Andrea Carminati (Guitar, Vo.), Andrea Facheris (Bass, Vo.), Marco Facheris (Drums, Vo.)
Hakan, which is Turkish for Supreme Ruler/Great King/Emperor, reigns supreme on their fourth full-length. The band hails from tip-top Northern Italy and is from the vibrant and viable city of Bergamo to be exact. Bergamo is located just south of the Italian Alps and only 20 miles from the border of Switzerland. The trio could be characterized by their direct and straight-up-the-middle sound that immediately brings to mind Screeching Weasel and the Marked Men. There is also an European inflection to their English vocals that recalls the Richies, while the music evokes (power) trios like Hüsker Dü (Warner-era), Scared of Chaka, the Livermores, the Riverdales and the Lifeforms.
Spanning the Globe
Perhaps influenced by their reemergence as globe-trotters, this album presents their lyrics going out beyond their previous insularity and towards a more stabilized and expansive worldview. They also exhibit a Romantic quality and somewhat hopeful outlook in their lyrics. In fact, I have not heard this approach of delivering remarkable melodies hinged upon a wall of jack-hammer guitars so successfully executed since the early years of the Smoking Popes.
Hakan Manifesto is their first album produced by Matt Bordin of the Mojomatics after two albums helmed by Jeff Burke of the Marked Men. The addition of Bordin has created a little more space around their mean & lean sound and has them stretching out in good ways. Thankfully, they have been able to retain a scruffy and scrappy edge that remains true to the sounds and ethos of the early Ramones and their own formative years.
Thrown for a Loop
The opener “Hakan is a Dream” for some reason reminds me of major label Meat Puppets and “Backwater” in particular or even the general gruff vibe of New Jersey’s the Ribeye Brothers. Next, these bike punks ride the fine line between punk, power-pop and rock ‘n’ roll on sensational and streamlined numbers like “Just One Kiss” and “Number One.” When I was watching their “Just One Kiss” video, I noticed the featured bike cafe looked familiar and then I recall it was the “Bikefellas” cafe where Larry Livermore appeared and presented in 2019.
Bike 'n' Roll
They are indeed into bicycling as they make clear in their ode “Bike Life.” When they intone: “I don’t care about your Ultegra/Cause it’s the leg yo,” they are referring to a bicycling “groupset” aka components made by Shimano, while also making a statement that it’s never about the equipment. Mentions of descending Maresana Hill (a huge hill north of their home city of Bergamo) before somehow reaching the comune (township) of Alzano Lombardo and maybe the frazione (subdivision) of Nese appears later in their travelogue. The stripped-down guitars continue to churn as striking numbers like “Turkish Delight Boy” (inspired by a trip to Istanbul) and “Ruined Day” recall Ben Weasel’s underrated Fidatevialbum from 2002. On a related note, “Funny” contains the deadpanned realization, “Hakan on Lookout, it's not 94” as the music races ahead.
Hakan III
The usual Aldi Weirdness
In “Good Night” they take a page out of Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World” book about studying philosophy and attending lectures on architecture in order to win one’s affection. Later, there is a mention of enduring the long queue at Aldi in the name of love. (Who knew a decade back that Aldi would now have such a presence in the U.S.A. due to the inflated inflation?)
It's An Uphill Climb To The Bottom
After 3 albums of somewhat scattershot lyrics, Hakan have reached a new echelon with their songwriting. Along with their long-standing passion for Turkish popular culture, they adeptly extract parts of their day-to-day quoitain experiences and throw them into the lyrical blender. They also continue their self-mythologizing by celebrating their own band with thematic songs, while pointing out local color and local characters. In “Hakan Manifesto” the particular line: “We are fans of Roby Pooh” had me discovering the famous Italian band Pooh and their keyboardist Roby Facchinetti (as they were not included on the 60’s Beat Italiano compilation). These boot-beat merchants have been going since 1966 and were actually named after Winnie-the-Pooh!
Wahu!
