Adopting the quiet/loud song structure popularised and simultaneously put to death by Nirvana and their 90s grunge compatriots, London’s noisy Japanese Voyeurs play with the concept of the ‘90s throwback’ with this double A-side effort. Like a rather coy Kim Deal merged with Bjork in a ‘The Fly’-esque experiment, vocalist Romily Alice breathes her way sweetly through the initial stages of ‘That Love Sound’. But this little grrrl-lost act jars uncomfortably with the massive guitar attack that kicks in a few seconds later, which may or may not be a good thing depending on how much you enjoy music that achieves little but to break windows. Second track ‘Blush’ is the same formula turned up a notch, with monstrous riffs and feedback threatening to usurp any semblance of a song. Again, Alice’s innocuous vocals initially intrigue, until being drowned in the flood of sound, with any promise ruined. As alt-rock chaos, ‘That Love Sound’ just doesn’t have the gut-wrenching, blissfully bewildering impact of the Pixies’ finest moments of alienation. Instead, it comes across as the grown-up equivalent of a bunch of spotty teenagers banging drums in their parents’ garage: fun for a few cheap kicks but hardly musically potent.
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About the Author:
SimonFuller has been trying this freelance journalism lark for almost eight months now, but often finds himself giving up and listening to more music. As well as lapping up everything from electro-pop to symphonic metal, he also enjoys plotting convoluted novels and drinking decadent variants on coffee. He lives in Bedford.
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