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Tracklist |
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01 - Ohayo Mada Yaro
02 - Dekinai
03 - Sweet Surrender
04 - Tender Animals
05 - Still Alive
06 - Listless Dream
07 - Beautiful
08 - In The Forest
09 - Lonely Satellite
10 - Hollow Me |
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Review |
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One of the most perfect moments of life is when you put in an album, expecting nothing, and get washed in a different world of sound. This is the lasting impression when Yura Yura Teikoku fills a room with a lazy, wholly atmospheric sound. Reverb delayed guitars chug along as a saxophone plays, one that would seem corny if it didn't slide into the sandy vocals of Sakamoto Shintaro. The three members of Yura Yura Teikoku drift softly until a blissful chorus of "Ohayo, Mada, Yaro" mixes with female backing vocals adding "doot doot doot doot doot". The track reminds me of a bike on smooth flat road, occasionally dipping in and out of hills for the choruses. This is how the Tokyo veterans, playing since 1989, begin their 2007 and latest studio album, Hollow Me.
Their first full length since 2005`s Sweet Spot, Hollow Me is an album that wraps up the listener in warm towels - at its best. At its worst, it feels like a constant finger poke in the stomach. The warmth and deep haze of the opener quickly fade with three straight tracks of painfully repetitive, two-note guitar stretches. The second and third tracks, "Dekinai" (Can't) and "Sweet Surrender" switch the happy haze for soft darkness, reminiscent of Joy Division. While some may get excited with this comparison, the tracks are only annoying guitar loops and bland drums.
Without an advanced understanding of Japanese, the mood of the music rises in importance over the lyrics. Like the maddening guitar repetition of Sweet Spot, many of Hollow Me`s tracks fall into one color. Its a strength and a weakness that most of Yura Yura Teikoku`s studio work sounds as if you've opened a door on an already playing band. When the door closes, the tracks haven't changed much – resulting in an instant groove or frustration. Exuding a pure lazy demeanor, the album revolves between a light, dreamy feel and grey, slothful tunes.
Fortunately, the latter half of Hollow Me takes a more inspired bend. Yura Yura Teikoku sound their best on the soft vocal tracks "Listless Dream" and "Lonely Satellite". Both tracks display the defining quality of Hollow Me: slight turns for choruses, beginning and ending in the same place.
As an introduction to the band, the tone of Hollow Me can feel simplistic. Despite any preliminary boredom, this is an album that scoops deeper with each listen. The perfectly placed horn breaks, touches of backup vocals and a light psychedelic air create a soundtrack to a weird desert isle. Hollow Me feels more complete with each listen, turning the few aimless tracks into a small detour in this most atmospheric of albums.
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