If you like anime music, you know the name Yoko Kanno.  Responsible for the music in a myriad of shows, including Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne and Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna, she is the quite possibly at the pinnacle of the animusic world.  The Macross Plus OST II was penned by Kanno shortly before she began running amok with Bebop, Jin-Roh, Wolf’s Rain and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

    The album starts off with the practically effervescent track, “Idol Talk,” one of the two Sharon Apple songs that appear on this disc.  Vocals are provided by the always-capable Arai Akino (this time singing in French) and the song bounces and swishes its way through five funky minutes.

    “Jade,” along with “Nomad Soul,” “3cm,” and “Pu Qua O” are all more or less filler songs that could easily fit in with the cadre of sound-alikes found in the Bebop catalog.  They’re good background music, but not exactly noteworthy.

    “Welcome to Sparefish” provides the strongest visual images on the album, as the sounds from the slide guitar can only accompany visions of lonesome plains, parched cowboys, cacti and heat mirages.  It’s lonely, desolate and dusty, and it works.

    Despite its promising beginning, courtesy of Masaharu Sato’s vocal percussion, “Go Ri a Te” winds up wandering aimlessly for nearly four minutes of seemingly Tenchi Muyo!-inspired instrumentation.  It’s a shame, too, because you’ll be singing, “SHIN-ta-ka-ta SHIN-ta-ka-ta” before too long.

    “Let’s News” never happened.  We’re moving on.

    By far the standout cut on Macross Plus is “Pulse.”  I get goosebumps every single time I listen to it.  The song ebbs and flows, as the title would suggest, and the repetitive music is thoroughly overshadowed by the vocal performance and the mood set by it.  Angelically sung by the hitherto unknown Wu Yun Ta Na, “Pulse” is reason enough to buy this album.

    “Voices [Acoustic Version]” again finds us in awash in the golden voice of Arai Akino.  The version of “Voices” that appears on OST II contains just Akino and a piano, lending a sparse and solemn atmosphere to what was more musically populated on the first OST.

    Even though the piano line in “Sweet Feather” sounds like the menu screen BG music from Final  Fantasy II, there is an air of puzzlement and mystery to the song that makes it very intriguing.  The music sounds as if it’s searching for something and, having found it, ends abruptly after just over two minutes.

    “A Sai ën” is one of the better tracks on Macross Plus, even though it’s very brief.  Sung a cappella by the Raiché Coutev Sisters, the shift from counter-harmony to harmony halfway through the song is just stunning.

    Though the name is similar, “Bad Dog” is NOT the same as “Bad Dog, No Biscuit” from Bebop; not by a long shot.  All sounds are human produced (sort of a Bobby McFerren piece, for those who remember that damnable “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” song), and it’s very chaotic for about a minute and a half.  Then a synth melody takes over as the vocals fade to the background.  “Bad Dog” would also fit in nicely with the bizarre Akira soundtrack.

    The album wraps up on a bit of flat note with two more background songs.  On the character piece “Child Myung,” Kanno caresses the piano into releasing a gentle and barely audible melody, while the wavering synth on “Coma” comes and goes without much notice.

    Overall, the Macross Plus OST II is a worthy addition to your collection if you’re a Yoko Kanno fan, but it’s a hard recommendation otherwise.  Surrounding the breathtaking “Pulse,” the haunting “Voices” and the smooth ‘n’ sexy “Idol Talk,” is a bit too much chaff to blow anyone away but hardcore fans.

Rating: Yup, That's An Anime OST out of 10