[Song Review] Snap out of it!! by Mami Kawada × Maon Kurosaki

Snap out of it!! is the new song featured on To Aru Majutsu no Index's music collection album entitled To Aru Majutsu no Gakkyoku Mokuroku, released this August 28, 2013.

Putting together two of Geneon's most popular artists and best friends Mami Kawada and Maon Kurosaki was not much of a far-fetched idea, considering the circumstances. The question now is, was this collaboration a good move? Did their harmonies and vocal qualities blend well enough?

Snap out of it!!

Lyrics: Mami Kawada

Composition: Nakazawa Tomoyuki

Arrangement: Nakazawa Tomoyuki & Ozaki Takeshi

Vocals: Mami Kawada & Maon Kurosaki

Snap out of it!! resembles most of the I've produced themes for the Index series. The previous review on FIXED STAR also mentioned such striking resemblance. Should we be surprised? No. Should we be disappointed? Well, it's a yes and a no. Yes, because nothing new and striking was served onto the table, composition-wise. It was pretty generic work, as per I've and Index standards. In contrast, no, because NakaZaki's sound and composition succeeds to give distinction on the anime series itself. Their sound has already created  a signature for the series, and one can immediately tell that this song was for this same series just by comparing it to the previous themes.

Snap out of it!! sounds like a toned down No buts! Less hype, less upbeat, but not so much deprived of energy and spark. The song prides on its progressively climactic nature until certain explosive segments on the chorus. The segmentation or fragmentation, perhaps, of the tune and vocal performances distinguish Mami and Maon from each other. Their respective vocal qualities are then subjected to comparison, which is, of course, very common and natural for a duet song. The good thing though is that neither of the two artists seem to outshine the other. Mami's higher pitch, while Maon's lower register give a nice contrast but still complement each other. Both somehow managed to make the same song their own, with their own styles. The vocal overlaps exemplify the complementarity of their vocal qualities. All throughout the song, it is commendable that both artists were able to embody the punk rock-ish feel of the song. The flair, the attitude, the kick were certainly there. Dirty yet sounding crisp.

The song composition itself is indeed generic. It may even run dry after a few listens. However, Mami and Maon did well enough under these circumstances. The main selling point of the song becomes the vocal performances of these two ladies. And, for the record, I've songs often have far more superior song composition and beat than vocal melodies. I've songs usually and more often than not, offer catchy tunes as the main selling point. In such an argument, Snap out of it!! stands out as an I've song for defying such norm.

Complementarity amidst contrast. Badass solo and duet song parts alike. A great song but one that still definitely has rooms for improvement. More parts for vocal overlaps would have been a better move. Nonetheless, it wouldn't be surprising if we see these two for yet another collaboration in the future, seeing as how they blend and work well together.

Rating: 7.8/10