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Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
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Tracklist |
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01 - INTRODUCTION (イントロダクション)
02 - ROCK SOCIETY (ロック ソサエティ)
03 - SPAM Keikoku (（ムービー） スパム警告)
04 - Anime Genshou (アニメ現象)
05 - Kumo no Ie (蜘蛛の家)
06 - Megane (めがね)
07 - Ankoku no Joo (暗黒の女王)
08 - Shinrinyoku (森林浴)
09 - JEANS BLUE (ジーンズブルー)
10 - Makura no Shita ni (枕の下に)
11 - Sekai Chizu (世界地図)
12 - BROCCOLI MAN (ブロッコリーマン)
13 - GIANT KITTY (ジャイアント キティ) |
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Review |
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Before going into the specifics of the album a confession must be made. I have only had one experience with Shonen Knife's music, and that was actually a cover of an Japanese children's song. Yes, their appearance in the movie Blade was my only brush with the Yamanos. So being a Shonen Knife virgin it brings an all new perspective listening to Genki Shock!, their latest album. Perhaps if the new experience were met with anything that sounded new or exciting it would have painted a more positive picture of the duo.
Genki Shock! starts well enough with the simple punk sound that has not only garnered the respect of music trendies throughout the US, but also influenced many all girl pop punk groups in Japan such as Lolita No. 18 and Titan Go-King's. However, when put into perspective something seems utterly wrong. The group is almost 25 years old, yet still sounds like the era that they came from, which is no bad thing except when you consider the lack of energy. Shock! feels as old as the group itself, plodding along like an obtuse German film. This type of pacing works well for the slower songs like "Shinrinyoku" and "Kumo no Ie," probably the best track on the album with its playful vocal interchanges and simple, catchy melody. Put it in punk and it lacks any life.
Soundwise, Shonen Knife isn't far off from the Ramones and other three chord punkers of the late 70s and early 80s. But the duo lacks the presence that Joey and other vocalists in the heyday had. "Ankoku no Joo" plays off as an homage to 80s metal, solos and all, but all hopes for a trademark falsetto are dashed by the Yamano Sisters' monotone. It wouldn't hurt for Naoko and Akako to project a little, at the very least. This type of drone seems reminiscent to Puffy, contemporaries that have also had marginal success in the United States. In fact, it probably wouldn't hurt to think of Shonen Knife as a slightly punker Puffy, or Puffy as a less punk Shonen Knife. Both groups present different material, but aren't very different from each other in the ways they present themselves. It's no wonder that the two duos caught on with so many Japanophile hipsters in the United States from the 90s up until today. The songs are easy to digest and the performance doesn't try to break any new ground. It's "bob your head" music, not "dance your ass off" music.
Genki Shock! is not a horrible album. The songs can be catchy at times, even charming. Still it's a wonder how a band can produce this type of material for nearly 25 years and still not be deemed stale, especially considering the lack of energy. Older bands like the Rolling Stones haven't really produced anything new either and continue to tour despite the fact that they're almost skeletons, but at least they do what they do with liveliness and abandon. Give me the younger generation of Shonen Knife inspired bands any day over the real thing. |
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