based on "Olha's Flute" from Ys VI and the titular "Sora no Kiseki" ("Trails in the Sky"). Then we get some classic tracks from Kishimoto and the old JDK Band, Midori Kawana, and even Shoko Minami.

I really think the juxtaposition of kickin' new tracks like "Maybe it was fated" with Kishimoto's "GET IN THE WILD" is what makes Falcom so great. They have such a huge, diverse catalog, but there is an underlying consistently and logic to it all. I really like that.

Check out the audio samples for yourself. Maybe you don't dig instrumental Falcom, but you're into the vocals. If that's the case, it should be obvious that these "VOCAL" compilations are tailored just for you.

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann