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Avg: 4.0 (7 ratings)
- Date Released: September 9, 2008
- Genre: Electronic
- Style: Electronic Ambient
- Label: Groenland Records / Zebralution
Slyly hypnotic electro-funk smoothly sidesteps predictability and keeps the groove.
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We Say...
Thanks to a fragmented release schedule and Hot Chip's nimble scooping of the "exciting British electronica" plaudits, Fujiya & Miyagi's Transparent Things probably didn't reach as many people as it should have in 2006. Illumination may bring greater exposure: Lightbulbs offers a whole new set of electro-funk-via-Neu! rhythms and stage-whispered vocals.
David Best has a tremendous time with the latter, relishing each syllable as he shapes words to meet stressed beats or elongates them beyond their expected cadence. Though his delivery often mirrors the bass melody in order to hammer home a hook (as on the chorus of "Sore Thumb"), it has enough divergent phrases and twists to sidestep predictability. The effect is akin to steady progression down a motorway with a number of artful swerves between lanes. Syncopated, yet hypnotic.
The band's affinity for smart references and sly wit also remains undimmed. Structuring a track named "Uh" around throaty, undersexed groaning might come across as lyrical laziness, were the song not an elaborate portrayal of obsessive categorization ("I arrange my records / al-pha-bet-i-ca-lly."). Indeed, little on the album is entirely straightforward. The fantastic "Knickerbocker" steamrolls along with inconsequential lyrics about ice cream, until piercing mentions of anorexia victim Lena Zavaroni penetrate the subconscious. Plainly, this dessert is not so sweet.
With the exceptions of a sombre title track and the crawling "Goosebumps," Lightbulbs sticks to the pulsing Transparent Things formula — but it's the continuation of a successful theme rather than a rut. Whether their open invitation to delve for hidden lyrical meaning is genuine, or simply offers a sinkhole for intellectual musing, Fujiya & Miyagi are still something of a riddle. While that intrigue holds strong, their modern take on Krautpop remains inviting. -
They Say...
As the first full-length debut of Fujiya & Miyagi (their 2006 release was actually a compilation of songs from previously released EPs), Lightbulbs shows the Brighton Brits attempting to prove themselves as much more than a pseudo-Japanese novelty act. That's not to say that Dave Best and the gang have toned back their deadpan sense of humor. Nonsensical non-sequiturs, scatting onomatopoeias, and tongue twisters still dominate the lyrics, and the wry James Murphy-esque speakeasy delivery is still evident, but now the pep has been downplayed slightly to make for more mellowed grooves. The production has thickened a bit, too, courtesy of a higher concentration of ambient textures. Airy synths and breathy vocals render the songs too dreamy to dance to, and the funky basslines and mechanical beats render them too dancey to dream to. That's the sweet spot of F&M. Call the songs lackadaisical hypno-grooves, if you will, or use the band's label of "whisper-electro" to define the sound, but essentially it's calming, polite, electro-pop that invokes '60s lounge, '70s Krautrock, and '80s synth pop while staying relevant to more modern sounds popularized by Hot Chip, Ladytron, and Air. "Knickerbocker" is an infectious jam with a driving rhythm that pays tribute to Kraftwerk, a hook that subtly rips off the Beach Boys' "Kokomo" ("vanilla, strawberry, knickerbocker glory" mimics "Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take you") and verses that give props to Hans Christian Anderson, Lena Zavaroni, and Dietrich Knickerbocker. If that's not fun, what is?
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| 01. |  |
Knickerbockers |
3:20 |
|
| 02. | |
UH |
3:00 |
|
| 03. | |
Pickpocket |
2:50 |
|
| 04. | |
Goosebumps |
3:44 |
|
| 05. | |
Rock To Queen's Pawn Six |
2:41 |
|
| 06. | |
Sore Thumb |
3:07 |
|
| 07. | |
Dishwasher |
2:47 |
|
| 08. | |
Pterodactyls |
3:24 |
|
| 09. | |
Pussyfooting |
3:56 |
|
| 10. | |
Lightbulbs |
2:53 |
|
| 11. | |
Hundreds & Thousands |
4:04 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 35:46 Total Length
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