[Reitaisai 9 music recommendations] 発熱巫女〜ず - “Flower of Life” The best selection 2008-2011

The circle Hatsunetsu Miko~zu should not strike any Touhou fan as unfamiliar. They’re the ones who provided most of the vocal tracks for the Touhou animation group Touhou Kinema Kan, and song titles such as Pages or Kimi no Yume should ring some bells.

I wasn’t too big of a fan of theirs aside from the slow ballads sung by Maika, but as this best of album contained most of them, I decided to give it a whirl. The album has a very pleasant sound to it - with most songs on the slower side, though there are a few upbeat tracks here and there(the ever famous Fragments comes to mind). The genre tends towards casual jazz and slow ballads, with perhaps some light pop - stuff that you’d listen on a lazy afternoon, and the polar opposite of SOUND HOLIC’s style. 

The vocalists are great - Vivienne and Maika especially deserve some mention as they’re two of my favorite female doujin vocalists out there. Vivienne’s vocals are soft, with a whispery and transparent quality to it, though she definitely caught me off guard with Beautiful Dreams, demonstrating the more powerful side of her voice. Maika is just pleasing to the ear in all sorts of ways with her steady yet gentle voice.

Bonus points for having Yuka on the cover. Seems to be a trend this year for Reitaisai.

君の夢（Your Dream） 

The pale vapor trails stretched on silently
The scenery I see from the window remains unchanged
Your innocence that shines through your smile
Floats gently with that nostalgic fragrance that stirs my heart

“If I just give up on everything now, it’d be so much easier”
 I’ll fly away from this weak heart of mine and spread my wings

A repeating melody carries recalled memories
Let’s happen upon each other again, in that same place someday
If you desire firmly and strongly so, then we’ll be okay no matter what happens
I muttered to myself, and began walking again

 Like gently wavering waves of trees
Even the fluttering and dancing petals seem so beautiful
With its passing, time records memories
Lightly echoing footsteps resound sadly on this long road

“What should I do if I start crying now?”
I want to escape from my fragile self, with dreams held high

A melody on my lips play my overflowing feelings
I turn back, and feel my younger days
Even if those hands were shaking slightly, I promise to protect you no matter what
So I’ll become stronger

Come, let’s hold hands and start walking again