Before I begin the review proper, I want to let readers know that I am not a professional song reviewer, nor am I an expert in music. What I will be talking about is only my opinion, and me trying to convey what I feel when I listen to this song, nothing more nor less. With everyone’s opinion lowered, shall we get this show on the road?
The song I will be reviewing this week is Shoji Meguro’s “Way of Life.” Before talking about the song, I want to give some context on who Meguro is. He is a Japanese composer who works for Atlus, a game development company. The soundtracks he worked on include Revelations: Persona, Digital Devil Saga, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, and Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. While he has worked on more soundtracks, I think the most important part is describing his style of music. The backbone of most of his compositions are rock, with each soundtrack focusing on a different genre. In addition, most of his songs feature an electric guitar as the string instrument.
Moving forward, “Way of Life” is a song featured in Persona 3 Portable that plays when the female main character travels around Tatsumi Port Island, the hub world of the game. While I did state that Meguro features rock in most of his songs, “Way of Life” instead sounds more like a pop song and features a synthesizer and drums as the main two instruments.
It also features Mayumi Fujita, who sings the lyrics. Compared to other songs in the game, or Meguro’s other work, “Way of Life” seems to be more upbeat and catchy. It does contain the same elements, such as a catchy melody and a smooth flow, that makes it easily loopable like other hub world songs in the Persona series.
With all of the actual insight into the music and the creator done with, I want to describe what I feel when I listen to this song. I hope my measly description will give readers a small glimpse into my tortured soul, and the emotions that well up within me.
When I listen to this song, I’m first reminded of all the good times I spent with my friends back home. The games we played, the jokes we shared, the places we visited…it all comes rushing back. I can also imagine myself walking in an unknown city, taking in the sights, smells, and events when listening to this song. It really makes you want to get out there and explore the world!
Even though this song is primarily upbeat, I feel slightly melancholic when listening to it and considering the lyrics. Sometimes life takes us on different paths from those we consider friends, but no matter what we must strive to meet each other again. Guess that’s why it’s called “Way of Life,” huh?
I hope this review convinced some of you to listen to Meguro’s works, and I couldn’t have finished this without the help of my amazing sister, Zoe LaBonte. Thank you for reading, and I can’t wait to continue sharing the music I like with all of you.
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