Polished J-pop vocals over emotional synth backings. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Sui is the PS3/Vita compilation of the When They Cry series, and this theme song collection is compact but hits hard. "Side Effect" opens with a driving intensity, while "Ascension" layers Ayane and Kanako Ito's vocals into something that builds and builds.
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"Hitotsu no Inochi" pulls back into something more tender. It's only eight tracks, but half are karaoke and off-vocal versions, so you really get three songs explored from every angle. The vocal performances carry real weight if you know what these characters go through.
That specific mid-2010s anime game vocal style. Clean, polished, a little dramatic. If you want to feel feelings about cicadas and tragedy without context, the vocal tracks alone will get you there.