I pretty much think no other band should have attempted shoegaze after FSA wrote My Dreaming Hill. It does not get better.
A standout moment — on their semi-sarcastic, semi-sincere cover of The Drowners by Suede, as the noise reaches obnoxious levels at 3:54 you can hear him say ‘That's enough of that surely’.
@edisnfg hopefully you see this. it's your turn to choose a record for this week! @williek311 on deck because the user above is generally inactive.
Spring is in the air so it’s time to bust out the power pop jams, crank the stereo and roll down your windows.
Enjoyed the heck out of this one as recommended, loud while driving with the windows down. The guitar leads are especially fun, ripping through just about every song.
It’s always good to try things outside of my usual wheelhouse, but Flying Saucer Attack isn’t for me. I found it to be a frustrating listen of mostly noise and a rough mix, though I think most shoegaze type stuff usually has that effect on me. I might return to My Dreaming Hill every now and then.
Big School album is fun, but sort of washes over me. Nice guitar throughout, but I felt it could use more ear-worms and interesting vocal melodies to complement the harmonies. A standout is the song Back in Time.
Really enjoyed the Big School album. Very easy listen and works great with hot weather here in Florida
After a few more listens to the Big School album, I’m pretty much spot on with @OotyPa. It’s a fun album for a nice spring or summer day, but I’m not sure how much it will actually stick with me in the long run. Back in Time is also the stand out track for me. There’s a pace and urgency to it that helps propel and give more depth to the lyrics. It’s also got a bit of Early November to it, which is always a plus for me.
Recently huge on Akina Nakamori, a Japanese “city-pop” artist (with a tragic history) who touched on many genres throughout her career from art-rock, synth-pop, funk, disco, new wave, and more. Everything I’ve heard from her is great, but I’m choosing her 1986 darkwave album Fushigi. Fushigi is considered a turning point in Akina’s career and for the “city pop” genre as a whole. It’s a lesser-known classic known for its textured, entrancing, nocturnal sound. This is Akina’s first self-produced album and it confused audiences when it first released, and has since become recognized as an influence to artists like Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush. It feels like this mysterious, singular relic from the 80’s that simultaneously sounds of-the-era and yet timeless. Everything on Fushigi shimmers and echoes, including Akina’s own voice which is treated like an instrument here. I would describe this as darkly euphoric, sexy, and haunting. Even funky at times. Def recommend playing this very loud, preferably at nighttime. This specific release on streaming (the 2023 remaster) sounds great on good speakers or headphones. I continue to uncover new layers on this thing with every listen.