The cadence and structure of “Stezzanism” reminds me of the Freezing Hands’ “Comeback Kid (Hits the Skids”), while the speedy vocals and unbridled energy of “I’m Burnt” spurred me to bring out the the Basement Brats discs on the shelf. The closing song, “Here With You” moves them in the Automatic direction of Jesus & Mary Chain.
Hakan Manifesto has them reaching new lyrical plateaus, while thankfully retaining their propulsive and captivating sound. Along with their inherent knack for seesawing melodies, they have intertwined their upgraded lyrics with an even more pronounced pop sensibility. All of these elements are combined to make this their most fully-realized album yet.
While recently in the greater Los Angeles area where San Bernardino, Riverside, L.A. and Orange Counties overlap, the only thing I could listen to in the rush of traffic was classical on KUSC. However, recollections were spurred along congested Interstate 10 as it continued east into San Bernardino-namely the music of the Turtles and Frank Zappa. It is in this no man’s land that the California air takes on an overall darker hue due to pollution and the industrial nature of the area. (When I left California in 2007, I realized that the Jan and Dean I was listening to driving up Kellogg Hill in West Covina did not mean anything at all to California.) With apologies to Reyner Banham, the congested raceway heads into San Bernardino where the all-encompassing built environment sprawls outs indiscriminately beyond human scale.
Happened to be in the Area
Plain Wrap were another group who acknowledged and sardonically expressed the frustration and futility of the rat race in their song “Traffic.” They were a Dickies-Descendents-ish melodic punk band from Placentia who had one album released by Enigma Records in 1985. The song succeeds in almost articulating the seemingly incomprehensible by taking the route of humor. Their lead singer Dallas Don Burnet would later go on to release a pretty much unknown, yet totally solid solo album in 2012 under the clever and optimistic title Cancel My Disappointment.
Anyway the Wind Blows
It’s only in the last five years that I have finally started to "get" some of Zappa and the Mothers of Invention due to choice selections played on WFMU’s Big Planet Noise. Freak Out! is actually a lot more song-oriented and structured than the all-out Dada and theatrics that I was expecting. Being in the Mothers’ old stomping grounds, one can still sense the major swirls and their influences in the air. In fact, “Anyway the Wind Blows,” “Trouble Every Day” and “The Orange County Lumber Truck” continue to speak volumes to the situation here in the ‘20s. Further, Is it any wonder that Flo & Eddie would go on to join the Mothers of Invention? While the aforementioned musicians take vastly different approaches, they all share the same impetus to encapsulate and express the absurdity of this way of life with some much needed sense of levity and perspective.
Still Feeling the Aftershocks
Vocal group harmony was such a prevalent and pervasive influence on the Mothers, that they naturally became latter day champions of a sound that was then not exactly au courant according to the avant garde, the self-proclaimed hip and the cognoscenti. Including “Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder” on Freak Out! and releasing an entire concept album Cruising with Ruben & the Jets were pretty bold countervailing moves for ‘66-’68. Cruising... could also be heard to be all part of a continuum and a conduit to a sound both earthy and otherworldly. (With their ardent love and devotion to the streetcorner sound, Frank Zappa and Lou Reed had more in common than the musical adversaries were both willing to admit.)
Beyond Pledge Drives
With a majority of its singers, creators and original listeners no longer around, the original Doo Wop groups and sounds have been largely cast aside in its country of origin once again after its last resurgerence during the reissue heyday of the ‘90s. The recordings were then encoded onto compact disc and successfully sold in the form of Rhino’s Doo Wop box sets or even the numerous "discount" releases offered by Collectables. PBS did what it could at a national level with their pledge-drive specials, while Jerry Blavat and Art Laboe kept the sound alive on regional levels as legendary disc jockeys and personalities. As far as Doo Wop in this century, I have fond memories of the Mighty Echoes opening up for Jonathan Richman at Safari Sam’s in Hollywood in 2007. One of my favorite Doo Wop-influenced acts here in the ‘20 are Jintana & Emeralds who hail from Tokyo and have a highly-stylized, balmy and dreamy sound.
