See the World Review
BUY See the World
For those who don’t know Allison Martin, she’s a video game cover artist mainly known for her trombone arrangements. While trombone might not be the most obvious choice for a solo instrumental album, Allison makes her case with See the World. If I had to describe this album in three words, I would call it exuberant, simple, and elegant.
Instead of limiting herself to a single video game or game series, Allison embraces many different moods, tempos, and styles to great effect on this album. Album opener “Crateria Surface” sets the tone, but it isn’t until Track 2 that things really kick off. There’s an exuberance here that’s hard to describe, and it’s enhanced by the superb production. That same exuberance continues with “Terra’s Theme,” and thanks to the shorter track times, it’s one of the album’s greatest strengths
Another one of the album’s greatest strengths is its simplicity. Allison employs a pretty standard arrangement style (lead melody, backing melody, accompanying melody), making See the World cohesive despite the variety of soundtracks on display. Of course, that simplicity is a double-edged blade, and it would be all too easy for the formula to become stale. Fortunately, that’s never a problem thanks to keen song selection and album arrangement (i.e. song order).
Speaking of album arrangement, that’s one of my few complaints. I think a case could be made for starting the album with “Route 3,” and there are a few production issues (minor noises here and there). That being said, Allison and co-producer Ro Panuganti clearly put a lot of thought and effort into See the World, even packing a few surprises into the 30-minute runtime. Tracks like “To Know, Water” and “First Steps Into Sunken Glade” caught me off-guard with their somber, emotional moods. In fact, I would love to see Allison pursue an entire album in this same vein, but I digress.
See the World is a stellar first album from one of the most creative, funny, and innovative people in the VGM scene, and I can’t wait for the inevitable sequels (See the Solar System, See the Galaxy, See the Universe, etc.)
Rating: Highly Recommended
(Most VGM Fans Should Enjoy)