Junkboy (a.k.a. brothers Mik and Rich Hanscomb) record all of their songs at their adopted home in Brighton. In this way they believe they can best capture the intimacy and natural warmth of their sound. Few listening to their fourth album would dispute this.
Despite the DIY ethic and stated admiration of the new wave of American lo-fi artists like Gary War and Sore Eros, Junkboy's sound is richer and bathed in a starry-eyed psych-pop glow.
The opening orchestrated acoustic instrumental track, Firth , sets the pastoral mood of the record and although Tones X, which closes the album, shows that Junkboy haven't fully abandoned kosmische music, what comes between is more post-folk than post-rock.
Koyo - Japanese for 'gentle sunlight' - is a title that captures perfectly the summery feel of this album. This is epitomised by the childlike wonderment in the voice of Japanese artist, Cima Cima on the gorgeous Present and in the luscious sixties pop of Pieces in the Sky.
The lyrics and song titles are pretty accurate indicators of the overall mood. "Open up your heart" is the message of Function of the Sun, while the instrumental Stendhal Syndrome is named after a medical condition caused by over exposure to immense artistic or natural beauty .
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Elizabeth Walling ,a.k.a. Gazelle Twin, coos delightfully all over the blissed psychedelia of Dr Rendezvous and other impressive local backing comes from the community of musicians, promoters and artists known as Wilkommen Collective.
All this suggests that the south coast is a good place to be just now to experience a new generation of artists taking their cues from British folk and feel-good sixties pop.
In my review of their previous release, Three, I suggested that Junkboy should and could aim for higher ground and they have done so in spades with this album.
This is a massive leap forward and Koyo is quite simply a beautiful record.
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