Jintana & Emeralds' 2nd full-length Lp from 2022
Rama Lama Ding Dong
The harmonies of the vocal groups were able to soar thanks to a strong melodic foundation being efficiently propelled by continuous triplets galore. Nonsense syllables provided both hooks, while zig zagging the songs in different directions and echoes ricocheted off the walls. Unbridled joy and sorrow and everything between is expressed by the lyrics. Lastly, the layered vocal parts combined with minimal instrumentation added dimension, shade, contrast, while also dispelling the darkness. Successfully combining these moving parts resulted in urban hymns of spare elegance and deceptive simplicity that expresses an unmistakable American sound. Sometimes it’s austere and subtle, other times over-the-top and enthralling and occasionally the sound lifts off the streets to the stars. With lyrics typically focusing on elemental aspects that are usually taken for granted (e.g., moon, stars, love) it can hopefully spur listeners towards retaining a sense of wonder. Overall, Doo Wop is an evocative, atmsopheric nightfall music, with the best exploring emotional heights and offering transcendence.
West Coast Doo Wop
An entire compilation of rare Los Angeles Doo Wop is not something you see usually featured and/or reviewed in this digital age. Give credit to Ace Records for releasing this well-deserved and designed collection. One of the standouts is Arthur Lee Maye’s “Last Night.” This previously unissued rarity recently surfaced as an acetate provided by its producer Arthur Wright. The singer of this dusty diamond, Arthur Lee Maye, also had a stellar career in Major League Baseball as Lee Maye. Immediately following is another obscurity involving another leading figure. “A Long Time Alone” showcases Danny (aka Sly) Stone’s “golden child” talents. This deeply affecting record is the beginning of a long journey with many ascents, descents and detours to come.
Lee Maye in the Astrodome
Some “Last Date” piano stylings break up the formula and sets “Eternal Love” by Cordials apart from the usual fare. The group, who transplanted to L.A. from Boston, would later go on to change their name to the Stompers and record for Landa Records. (On a related note, Landa featured some of my favorite graphic design that has ever appeared on a 45 record.) Surprisingly, the Cordials also featured Bobby (Boris) Pickett of “Monster Mash” fame in their lineup. The Dandevilles’ “Psychology'' includes almost as many “Don’t Wannas” as the Ramones, while “Jolly Green Giant'' has the Valaquans testing the rock ‘n’ roll waters before before later becoming an Impressions-ish soul combo. Another highlight is the striking “Hold Me” by Dorothy Berry & the Swans. Dorothy Berry was the wife of Richard Berry of “Louie Louie'' fame. In addition, Richard Berry himself is said to provide the basso profuno on this Vanco release that was composed by Etta James. Another intriguing element is the wiry, taunt and pronounced guitar that sounds like a jaw harp heard throughout the recording.
Call and Response
The Jades’ soothing “When They Ask About You” is reminiscent of the Flamingos’ “Only Have Eyes For You” with their take on the “doo-bop sh-bop” background responses. Elsewhere, James Lee Washington’s “I Need Somebody” jumps into this century in sensational fashion. This 1962 mini-masterpiece evokes Ronnie Spector and her wonderful “whoa whoa whoa'ing”, as she channels her inner-Frankie Lymon. Coincidentally, James Lee Washington’s real name is Morris Chestnut and he’s the father of actor Morris Chestnut Jr.-who made his film acting debut in Boyz n the Hood.
The Road to Los Angeles
Not everything is top-tier, but overall This Love is Real is a solid retrospective that plays well on the whole with its superior sound quality sourced from the original master tapes. The labyrinthine history of these obscure records and groups is straightened out in the comprehensive liner notes accompanied by fitting graphics and rare photos. Again, Ace Records is due recognition for their commendable coverage of this mostly overlooked, but pivotal era of Los Angeles music history of Doo Wop transitioning to Soul.
