| Kinoco Hotel - Marianne No Kyujitsu |
| Kinoco
Hotel, for the uninitiated, are a quartet of hot chicks who also happen
to be a pretty solid 60s psych-pop outfit. The "hot chicks" part isn't
me being glib, it's arguably the whole point; it's an ever present
theme based on leader Marianne Shinonome, how hot, mysterious and
daring she is, all while accompanied by her three clones. Well, maybe
not clones, but at first glance the only way to tell her apart from her
band is the fact that her hair swoops down, whereas the rest have bangs. If it sounds gimmicky, well, it is. But it's a good gimmick, one which has been so skillfully and exhaustively fused with the band's Group Sounds inspired psych pop that it's impossible to separate them. It's so inextricable, in fact, that the whole thing would fall flat on its collectively cute ass if the music wasn't as good as it is. This year's full length major label debut, Marianne No Yutsu (Marianne's Melancholy,) made its case with often blistering acid psych that was a lot more ragged and aggressive than it needed to be, if the goal was simply to sell the hotness. Image conscious as the group clearly is, they're obviously plenty serious about their music as well, and their most recent effort, Marianne No Kyujitsu (Marianne's Holiday,) is another leap forward for both. The scorching, scrappy acid garage of Marianne No Yutsu has expanded into a full blown, kaleidoscopic psych pop without losing momentum…or thematic relevance. The EP is comprised of era appropriate covers which, fortunately, rise above mere imitation. Their version of Reiko Ouhara's "Peacock Baby" isn't as sweaty and confrontational as the band named after the track, but their take on The Poppies' "恋は気分" ("Koi Wa Kibun," i.e. "Love Is A Feeling") is just about perfect; rumbling, quirky, groovy and sexy as hell in equal measure. Leadoff single "真夜中のエンジェル・ベイビー" ("Mayonaka No Angel Baby," i.e. "Midnight Angel Baby," originally by Miki Hirayama) is immediately catchy in a surf guitar meets James Bond kind of way, and the light touch of S&M that's introduced in the song's video adds its own fitting spin as well. Crucially, guitarist Isabel Kamogawa is still the band's acid drenched secret weapon, her corrosive, spiky leads slithering around inside the otherwise smoothly polished tunes. Kamogawa is, ultimately, what keeps elevates the music from pretty good to excellent; witness "山猫の唄" ("Yamaneko No Uta, i.e. "Song Of The Wildcat,") the EP's closer. Her slinky, aloof lines strut alongside the loungey rhythms and organ, slowly building into a buzzing solo, invoking acid not just in the psychedelic sense, but in the corrosive, eats-through-metal sense. She keeps the group honest, so to speak, her striking tone and attack confidently steering the group clear from the bugaboos of over polish. Criticizing Kinoco Hotel for being image conscious and derivative is like criticizing Radiohead for being alienating; it doesn't just miss the point, it denies it completely. The band knows what they are, and they've so far delivered on the possibilities in spades…even if the idea may have a limited shelf life. That, however, is for the future to decide; "Mayonoaka No Angel Baby's" video shows the group alternating between sugar cute and faux punk, complete with clown red hair and blatantly fake tattoos. Contrived? Well, no shit. But contrived doesn't necessarily imply predictability, and it certainly isn't a synonym for boring. Kinoco Hotel may surprise us all. |