eMusic Review 0
The decision by Fujiya & Miyagi to bring in outside help on their fourth full-length, in the form of co-producer Thom Monahan (Pernice Brothers, The Chamber Strings), seems to indicate that the British electro quartet are looking to expand their sonic horizons. Even a cursory listen reveals that nothing could be further from the truth. On Ventriloquizzing the band doesn't stray far from their formula: almost every song begins with a burst of electronic noise before settling into a familiar pattern of funky bass, snapping mechanical beats and David Best's half-whispered vocal insinuations.
The lyrical content has darkened considerably; with the exception of a few songs like the loose, attitude-soaked "Taiwanese Boots," most of the nonsensical freewheeling is gone, replaced by grim pronouncements like "We can't even breathe; we move our arms when you pull our strings" and "I'll beat you black; I'll beat you blue." The comfortable sound allows those grim sentiments to fully take hold. Monahan, no stranger to gifting a record with brighter sonics, instead wisely chooses to facilitate the band's move into gloomier terrain: Fujiya & Miyagi have added Suicide-style desperation to their dark disco sound; the result may be bleak, but it's also undeniably… read more »
