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Tracklist |
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01 - パーフェクトブルー (Perfect Blue)
02 - 幻の光 (Maboroshi no Hikari)
03 - カラーガール (Color Girl)
04 - シンクロナイト (Synchro Night)
05 - リトルモーテル (Little Motel)
06 - 唇のスキャット (Kuchibiru no Scat)
07 - 雨の手紙 (Ame no Tegami)
08 - 勝手に恋して (Katte ni Koishite) |
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Review |
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The Fuzz Picks are one of many up-and-coming bands hailing from Fukuoka, home to an impressive variety of Japanese musicians that range from Number Girl to Shiina Ringo. Drawing inspiration from high-octane acts such as the aforementioned Number Girl and Mo'some Tonebender, The Fuzz Picks still manage to blanket their second album, Neo Romantic, with some remarkable pop melodies. Their lovely female vocalist, Chida Tomoko, sings in Japanese, thankfully sparing us another girl rock album filled with mumbled English dreck and paves the way for the rest of the band's lo-fi sound and whimsical melodies.
The album couldn't have started much better than with the opening track and lead single "Perfect Blue." Tomoko's vocals sound dreamy and crisp at the same time, riding on a rock-solid rhythm section and exceptionally melodic guitars. The song almost has a sort of dance edge, with the steady, syncopated drums and playful guitars beckoning you to get up and move. Next up is "Maboroshi no Hikari," with a introduction that could have easily been penned by Mukai Shutoku. Bass and guitar take turns diving in and out of the spotlight as another guitar plays Eastern-sounding melodies over everything, building up to a satisfying chorus.
The first half of the disk is closed off by "Color Girl" and "Synchro Night." "Color Girl" is the poppiest composition on the album, with a bouncy bass intro segueing into an outburst of cheerful guitar pop. Throw in a few jingles and this could easily be a Christmas song, yet the uplifting melodies and Tomoko's charming vocals manage to sound sincerely sweet, not trite or cheesy. "Synchro Night" cranks up the distortion and the dissonance, creating a dream-like mood, ominous enough to keep you interested but not so much as to make you feel uncomfortable. Tomoko's vocals tiptoe between falsetto and whispering, floating above the dissonance bubbling underneath and picking up only in the most impassioned moments.
The quality of the album drops slightly in the second half. The songs are good enough, yet not as memorable or catchy as the opening four tracks. "Little Motel" is cool enough, with ocassional sheets of distorted guitars, but the hooks don't grab you as mercilessly as the previous songs do. "Kuchibiru no Scat" has a nice groove and gives drummer Fukami Takeshi's backup vocals a few moments in the spotlight, yet it is a minute or two longer than it should be. The last two tracks, while good, fail to close the album with the same excitement it opened with.
Despite some slacking at the very end, the front half of Neo Romantic is strong enough to make it a very enjoyable listen from start to finish. The Fuzz Picks lay down a set of catchy rhythms and a Number Girl-esque lo-fi sound, piling it with an arsenal of mellifluous guitar riffs and sweet-sounding vocal melodies. All in all, a great album to listen to while relaxing on one of those lazy afternoons. |
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