| Okamoto's - 10's |
| Listening
to what, for lack of a better term, could be called neo-garage, is
always interesting for the well versed record geek. Where some bands
slavishly adhere to their chosen idiom, others just kinda grab whatever
feels right. Ironically, it's the grab baggers who often capture the
spirit of the original; after all, it was the grab bag spirit of the
original heroes, from The Sonics to The Monks, which allowed white boys
to mash James Brown into their natural mode (cretin rock,) making their
now classic works so powerful. Okamoto's (not sure what's up with the apostrophe) are four lads of the age of nineteen (and some of 'em don't even look that old.) Taking their band name from artist Taro Okamoto and adopting the Ramones-like tactic of naming all the members after him, Okamoto's (unlike, say, The Bawdies) are more broad in their 60s garage leanings. This doesn't always translate into the best decisions (more on that in a minute,) but it does mean their latest effort, 10's (there's that apostrophe again) is consistently interesting, missteps and all. Now, they're not reinventing the wheel here, but there is an undercurrent of grit in opener "スマッシュ" ("Smash") that can't be explained away as revivalist frenzy. The band whips up a "You're Gonna Miss Me" level surge as vocalist Sho Okamoto rants like a man possessed (and actually looks a bit like Masayoshi "Glue" Kabe in his Golden Cups years. Weird to think he's not even old enough to drink.) The glorious controlled chaos of a truly locked together garage band is the group's bread and butter, and their ability to maintain the focus through smart ass funk ("Beek,") Maximum R&B ("Baby Don't Stop,") and boogie shuffle ("まじないの唄," i.e. "Majinai No Uta," which roughly translates to "The Abracadabra Song") is what warrants repeat plays. Building on garage frenzy is a tricky business, and 10's sags when it gets a bit too close to its inspirations. A cover of The Roosters' "恋をしようよ" ("Koi O Shiyou Yo", i.e. "Let's Make Love") is a brilliant enough tune that it's hard to muck it up, and their take on Link Wray's "Run Chicken Run" is peppy enough, but a startlingly flat run through "The Kids Are Alright" really should have been left on the cutting room floor. It's the epic closer, "マダラ" ("Madara") that points to The Okamoto's future. With one foot in early 70s Stones and the other in punky guitar mayhem, it's an exhilarating track, effortlessly blending the past with a guitar god crunch that blows away the cobwebs of nostalgia. Okamoto's are a new band (which, at their age, should go without saying,) and while they're undeniably beholden to the past, "Madara" shows they already know how to move into the future. One to watch. |