The Bedtime Beat

They Say...

Review by Margaret Reges, All Music Guide

Lullatone have come a long, long way since 2003's Computer Recital; Shawn Seymour and Yoshimi Tomida have expanded their sweet, deceptively simple sine-tone melodies into fully orchestrated "pajama pop" creations. One thing remains the same: Lullatone are cute. Very, very cute. The Bedtime Beat, which is the duo's fifth release, continues in the vein of 2006's Plays Pajama Pop Pour Vous, which delivered an exciting, full-bodied array of sweet, organic textures and a front-and-center role for vocalist Tomida. This is a riskier album than Plays Pajama Pop, though, largely because some of the tunes on this release are almost cloyingly primitive. "Maboroshi Ondo," an insistent, schoolyard-style chant, is almost jarringly simple, as are the clockwork-steady beat and repetitive vocals of "Marching to Sleep." It's clear that Tomida and Seymour are trying to push the boundaries of what Lullatone have traditionally done; it seems like they're trying to make simpler, catchier songs at this point, so it's natural that there should be a few stumbles along the way. This experimentation pays off big time when it comes to "The Bedtime Beatbox," though. It's a rap number -- which, given that this is a Lullatone album, is just plain weird -- but it's executed with humor and grace, and it results in what might be one of Lullatone's catchiest and most fun tracks since Plays Pajama Pop's "Bedtime Bossa Band." "Goodnight Train" is another high point, luminous with overdubbed recorders, melodicas, and Tomida and Seymour's whispered vocals. The Bedtime Beat is just as fun and whimsical as its predecessor, but it fails to match Plays Pajama Pop's complexity and exquisite gentleness. That said, this album still offers up plenty of reasons to stay tuned to Lullatone.