Desert Center of Attention
Moving over to Phoenix, the Tads were a versatile combo led by singer, songwriter and guitar player Leroy Fullylove.Released on Valentine’s Day 2023, this collection presents 30 tracks, recorded between 1956 and 1962, straddling the blurry line between R&B and vocal group harmony. The Tads were always my favorite when they previously appeared on Arizona-centric various artists collections like Desert Doo Wops and Sha-Boom Bang! It’s great to have this well-sequenced definitive collection including rarities, demos and alternate takes, which reveals additional aspects, facets and the prodigious talents of Leroy Fullylove. They were a classic vocal quartet with solo lead and harmony backing who both played in and overlapped the prevailing styles of the day. Their records spanned the range from the raucous and rough-hewn through melodic pop to brooding balladry. Leroy Fullylove and the Tads could even be compared to the legendary Nolan Strong & the Diablos.
Ring Chimes
They have the distinction of being the first Black group to record for Randy Wood’s Dot Records and also the experience of auditioning for Bumps Blackwell’s Speciality Records in Los Angeles. The Tads got off to a promising and quick start in 1956. The group’s first release, “The Pink Panther” was composed and produced by future legend Lee Hazlewood. Hiding on the flipside is the hushed and heartfelt “Your Reason” that reflects the group's gospel beginnings as the Crusaders. This ballad contains the imploring line sung with candor: “I tried so hard to do my best.” “I Want to Know” continues their sound in the realm where the secular seems somewhat influenced by the spiritual. The ultra-catchy “Ring Chimes” with its skip-a-long tempo and underlying tropical rhythm could have been on one of the aforementioned Rhino box sets.
“Ring Chimes” is actually a cover from an Ohio-based group named the I.V. Leaguers who recorded for Dot Records. The song would also be covered by the Cadets at an even brisker pace. “She is My Dream” would have benefited from being played as a speedier clip. Still, it would be quite the cover song for a current roots-oriented outfit. “Wolf Call” is not the Elvis number from Girl Happy, but sounds more like a Leiber and Stoller vehicle for the Coasters and even locates itself in Los Angeles with the line: “Wella...Here I Stand on the Corner In Downtown L.A." The dusky “Me, My Shadow and I” features a menacing and looming guitar augmented with the prominent background accompaniments most likely influenced (once again) by the ones heard on the Flamingos’ “Only Have Eyes For You.”
The Tads with Lee Hazlewood "The Pink Panther"/"Your Reason" sessions in 1956
Both Mainstream & Marginal
The collection offers some surprising departures like the rockin’ R&B heard on the previously unreleased “I’m Sorry Little Girl,” and even country inflected numbers like “It’s Been Nice” which was composed by Leroy Klingman (who was a teacher by day and owner-operator of Viv Records at night). The uplifting “Glowing Moon” sounds like another lost classic that taps into the eternal. Two takes of the uptempo proto-soul of “One of These Days” has the outfit sounding like the near future in 1962. With its interstellar harmonic blend, “Jumpin’ Over the Moon” exuberantly achieves lift off in the midst of the space race. Lee Hazlewood was back in the picture as this blaster was launched by his short-lived Tandem Records label in 1961 and has the Tads sounding in fine fashion on this Fullylove composition.
For the Accelerated Ages
The groundbreaking Tads were able ot put Phoenix on the map in the ever-evolving world of Doo Wop and R&B in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. They helped set Phoenix-area music in motion and made headway for those who would come after them like Eddie & Ernie, Dyke and the Blazers and even the Servicemen. After years of being prominently featured on compilations, Your Reason offers a closer look and more complete view of a group and their leader Leroy Fullylove. The vocal harmony/R&B group could be defined by the all-too-familiar missed opportunities, but most of all they should be heard and recognized for their striking, wide-ranging and timeless recordings forged as things were moving in so many directions.
Mike Rogers reminded me of this compilation and my 2002 review when he played a track by Strawberry Mud Pie! on his weekly WFMU show. I also noticed that the Hot Shots' contribution "I'm in Love" was co-written by Deke Dickerson and Yuichiro Matsushita and was later re-recorded as "I'm In Love With You" and appeared on the Hot Shots's 2009 album Teen Street.
