While some anime soundtracks are able to keep a coherent musical theme due to the focused nature of their attendant shows, others must tread many different roads at the same time. Such is the fate of the soundtrack for Aquarian Age - Sign for Evolution. The show has three distinct elements: the relationship between the hero and heroine, the rock band that the hero is a part of, and the battles for world domination being fought behind the scenes. Each of these elements has been given a distinct musical style by the soundtrack's composer, Yuki Kajiura.

The "relationship" music is generally soft and light in style, with an almost exclusive emphasis on piano. A total of five tracks fall into this segment, and are spread throughout the album, generally helping to break-up the heavier and more aggressive style of the rest of the album. The second segment is for tracks related to the rock band, though don't expect any hard core thrashing here, as emphasis is on Wurlitzer-style organ and a restrained electric guitar. Interestingly, these songs are bundled in the middle of the album, tracks 12, 14, 15, and 17. Track 13 also somewhat falls into this stylistic segment. The rest of the album is given over to songs that deal with the various warring factions that are all trying to gain dominion over their foes. This segment is the largest by far, consisting of 13 of the 23 tracks on the album. The final track, "Unseen Ties ~ Everlasting Love," is the opening theme and falls outside of the other segments, as it was composed and performed by different musicians.

The relationship and rock band segments end up feeling somewhat generic. The piano tracks are all good, but they generally lack the spark to make you desire to listen to them. They are pretty quiet and slow, and mostly fade into the background. The rock-band tracks, while not slow, are also rather generic. I like Wurlitzer organs, and I like guitars, but I expect a little more energy and musicianship from people playing those instruments. Honestly, those tracks really sound like what you would get if you recorded skilled high school students playing in their basement. Granted, in the show the musicians are amateurs trying to break into the big time, so it is possible that Ms. Kajiura made a conscious choice to present a more amateur and unrefined sound. It worked well for the show, but as a stand-alone product it is generally uninspiring. I will note that I do like tracks 16, "Sweetest Smile," and 17, "Fellow Feeling," quite a bit, but not enough to make me excited about the album.

Luckily, the segment of music devoted to the fighting is pretty interesting, and is the only real reason to listen to the album. The first track, "Awake," kicks off things marvellously, with a beautifully haunting chant-style piece, involving excellent use of percussion and the most effective use of gibberish lyrics I have ever heard. This is the music used in the trailer for the show, and truth be told, the music in the trailer is the only reason I tried out the show in the first place. It is that good. All of these tracks generally use keyboard and a heavy dose of electronica to present an otherworldly feel, and this approach is generally effective. Most of the tracks give an impression that something isn't quite right, that there is something going on around you that you are missing, which was exactly the impression they had in the show. Outside of the first track, other tracks of note include track 10, "Evolutional Girls Organization;" track 11, "Conflict for Break;" and track 18, "Eraser." The tracks named after the various warring factions are generally themed towards their respective groups. For example, "Arayashiki" makes use of traditional Japanese and Chinese musical themes, "Wiz-Dom" has a vaguely European gypsy feel, and "Eraser" is a wonderfully bizarre mesh of sounds.

I should also note that when it comes to the show's theme songs, the Aquarian Age - Sign for Evolution soundtrack does one thing right, and one thing wrong. Good news first, the opening theme is present (as noted above), and we get the entire song. The bad news, however, is that the ending song, "Prizm," is not here. In fact, no version of the song is here, neither the ending version, or the alternate version, or the version that Kyota sings as part of the rock band during the show. I really like that song, too. These tracks were all available as a single, which unfortunately is no longer in print. Points to the album for including the opening theme, but more points against it for ignoring the ending theme completely.

In the end, there are a number of good to excellent tracks on this album, but to actually sit down and listen to it straight through isn't necessarily appealing, due to the varied nature of musical styles and the lacklustre nature of half the album. "Awake" almost makes up for this all on its own, but in the end one excellent track can't get me to give the album a blanket recommendation. Fans of Yuki Kajiura and significant fans of the show will probably find enough good stuff here to make it work their money. Others, however, will likely not find enough good stuff here to warrant a purchase.