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Tracklist | |
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01. Bus To Finsbury 02. Baby I Love You 03. Superstar (Album Edit) 04. 雨上がり (Ameagari) 05. Tonight is the Night 06. Birthday 07. お祭りわっしょい (Omatsuri Wasshoi) 08. 冬の亡霊 (Fuyu no Bourei) 09. 赤い電車 (Akai Densha) 10. Long Tall Sally 11. 虹色の天使 (Nijiiro no Tenshi) 12. Ring Ring Ring! 13. (It's Only) R'n R Workshop! |
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Review | |
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Quruli changes its style yet again, this time embracing a 60s pop rock vibe straight out of John Lennon's coffin. While an admirable effort in an age where everyone turns their amps up to 11 and carries suitcases full of distortion pedals, Nikki is pretty much the same band pulling the same "let's change styles!" direction and putting out the same inconsistent records as usual. "Bus to Finsbury," establishes most of the album: minimal to light guitar overdrive; bouncy, melodic bass lines a la McCartney; a four on the floor drum pattern; and billowy, doubletracked vocals. To say that a lot of Nikki seems Beatles-like is an understatement. All Quruli would need is a second vocalist and they'd be set as a Group Sounds band. Ballads such as "Baby I Love You" and "Ameagari" would be right at home in Rubber Soul, while "Omatsuri Wasshoi" hints at "Come Together" and "Back in the USSR." Even the main riff to "Fuyu no Bourei" sounds eerily similar to "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." This isn't to say that all songs fall under a Beatles guise. "Akai Densha" and "Nijiro no Tenshi" fall more in line with Quruli's older work than the Fab Four's output. The former layers a simplistic MIDI sequencer over some disco rhythm, while the latter is an upbeat, fast rock number. Yet each song's tame nature hardly strays from the rest of the album. It's like they're doing covers of their own songs with half the energy. There is no doubt that Quruli is a talented band since it's difficult for most groups to play a variety of styles. Looking upon their back catalog one can find kinetic rock (Zukan), electronic pop (Team Rock), and even folk (Antenna). However, being prolific is a double edged sword. Overall their albums are inconsistent, often containing 2-3 amazing songs sandwiched between mediocre, easily forgettable tracks. Nikki is a little more consistent this time around; even the standout tracks are slightly above average at best. The album has its share of catchy tunes, but there's a lack of substance that fails to make songs stick in a good way. The Beatles homage, while interesting on the outset, is an unecessary simulacrum for a band that is capable of producing its own voice. They have really bitten off more than they can chew this time. If Quruli could just stick to one general sound for more than one or two albums, they'd probably release something excellent. As it stands right now it's only a matter of time before they attempt industrial or jazz fusion. Hopefully it won't come to that. |
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