Also known as Popolocrois 3, “A New Departure” continues the series standard of having light, whimsical music, akin to Yoko Kanno’s “Napple Tale.” Strange, ambient collaborations of natural and artificial sounds and something I can only call “toy music” tend to dominate the soundscape.
Okay, well, it’s not all as I described. This isn’t Hako no Niwa. There are songs that sound like your average RPG battle theme, complete with electric guitar. There are beautiful string ensemble/orchestra pieces (such as the opening “Prologue” track). You’ll find a few little surprises here and there.
If I were to make another comparison to game music out there (and I’m about to), I would reference Bumpy Trot (Steambot Chronicles). A hodge-podge of fun, silly songs that would never be worth having on their own, but as a collaborative project, all the music together creates something that fits and becomes beautiful. You need to listen to the whole OST, not just pieces, to find the best in it.
Simple. Good. Fun. Happy. You will find that in most Popolo soundtracks, and “A New Departure” is no exception.
