Endwalker town theme...

[anhaato]

...is so depressing. Why am I hearing the saddest, most forlorn piano nocturne they could come up with as background music for when I'm in Yedlihmad or Poieten Oikos? "Because when you went there things were sad!" Ok but they're not anymore can we please get a change of music??? Lighten up a bit, god.

[AwesomeJr44]

True, and it's not like they couldn't change the music out at the end. I'm pretty sure they even did that with a track at Radz. And even if people complain about wanting to hear the music again, just give the old one out as a music roll during that area's MSQ.

[Enkidoh]

Uh, given the whole theme of EW is the end of the world and hope becoming increasingly in short supply, no wonder the settlement theme reflects that (personally I found the unique Garlean one to be even more deperessing though, but again due to Garlemald's situation, it makes sense as well).

[Knot_D]

It's fine, better than SHB's sanctuary music...

[Jettinson]

Let's pretend ShB's sanctuary music does not exist

[Jojoya]

I'm sitting in Yedllihmad listening to it repeat and not getting any sense of "depressing". It seems more like it's trying to express what goes on over the course of a day for those who have a more simple life.

We wake up, we take stock of what we need to do for the day. We begin our labors, as the day goes on we get things accomplished. We finally get to the end of the day where we can set our labors aside and enjoy time with family or whatever until it's time to sleep and begin again.

[IkaraGreydancer]

...is so depressing. Why am I hearing the saddest, most forlorn piano nocturne they could come up with as background music for when I'm in Yedlihmad or Poieten Oikos? "Because when you went there things were sad!" Ok but they're not anymore can we please get a change of music??? Lighten up a bit, god.

Idk, the song goes from sad to hopeful. Imo it Stull fits cause while the Final Days are over the people are picking themselves back up. It's perfect really

[Iscah]

It seems peaceful rather than depressing to me. One patch of it maybe a bit mournful, but fine overall.

The only town theme I ever felt was really out of place is the upbeat Othardian one, particularly at the Dawn Throne when you've been taken captive by the Oronir and you go from ominous cutscene to super-cheerful default music. Also the Stormblood main theme feels particularly repetitive, musically.

Let's pretend ShB's sanctuary music does not exist

What was wrong with Shadowbringers? Other than overusing the main theme a bit, but it's not the only expansion to do that.

Or are you thinking of the more whimsical one from the pixies and dwarves? I've never been keen on that one.

(personally I found the unique Garlean one to be even more deperessing though, but again due to Garlemald's situation, it makes sense as well).

The theme at Tertium first comes from Terncliff in the Werlyt storyline, so not entirely unique – though I wonder which one it was made for first, or if it was deliberately planned to work for both. It always felt a bit gloomier than Terncliff needed to be, even if it does suit the mood of that storyline.

[Kazhar]

I think the Final Days were dealt with a bit too easily already, and you want to force a cheerful music in addition to that? I like that there's some kind of musical remnant to the supposedly traumatic events which happened during the MSQ.

[Jettinson]

What was wrong with Shadowbringers? Other than overusing the main theme a bit, but it's not the only expansion to do that.

Just pointing out the whole "oh music being depressive" which ShB has one by the way OP described (called No Greater Sorrow) so it is funny complaining about EW in that regard.