OLIVIA - Wish / Starless Night

Olivia Lufkin's grand comeback continues with Wish / Starless Night, her second release under the OLIVIA Inspi'Reira name for the NANA anime.

Wish contains three very different songs; the first two, Wish and Starless Night, being the opening and ending themes respectively from NANA. Viewed as a complete single, it can appear disjointed in some respects. The different styles do not necessarily flow to become a cohesive sound and it almost sounds as if OLIVIA is trying to find her feet as a mainstream artist while holding on to the ethereal music she is best known for.

The title track, Wish, is a catchy rock song, with powerful guitars driving through the introduction until OLIVIA's beautiful vocals slow the pace for the verses. With the chorus, the heavy guitars start again, and the song becomes something of a singalong anthem. Surprisingly OLIVIA's slightly breathy vocal style mixes perfectly with the music and the slower portions do not detract from the general pace of the song. It is a much more mainstream sound than she has attempted previously but thus far, she appears to be succeeding.

Starless Night is a very traditional rock ballad. It follows a faintly similar pattern to Wish in that the verses are slower and used effectively by OLIVIA to demonstrate the pure clarity of her voice, and then during the chorus, heavier guitars come in. It is a beautiful song in sound with OLIVIA's imploring voice reaching out in aching tones, although it also sounds a little formulaic. It seems to lack a spark and despite technical proficiency it is the least impressive song on the release.

The final song, Close Your Eyes, is a bit of a black sheep. Suddenly OLIVIA turns her back on the mainstream to produce a trip-hop styled lullaby. The introduction has a dreamscape-like sound, and listening to the piece with closed eyes almost conveys feelings of flying. It is a very unconventional song that doesn't meld too well with the feel of the other two songs but at the same time is the stand-out track. OLIVIA is able to show her full vocal range, from a vaguely monotone verse into a stunning chorus where the dual melodies harmonize creating a strangely calming and ethereal effect.

It is when OLIVIA is playing with her music and experimenting with sounds that she is at her best. However, that is not to say that her efforts at a more chart-friendly sound have been poor; in fact, far from it. Despite an overall appearance of a somehow disorderly single, it contains three very distinct songs and one cannot accuse OLIVIA of being boring. It has to be said that Starless Night is a little lackluster in being simply another formulaic ballad, but it is balanced out by the gem of Close Your Eyes. It is a single that will however delight both OLIVIA's new and old fans, as well as being an effective showcase of her versatility as a singer.