It’s always exciting to check out the Japanese music web pages to see what’s going on in a music world one day ahead of the Western world. Yet it’s ultimately frustrating because it’s either a big expensive ordeal to import the music or the language barrier results in a possible e-mail imbroglio. What does one do when they want to hear the full versions of songs by the Apricots (Mama Guitar side project) on this side of the Pacific? Well start with Bomp Mailorder who have made this Barn Homes/1+2 collection a readily available compilation at a domestic price. While there’s nothing as good as Sunnychar, Supersnazz or Mama Guitar, it’s a nice variety pack (largely influenced by the aforementioned groups) of oversea/underground Japanese female-fronted pop circa 2002. Great to play while dreaming of visiting the closet-sized Tokyo record shops some sunny day before heading to one of their early evening shows.
The second volume of Legend City is slated for release sometime in 2023! Here are my 2001 impressions of the inaugural volume:
Recently, I bought the long-awaited Legend City: Ferocious Mid '60s Gems from the vaults of Phoenix's Viv-Debra Recording Studios 65-67 which was released (on vinyl and CD) by Dionysus/Bacchus Archives back in February. For me, it was a catch-up lesson in local history and sound. (Whenever I drive by Tempe High School, I will now think of the Hearsemen (who are featured on the front cover) and who later "updated" their name to the Hobbit in '66.) Dan Nowicki contributed some deeply researched, informative, and well written liner notes to this collection. All of these recordings were produced in Viv-Debra studio which was the "budget" studio that was founded by Lee Hazlewood. (The other competing Phoenix studio at the time was Audio Recorders-where Phil & the Frantics recorded.)
In particular, two songs from the Solid Ground really stand out to me on this disc. The Solid Ground hailed from the (now) "edge city" sprawl of Mesa. Their "Sad Now" starts off down a nicely shaded palm & citrus tree-lined folk-pop verse/la-la chorus street and then quickly crosses a stucco scorching yellow-to-red guitar freakout intersection. Then the song continues through a tinted cool shady side street neighborhood until burning some cheap Arco gasoline while punching across another wide intersection filled with the tire popping shards of a raved-up & out guitar. The contrasts in this song work like rain cleaning up the brown smoggy skies. With now completely clear skies de azul, the mountains have re-appeared on the wide horizon while the intro-jangle of their "She Played With Love" rings out. Their following song features a sound like '66 Chad & Jeremy singing for the '65 Byrds. This one is a real lush sunburst sparkler from the desert dry cactus lands of Arid-zona.
Overall, a commendable regional compilation of originals from an area & era that has never been covered before. I'm looking forward to possible future volumes of Legend City (and also a re-issue of the Think of the Goodtimes:1960s Tucson Sound). Believe me, you're not going to find these records in a Valley of the Sun Goodwill or St. Vincent dePaul.
Jenny O. seems pretty well versed in her overall knowledge of pop. Not only has she covered “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” by the Seeds, she even appeared on a 2005 tribute to Gennett Records with a cover of Hoagy Carmichael’s "Stardust." Jenny was also the only unsigned artist to appear on the Rave On Buddy Holly tribute with her rendition of “I’m Gonna Love You Too.” On the live front, she has toured with Rodriguez and the Proclaimers. Besides her own releases, she has furnished backing vocals for many acts that are not my thing at all (e.g., Father John Misty, Jonathan Wilson). The singer-songwriter surely seems all over the place and has already lived more than a few lifetimes, while outlasting several temporal scenes. In fact, she has already knocked around Nashville and Los Angeles and actually has an extensive background on the East Coast playing double bass and studying jazz. Currently, she seems to have fully absorbed the Pacific Coast Time ethos of Southern California. She comes across as a full-fledged Californian who has maybe read her fair share of Eve Babitz and Joan Didion. Wherever she may be, she has evolved as the circumstances and challenges change.
On her third full-length album she makes her mark by following some well established trails, while also blazing some of her own. The lavish echo enveloping “God Knows Why” delivers the song to the same zip code where Matthew Smith, Denise James and Slumber Party all reside. The lyrics unfold to evoke the yearning and questioning of Brian Wilson. Overall, the closest comparison to her sound might be Isobel Campbell and her 2020 release There Is No Other. Meanwhile, the verses of “Color Love” seem inspired by the Classic IV’s "Stormy"-especially that indelible and swanky opening “You were the sunshine, baby. Whenever you smiled. But I call you stormy today." This oldies influence makes sense as she has previous experience singing in '60s cover bands.
