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NEGROCAN
TrÍs
(Blues Interactions/ P-Vine)
With their mellifluous female vocalist and fleet electronic
beats, Negrocan could be confused with Anglo-French art rockers
Stereolab. But despite the striking similarities between the
singer for Stereolab and Negrocan’s Brazilian vocalist
Liliana Chachion, these are two bands with very different
approaches. A multinational ensemble that is part of the UK
acid jazz scene, Negrocan, with members from Uruguay, Chile,
England and Italy, expertly explore the meeting point of jazz,
electronica and South American rhythms. Perhaps due to the
influence of English acid jazz, Negrocan on their third album
(TrÍs means “three” in Portuguese) offer
a light take on bossa nova and samba. They evoke a breezy,
summery atmosphere enlivened by brisk acoustic guitar arpeggios,
but with a pleasant nostalgia taking the place of the fiery
emotions of South America-based bands.
DR JAN GURU
Planet Japan
(King)
When, as an expatriate based in Japan, you write songs with
names like “Woman of Japan,” you’re on risky
ground. Manchester-bred, Tokyo resident Jan Linton-Jones aka
Dr Jan Guru (pronounced “jungle”) doesn’t hesitate
to take on obvious issues for an expat: relationships with
Japanese women and his position in Japan as a foreigner, particularly
vis a vis the record industry. Sometimes his lyrics veer towards
cliché (“They call me Johnny foreigner” he
sings on “Johnny F”), but at others they well capture
the dilemma every expat faces, as for example, when he sings
“I should leave/Here forever/But will I ever be/That
clever”) on “Sequential Sakura.” With guest
appearances by John Taylor (Duran Duran) and noted Japanese
musicians Masami Tsuchiya and Hoppy Kamiyama, Planet Japan
satisfies with a continually shifting and propulsive blend
of raw rock guitars, wicked techno beats and breakdowns.
GUIDED BY VOICES
Half Smiles of the Decomposed
(P Vine/ Matador)
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Guided by Voices’ final release will unfortunately receive
little fanfare. Fronted by songwriter Robert Pollard, GBV
have epitomized the Indie rock stereotype with low production
budgets and a raw, honest sound. Despite the critical acclaim
of 1994’s Bee Thousand and a strong underground following
they have received little commercial exposure. Half Smiles
of the Decomposed, though, does not feel like the record of
a band resigned to their fate. The opener, “Everybody
Thinks I’m a Raincloud (When I’m Not Looking)”
is a lo-fi gem. Its catchy melody coupled with Pollard’s
insightful take on human interaction is typical GBV. From
the jangly guitars in “Girls of Wild Strawberries”
to the more experimental “Sleep Over Jack,” the
album is a fitting finale for such an influential rock band.
After 15 releases, Pollard has said that he wanted to end
on a record that he could feel “satisfied” with.
Listeners should share the same feeling. John Wood
SECRET MACHINES
Now Here is Nowhere
(Warner Music Japan)
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The Secret Machines’s debut Now Here is Nowhere is difficult
to comprehend. The Texan trio seem to be either suffering
from some kind of dystopic paranoia or attempting a subtle
critique of the current political climate. The opening nine-minute
track, complete with a repetitive mechanical drone that fails
to reach an anticipated climax except for a collage of space
sounds, seems to suggest both. The CD does have its moments
with the atmospheric Mercury Rev-like “The Leaves Are
Gone” and the ’60s sounding “Nowhere Again.”
The lyrics, however, are often overly profound or somewhat
morose as even pop songs like “Sad and Lonely” ask
“Do you feel like those around you want you to die?”
Apart from the album’s slick production, a potentially
engaging theme and confident vocals, the songs are just so
long and monotonous that the listener will eventually lose
interest. The Secret Machines have simply tried too hard to
deliver an epic album first up. John Wood
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