| The Flower Travellin' Band - We Are Here |
| The
Flower Travellin' Band have been busy. The last year has seen them rise
from the ashes of time both figuratively and literally: figuratively,
in that there's been a resurgence of interest in the band as western
record geeks discover their classic 70s material. Literally in that the
band reformed in January of this year, the original foursome of Joe
Yamanaka, Hideki Ishima, Jun Kobayashi (aka Kozuki) and Joji Wada, plus
the addition of keyboardist (and long time band associate) Nobuhiko
Shinohara as an official member. Reunions in general are cause for both
cautious optimism and cynical concern. Will they still have the fire
that made them great? Or are they just cashing in? And what about new
material? Will they sully the memory of their legendary past? Well, let's cut to the chase: Jrawk doesn't review bad or even mediocre records. There's too much good stuff out there to waste space on them, and if the Flower Travellin' Band had blown it, you wouldn't be reading this. That said, "We Are Here" is not a return to form so much as a complete rebirth, thereby neatly sidestepping all the concerns at the end of that last paragraph. People looking for "Satori, The Next Generation" will be disappointed, which would be a shame. This new chapter in the band's history reveals it to be a powerful, subtle unit that takes equal parts psych rock, classic soul, reggae, New Orleans funk and pop, teasing and nudging these forms into flexible, extended jams that replace the dark apocalyptic rage of their older material with a direct, clear eyed confidence. "We Are Here," the song, isn't just the title track: it's a manifesto, a forceful declaration of intent that leaves no question where the band stands. "We are here / We will sing about today" Yamanaka wails, as the band snakes its way through a laid back yet driving rock that, thanks to Shinohara's sharp piano, brings to mind classic Traffic. In fact, Traffic may be the closest touchstone for Flower Travellin' Band's muscular new sound, although I can't remember Dave Mason pulling out any guitar licks as sly or surprising as Ishima's. Whether he's sneaking "Satori Part II" riffs into his solo on the title track, or twisting a dark roadhouse blues through the slow burn of "Over & Over," he never falls back on cliché. In fact, it's this last point that is the thread that joins the Flower Travellin' Band's past to its present. The band's 70s material was remarkable for its ability to rock without relying on typical rock 'n' roll forms, and FTB 2008 is made of the same stuff. The rhythm section of Kobayashi and Wada still comes up with some strikingly unusual foundations. "What Will You Say" has a backbeat like The Meters gone tribal, and "dYE-jobe's" rubbery bassline pulls the band into territory that's equal parts reggae and exotica. But the most striking thing is still Yamanaka's voice, a controlled wail that starts in a high register that lesser singers would save for the climax. He can still hit the notes, and that voice is responsible for many of "We Are Here's" peak moments. Another new element FTB 2008 brings to the table is the slow burn. They can be deceptively relaxed, only to boil over, whipping the seemingly laid back elements into a clattering whirlwind of sound. The bright instrumental break of "dYE-jobe" is a wonder, mutating the song's funky workout into an extended improvisation that's equal parts psych and tropicalia. There's no other band in rock that does this, and it goes a long way towards dismissing any lingering accusations of cash in. They're simply having too much fun. Word has it there's another album in the future, and it should be interesting to see how the band mines this newfound territory. They sound thoroughly comfortable in their new skin, and fully prepared to take on the world on their own terms. "I don't care 'bout your yesterday / long as you're here now" Yamanaka declares in the title track, and listeners would do well to follow his lead. |