“What About that Day” holds up a mirror to her harmonies-allowing them to stretch off into infinity like a science center display. Some of the more idiosyncratic aspects of her previous approaches and efforts have been smoothed out, while also guarding against being overly proficient and losing some of the charm in the process. She has long played around the edges of overlapping genres (indie, Americana, singer-songwriter), but as side 1 plays on, it starts to slip into being a little too atmospheric, shimmering and languid for its own good.
Things take a turn towards the better as side 2 explores the more rustic routes with strummy guitars and harmonies coming to the fore. “Even If I Tried” is a glorious display of perfect mid-tempo pop and with its ringing guitars reminiscent of the Primitives and latter Lush. Over the years she has played in a grab bag of styles, good enough to get sync licensing for series like Riverdale and her music in car commercials, but never quite finding her breakthrough song. This could be a candidate to be her signature song, even if the overall élan belies an underlying melancholy.
The album continues its stride with little sparkling gems like “Small Talk” that recall Someday-era Susanna Hoffs. The Southwestern sundown sounds of “Hard to Say” contains some moments of oversaturated dissonance-reflecting being out-of-tune with oneself, but determined to overcome. Lastly, the uplifting “Seek Peace” ends the album on a truly peaceful note like how the Beach Boys’ Friends album begins (i.e., “Meant for You.”). Recently, I noticed many of my favorite acts like the Long Ryders and the Woggles, who no longer tour Arizona, have been playing in the ramshackle Mojave Desert enclave of Pioneertown, CA. at Pappy + Harriet’s. Jenny O. would be the perfect singer-songwriter to catch- if one just happens to be out there.
photo by Melissa Moore, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31576931
Just three brisk fall months after the group made a significant artistic breakthrough and reached a new summit with the release of their 8th self-titled full-length album of all original songs came the unexpected “retirement” announcement from their lead singer Megumi. As the fifth lead vocalist in the band’s 10 years of existence, Megumi helped usher in a new phase for the group and their overall sound. She had a stage and video presence that commanded attention and vocals that differentiated their most recent recordings from their previous reliable efforts that have already set the standard for female-fronted West Coast ‘60s-inspired sounds from Japan.
Their 8th album is considered their peak recording for several reasons. Megumi’s entrancing and distinctive vocals definitely played a major role as her slightly icy and distant voice established a different resonance from the start. The album is also a continuation of their refined pop sensibilities, while presenting an overall original sound that is more developed and textured. Megumi’s lead vocals fit well within the group's transitioning sound and this combination captured the attention of world-wide listeners.
Striking Just the Right Sound
For more than 10 years, the sprawling and ambitious group have more than proven adept at handling daunting arrangements and layered vocal harmonies. To start the ‘20s, the Pen Friend Club, with vocalist Yuka Fujimoto, went further into the harmonic heights and depths than ever before by covering such complex pop songs as “Along Comes Mary” by the Association. While there has always been an emphasis on harmonies and melodies, this album also reflects a widened world of influences. The album sets itself apart from their previous releases as it traverses a much larger stylistic range. The ‘60s and the A&M Records aesthetic continue to loom large in their world, but they have opened up their sound to incorporate influences and inflections from further into ‘70s and it works.
Expanding out into the Light & Dark
Besides their usual affinity for the yellow-orange swirl of summer, they incorporate some autumnal hues of forest greens, leafy browns and luminous golds as sections burst into the sunlight and then descend into dusk. The brushed acoustic strums on “Our Overture” signal the new directions they are headed towards as some sunset shadows begin to cast over their sound. By the time of “The Sun is Up,” they have already reached a rugged new musical terrain and a change of scenery. Their escalating musical confidence coupled with slightly burnished guitar tones and tints of raga could even entice listeners of Led Zeppelin III, Second Coming Stone Roses or “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac. Next, the swift and tuneful “Ketzel” dashes out into the daylight like Zumpano’s “Broca’s Waves,” while their breezy vocals are swept along in the jet stream of Stereolab.
