The World Is Square

Thank you Scarlet Moon Productions for sending us this digital album to review!

The World Is Square began in 2003 and took over fifteen years to complete by Mustin who is best known as one of the founders of OneUp Studios/The OneUps. This album features classic Square Enix music from hit games like Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy IV, VI, and VII. The eight tracks are given an electronic jazz twist and sound great. There is some creative license, but the songs are still very recognizable.

The songs range from three to over six minutes each. It takes a little over thirty-seven minutes to hear the whole album and I’m always looking for more when it’s finished. The calm and relaxing tracks would make excellent hold music; I certainly wouldn’t mind listening to it while waiting.

The first track is Fear of the Heaven from Secret of Mana. I have to confess that I have not played this game (yet), but the song, acoustic guitar, and vocals are good. Thankfully, I have played all of the Final Fantasy games represented on this album. Final Fantasy IV’s main theme is the second track. One of the most popular songs from Final Fantasy IV, Theme of Love, is the third song. The violin work on this track is exceptional.

Chrono Trigger fans will enjoy Forest Butterflies and From the Bottom. William Carlos Reyes provides the guitar playing for From the Bottom and does an excellent job. We’ve previously reviewed his album Guitar Collections Final Fantasy IV.

The remainder of this album features Final Fantasy tracks from VI and VII. The sixth track is Coin Song followed by Terra from Final Fantasy VI. The acoustic guitar sounds great in Terra’s theme. That final song, Serenity, is Final Fantasy VII’s main theme.

Final Fantasy fans should definitely pick up this soothing album. Even though I have yet to play Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger, I still enjoyed those songs. (Chrono Trigger is on my bucket list!) The album can be yours for $7 and is available in MP3, FLAC, and other formats. Physical CDs are available for $10.

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