| Album name: | Friends: Beyond Journey’s End Soundtrack |
|---|---|
| Anime name: | Freelan: Beyond the Journey’s End |
| artist: | Evan Call |
| Catalog number: | THCA-60290 |
| Release type: | soundtrack |
| release date: | April 17, 2024 |
| Where to buy: | Japanese CD, apple music |
Freelan Soundtrack Review
impression of sitting down FrelenThe thing about the early episodes is that this isn’t your traditional epic fantasy animation. The story does, and the music reflects that. One might expect the grim, brooding horn blasts that characterize a score like this Princess Mononokeof and Lord of the RingsMusic by Evan Call Frelen It feels more laid back and bland in comparison. FrelenThe music is willing to linger, dilly-dally, and only move when it means exactly what it means. It doesn’t lean into those epic fantasy tropes, and that’s all the better for it.
Evan Call’s steady presence in the composer’s chair should be expected. I found myself fascinated by the music he had previously created Violet Evergarden and arguably the same applies to Freelan’s Fraction. The first song, “The Journey of a Lifetime ~ Frieren Theme” is delightful, with a Celtic feel and injects excitement for the journey ahead. I love how the strings and woodwinds explore the emotional side of the animation, from festive moments to quieter confident ones. Through all this, I gradually became familiar with Freelan’s Fascinating theme.
This theme comes up often but never becomes overly popular as it works well in many situations. In “One Last Adventure,” for example, you hear flashes of the theme right at the beginning, before the violin solo and flute part weave an air of anticipation. Once the piece crescendos – and Evan Call does a wonderful job with crescendos throughout – a sense of determination emerges, followed by a call to new adventures.
In “Farewell, My Friend,” the theme takes the form of a melancholy chorus that evokes respect for the legendary hero. The same goes for “Where the Blue Moon Weeds Grow,” which again pays homage but takes a more introspective approach before ending on an affectionate note. As I said before, there are plenty of opportunities to use this theme, but it never gets overly tired or overdone.
Finally, I’m not sure Evan Carr can deliver a good battle theme considering what happened before, but I really like “Zoltraak”. The Celtic style of the piece takes the form of a fast dance, full of short, agile movements. It evokes the twisting, turning, feinting nature of a duel. Additionally, the accompanying chorus highlights the tension. This combination resulted in a dynamic piece that kept me on the edge of my seat until it reached a firm, decisive conclusion.
Needless to say, I’m very pleased with the music created by Evan Call Freelan: Beyond the Journey’s End. It’s fascinating to hear him take a fantasy adventure animation (very much like the genre itself!) while breaking away from many conventions. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to hearing the full soundtrack when it’s released in April.
grade: Excellent