Many
Birthdays
"35 Minutes" CDR
Red
Cake Records
Genres: indie pop, indie rock, lo-fi
band
website
Mar 29 - Apr 4 2004 |
Many Birthdays is an obscure indie pop band based in Japan who run
their own label, Red Cake Records, and have recorded two albums (a
third is forthcoming). I don't know much else about them, though
their eclectic, catchy style is certainly a compelling one.
These eleven songs all share a similar pop sense, but vary widely as
far as song structure goes. "140th Dream," for example, is positively exhilarating -
its revving guitar line works really well with the simple yet
effective melody. "Ditch Effort (Snail Song)" has been
subtly injected with country and folk leanings. "A Day in
the Life of Maufie" is based largely on an electronic backbone,
sounding somewhat akin to Le Tigre and Ladytron. 35
Minutes' variety is one of its best assets.
While there are a few
'lesser' moments, for the most part, this is a pretty fun disc.
It isn't homogenous at all, yet it all shares a fine sense of
heartwarming pop catchiness and listenability. Put simply, 35
Minutes is a very enjoyable album - and there's nothing more to say.
84%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the
band, released 2003] |