The fact that this EP was inspired by guitarist Ben Austin’s trip to Japan in the spring of 2017, where he immersed himself in the culture and met a girl, doesn’t really excuse the band’s name. And nothing in the world could possibly excuse the flat amateurish indie strum on offer here.
According to their bio, ‘Sushi Backpack draws inspiration from bands such as Rocketship, Die Fünf Freunde and Citrus, but the first band you might think of when you hear them is Tullycraft.’ Yeah. Obviously. Tullycraft? I don’t know and I don’t care. Kill me.
It’s not about being down on li-fi bedroom bands. I get – perhaps better than many – the charm of innocence, of music born out of necessity and completely apart from anything that’s remotely ‘industry’. DIY bands are the very lifeblood of new music in this fragmented age in which it’s possible to reach a global audience from your bedroom or garage thanks to the Internet. Similarly, I get the charm of eschewing digital technology and capturing the spirit of the four-track tape recorder.
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Authenticity matters. But so does having songs and playing and recording them in a way that does the band justice and gives fair service to the listener.
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