The cello is an interesting instrument. It isn't as large as an upright bass, but is larger than a viola, and is arguably the lynchpin instrument in the classic string quarter setup. Famous cellists include Yo-Yo Ma, Pierre Fournier, and Jacqueline Mary du Pré, among many others. All of those just played the instrument. New Japanese cellist Kanon Wakeshima doesn't just play her cello, though; she sings, as well. I don't know that there has ever been a serious singing cellist before in the history of recorded music. This interesting young musician is coming to the United States to perform for the first time in July 2009, so the editors at Anime Dream thought that a review of her first album, Shinshoku Dolce would be appropriate.

The album opens with an instrumental piece, Sweet Ticket, consisting of a cello (naturally) accompanied by drums and synthesizer. The music has a bit of a carnival feel to it, kind of like you traditionally get in a music box. This explains the album's cover art, anyway. This style is not all that representative of the rest of the album, but it did grab my attention by displaying that this isn't a traditional J-pop album.

The second track, Shinku no Fatalism, is a pretty dramatic track that Ms. Wakeshima sings with a significant dose of tension. The music consists of cello and synthesized drum beats, and is actually pretty cool. This is followed by Kagami, which has more diverse instrumentation, adding in flutes and chimes. As with the preceding track, this song has a bit of dramatic tension in it, though it also is a bit more playful in nature. I must admit that I like this track quite a bit.

The next track, Still Doll, is the ending theme for the shoujo anime Vampire Knight and was Ms. Wakeshima's first single in May 2008. Continuing the theme of the album so far, the song makes primary use of stringed instruments (there's that cello, again) and synthesizer, and has a darker, gothic overtone to it. Which, considering what it was used for, makes total sense.

Following on from that is another original song, Maboroshi. This track is a bit more upbeat than what has come before, with a more lively and less ponderous beat. It still sounds melancholy, though. I'm not sure if it is the cello or Ms. Wakeshima's voice that is giving every song that overall effect, to be honest. Maybe it's the combination of the two. The next track is Annyui Kibun!. I'm going to be honest with you, I did not like this track at all. This track makes use of weird sound effects and some strange singing. The stringed instruments that feature so prominently on the rest of the album hardly even show up here. I fear this was an attempt to do a "cute" song, but if that was the goal, I fear it has failed.

On to happier, yet darker things. Track seven, Suna no Oshiro, was used as the ending theme for the second season of Vampire Knight, Vampire Knight Guilty, and was also the second single released by Ms. Wakeshima. This track moves us back to a heavy emphasis on the cello, and is quite a dramatic song, very gothic with dark emotional overtones. That being said, I like it quite a bit. The singing on this track is quite good, conveying the emotion of the song quite well. Monochrome Frame continues this overall theme, though with a lighter touch to the instrumentation, with more violin than cello.

The ninth track on the album brings a small change of pace, starting out in French before switching over to japanese. L'espoir ~Mahou no Akai Ito~ also appears to feature some different percussion from the earlier tracks. Specifically, I detected timpani, which is normally restricted to orchestral use. Granted, so is the cello, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by any instrument that makes an appearance on this album! The next track, Kuroi Torikago, mixes things up again by starting out with what sounds like a dance beat. It subsides to the background, though, with cello and violins quickly taking the lead. The strings are used pretty heavily in this song, too, giving the song a bit of an ominous feel to it.

Skip Turn Step is track 11, and it starts out with what sounds like a string quartet backed by a harpsichord. When the singing starts, though, it moves back to familiar territory. The singing almost sounds happy, though. It is at least peppier than most of the songs on the album. The next track, Shiroi Kokoro, is slower and more melancholy in feel, heavily featuring piano as well as cello and violins. Ms. Wakeshima's vocal range is nicely showcased in this song. The album ends with another instrumental piece, Sweet Dreams, which is all done in chimes and sounds just like a music box. In fact, it is the same music as the first track, just with a different instrument. It makes for a nice ending to the album, though something about it is just a bit off.

Ah, that's it; it is too happy. With the exception of track six, every song on this album has a melancholy feel to it, often times to a significant extent. I don't know if I have ever listened to an album with as many minor chords as are used here. It is very different from standard popular musical fare, whether American or Japanese, and I can see why some people won't like it. I, however, do. On the whole, I really enjoy this album. I can't pinpoint any particular thing that really pulls on me, but the combination of the singing voice, the cello, and the other stringed instruments works quite well. It isn't the kind of music that makes you want to crank it up, roll down the windows, and sing your lungs out while driving too fast on a sunny day. That is okay, though. It does what it sets out to do, and it does it well. That said, it would be interesting to hear Ms. Wakeshima branch out more musically and tackle a wider range of song styles. That can wait for her second album, though. Until that arrives, Shinshoku Dolce shows that Ms. Wakeshima knows how to produce a quality, enjoyable album that showcases her unique talents.