In 2018, Square Enix dropped the massive NieR Orchestral Arrangement three-disc box set. And while it was a great set of music, it was lacking in one department: vocals.
Thus, it came to pass in the year 2020 that a follow-up album, NieR Orchestral Arrangement Album – Addendum, was published for fans to enjoy. This “Addendum” includes four tracks where Emi Evans and J’Nique Nicole sing together: “Song of the Ancients,” “A Beautiful Song,” “Ashes of Dreams,” and “Weight of the World.” With the exception of “A Beautiful Song,” these are songs where either J’Nique or Emi sang the piece separately (or in separate parts for different languages), but now they are singing together. It’s a pure duet for “Song of the Ancients,” then it’s trading off lines in the verses and chorus of the English versions of “Ashes of Dreams” and “Weight of the World.”
I recently had reason to go back and revisit this album after having the opportunity to witness a performance of the NieR Orchestra Concert 12024 [the end of data] in Washington, DC. Hearing all four of the vocal tracks from this album performed by the orchestra, J’Nique, and Emi, I found myself wanting to listen to this album over and over again to relive the experience. And that’s when I noticed—I never got around to reviewing the album itself on RPGFan. I am now making amends.
These four vocal tracks alone justify the purchase price for this album. I’m not sure which track I appreciate the most. I have a headcanon that Emi and J’Nique are, as muses, the real-life counterparts to android administrators Devola and Popola. To that end, I always enjoy hearing them sing “Song of the Ancients” together. This seven-minute rendition opens with Emi singing solo (instrumentation suggests “Devola” version), then the percussion jumps in and J’Nique joins for an arrangement that blends “Fate” and “Atonement” nicely.
However, for maximum emotional impact, I think this recording of “Weight of the World” takes the cake. To hear them trade lines across verse and chorus, then sing in unison and do some harmonizing: they are both such great vocalists, and there contrasting styles brought together is just perfect. Emi can do dulcet, ethereal tones and then hit a firm, controlled, breathy staccato. J’Nique brings gravitas and strength into every single note, and her vibrato on long stretches blends exceedingly well with the orchestral strings. Match that with J’Nique’s inspired “Weight of the World” lyrics, and you have one incredible recording.
Now, as much as I adore “A Beautiful Song,” and as much as it broke me when I heard it in concert, I will say that this orchestral recorded version really isn’t far off from the OST version. If anything, the allowed imperfections and nuance of this recording allow it to stand apart from the clean and polished OST, particularly regarding Emi and J’Nique’s vocals. But I’m happy to have multiple recordings of this beast of a track. When J’Nique goes center stage and the choir is backing her? That is a peak musical moment.
There are also some tracks here that do not feature Emi or J’Nique, that appear to be additional pieces arranged and recorded but did not appear on the 2018 box set for whatever reason. Among these, I think “Deep Crimson Foe” and “Copied City” are the best. The choir in “Crumbling Lies – Front” is noteworthy as well! These three songs were also featured in the 12024 concert, so it’s a good thing Yamashita and Miyano were on-hand to arrange these tracks so they can feature in live performances!
Unfortunately, wonderful as this album is, it is starting to run low on stock. Its first press bonus disc is long gone. As I write this, the North America Square Enix Store and CDJapan still have it in stock, but the merch team that sells all the great NieR orchestra music during the tour did not have this album available for sale, as their allotment of the album sold out long ago. So, y’all might wanna act fast! As for streaming, no major platforms are streaming this album yet, though Japanese digital collectors can pick up the album digitally through Ototoy.