L to R: Yuichi (guitar), Takayuki (drums), Yumi (glocken), Soi (keys), Megumi (lead vocals), Ricca (acoustic guitar), Asako (sax) Rie (bass)
Their first-rate arrangements unfurl an array of sounds, sections and songs that are simultaneously foreign and familiar. Along with this self-titled album being their most original, it's also the most collaborative of all their albums. The group’s leader Yuichi Hirakawa, formally a famous manga artist, has thankfully turned his full attention to music, while handing over some of the musical reins to his bandmates. “Mind Connection” recalls the 5th Dimension and showcases the saxophone solo of Asako Otani. Jazz inflections provided by Otani surface throughout the album. The saxophone effectively works in the context of their music and plays a prominent role propelling the songs in places and embellishing in others. On the languorous and luxuriant “Floating to You” they tend towards the Honeys more than ever, while also evoking Brian Wilson’s “Melt Away," which they previously covered on The Garden of the Pen Friend Club. It makes one imagine their sound if Sean O'Hagan could produce or co-produce one of their future efforts.
Harmonies on the Forefront
“At Least For Me Tonight” is my favorite song on the album as it unfolds to reveal multiple aspects, overlapping harmonies, stellar banjo playing and soft pop influences ranging from Jan & Dean’s Save for a Rainy Day to the Four King Cousins. “At Least for Me Tonight” is also a shining example of bassist Rie Nishioka’s remarkable composition skills along with being the catchiest song on the album.
“My New Melodies” evokes that skip-along feeling somewhere between “Turn Down Day” by the Cyrkle and an early ‘70s TV theme song like “Love Is All Around (Theme Song from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) with a pop factor worthy of Gary Zekley. There’s even a brief “You’re My Best Friend” guitar quote by Queen that works in the overall context. “Jump Over Time” is coated with “Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing” dust. The rustic influence of Buffalo Springfield takes an increased presence on this release. “People in the Distance” is Penkura (as they are sometimes called in Japan) at their folkiest and is somewhat reminiscent of later period We Five with its expansive chorus and horizon-rising harmonies. They are unabashed music fans with many ears towards a wide-variety of sounds and it shows off in this stretch of songs. Be sure to read Tommy Vivian’s comprehensive and insightful liner notes that guide listeners through the dimensions of their sound, along with mentioning the myriad of musical influences on this recording.
Westbound
The captivating “Beyond the Railroad” is a straight ahead folk pop number where all their strengths come into focus with echoes of “Say That You Love Me” by Fleetwood Mac sounding in the distance. “You Know You've Heard That Before?” reminds me of Carole King and the City with the baroque ornamentation of a swirling flute. Lastly, the jaunty and sparkling “A Better Day” features intertwined harmonies and one of the best banjo runs I have ever heard to make for the perfect ending. The banjo is employed and executed to near perfection. A holistic and unified experience is achieved with this uplifting and culminating song.
Crowning Achievement
So where does that leave the Pen Friend Club at the end of their biggest year? This accomplished album presents them currently at the heights of their collective powers as it’s the most collaborative, original and sonically varied of all their releases. They demonstrate they are not afraid to venture into some unexpected places and explore unfamiliar territory. The Pen Friend Club lives up to its adventurous promise, while still remaining true to the West Coast sounds with the Beach Boys and A&M Records as their bedrock.
Fortitude and Flexibility
Their 8th full-length album is now a finite chapter in the history of the band rather than a preface on the potential sonic directions this particular iteration of the band would take. The fact of Megumi’s amicable parting does not diminish the quality in the album and may even enhance its allure as from this vantage point is is finite experience marking a particular point in time. An entirely different set of questions are now in effect for the group as obviously lead vocals are not plug and play. However, the band has been in this spot of filling the role of the lead vocalist several times before Megumi. They have repeatedly risen to the challenge of staying true to the best elements of the past and astutely navigating the always changing circumstances that are inherent in the overall cycles of life. The Pen Friend Club will continue to persevere and prevail.
