The third instalment of the Picket Fence series is a contribution from Japan's SHINYA MIZUNO. At least I think that's where they are from, like other Fence artists their identity is shrouded in mystery so there isn't much to say about who they might be! Never mind where they are from.
The opening track is called 'Granny Song' and bears a passing resemblance to the other song I know which has a Granny in the title or more specifically to my memory, Grandma. Similar cutesy girl voices on top of a sickly sweet eighties pop background of cheesy beats and keyboards that begins and ends with the same medieval sounding guitar picking. It's obviously not as bad as 'Grandma we love you' but that isn't saying much.
The second song: 'tel 0722 59 3103 automac' is oom pah pah fairground organs and shimmering strings and isn't too bad in a mad zany oriental kinda way!
I continue to listen unsure as to what is actually going on; are the
cultural differences to much for me? So much so that I'm unable to
appreciate their efforts, are my predominantly western influences blocking the signal or are they just being a little crazy and I don't get it? What's more, are they really Japanese or could this just be someone from the Highlands with a 'Bandzai' or 'Shonen Knife' fetish having a laugh. Who can say?
Shining through all of this uncertainty though, come moments of surreal beauty and charm; the female vocal harmonies of 'Let's Go Wash', angelic and hypnotic, the knees up walking piano on the same track; the calypso pots and pans singalong of 'Sezaki no se'. Moments to savour and immediate enough to make me reach for the replay button several times before I'm satisfied.
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Against this however are the largely shouty and oft out of tune male vocals that have the opposite effect and some of the sound choices are a bit squiffy!
The weirdest moments come on 'g-iii'; track five. It's a compilation of sampled blasts and street noises with a deep spoken word that sounds in places like a Calvin Klein commercial while at at other times sounding otherworldly and trippy with incidental snippets of electronica adding to the maelstrom. Eventually they resort back to Jan Hammer tactics on the keyboards and the sound of TV quiz shows and bad 70s film soundtracks which leads to laughter and pain in equal measures.
It's hard work in places but overall I can't help liking this, it's funny
stuff if you're in the mood and crazily comical in a Eurotrash kind of way. Yet another twist in the Picket Fence Singles club where we have learned to expect the unexpected and one of many still to come I'm sure.......keep listenin'!
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