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Tracklist |
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01 - yeah#1
02 - 神経衰弱 (Shinkei Suijaku)
03 - ギタリストを殺さないで (Guitarist wo Korosanaide)
04 - アハハン (Ahahan)
05 - official bootleg
06 - ホネオリゾーン (Honeori Zone)
07 - ムシズと退屈 (Mushizu to Taikutsu)
08 - story
09 - 理由 (Riyuu)
10 - イッポ (Ippo) |
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Review |
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Expectations can be a wicked thing to overcome, especially for a band with a career as illustrious as bloodthirsty butchers'. Any album less than excellent is soon pushed aside for better pickings - after all, does anyone really talk about birdy anymore? There hasn't been as much positive fervor surrounding the butchers' past two albums, as the band has shown some signs of cooling off in recent years (or, coincidentally, after ex-Number Girl guitarist Tabuchi Hisako joined). In keeping with the cooling trend, Guitarist wo Korosanaide doesn't bring much new to the table, save for marking the first time the butchers have come up with a truly lukewarm offering.
While the band's recent releases (birdy and banging the drum) haven't been their best, songs early in their lineups like "Jack Nicolson" or "b2" at least anchor the albums with catchy riffs and the typical vitriol, and serve as strong lead-ins to less engrossing fare. "yeah#1" doesn't come close, and neither does anything else on Guitarist. With little semblance of a killer (or even moderately catchy) song, tracks bleed together and the album grinds through its 50 minute run at an often draining pace.
This isn't necessarily a stake in the heart, considering that the band, especially in its early days, did not focus on crafting friendly hooks. However, Guitarist, with its stripped down style, moderate tempo and emphasis on vocal melodies, plays as though the band was aiming to make a pop album. But without strong hooks, the effort falls apart, and none of the gimmicks tossed into the songs can compensate. "official bootleg" kicks off with an uncharacteristically Ted Leo-like guitar intro, but the repetitive, bland chorus knocks the song flat. Tabuchi frequently lends an extra voice to the mix, but she's too often ineffective (the unison vocals on "Guitarist wo Korosanaide" are undercut by another dull chorus), trumped (Yoshimura Hideki's too aggressive for the vocal tradeoffs on "Mushizu to Taikutsu"; Supercar they're not) or in the case of the backing "ooh"s and "ah"s, overused. The traditional sound of "story" or the oddball romp on "Honeori Zone" aren't bad attempts at variety, but like nearly every other track, there's nothing to really latch onto.
At least the butchers' familiar instrumental style still hums along, and there's enough depth to the arrangements to keep the album from sounding like dime a dozen indie rock. It may be a cliche statement, but Guitarist wo Korosanaide isn't a bad album, and is better than what most of the butchers' contemporaries can muster. But it's a weak bloodthirsty butchers album, and while the novelty of their sound might draw in new listeners, anyone familiar with the band's better work (which is to say, all of it) may as well save time and break out kokorono sooner, rather than later. |
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