The issue the composer has is that they are trying to stick to a minimalist style to work with the game's theme of melancholy, and while this works wonderfully for the story sections and parts of the world/dungeons, it doesn't necessarily translate well into everything. So in essense, they are working within an odd self-imposed restriction. Other than that though, I'm largely loving the OST.

The game has it's flaws but it's honestly hit all the right notes for me so far, and the world and setting work so much better for the "sacrificial pilgrimage" storyline than FFX and Tales of Symphonia, which both had some world/setting problems which ultimately undermined the plot and themes for me. Dropping the whole "evil religion that perpetuates the ritual" alone makes this game feel a bit fresh compared to those two. Course things may change since I think I'm only halfway through the game currently.