listening to the secret of evermore soundtrack and it's kind of... underwhelming.
apparently it's by jeremy soule, and that explains it. i was expecting something more akin to the classic japanese composers and soule is decidedly western. it definitely sounds more like something you'd hear in fable or elder scrolls than a squaresoft RPG from the 90s.
i've never played secret of evermore but i'm assuming the game is a lot more atmospheric/ambient and the music probably compliments it.