FUJIYA & MIYAGI
Transparent Things
Deaf Dumb & Blind
· Finally, electronica for the nine-to-five set.
The term shoe-gazer has less to do with shoes and more to do with the fact that the music is kind of boring. However, that is not the case for Fujiya & Miyagi’s (F&M) Transparent Things. They actually have a literal fixation on their shoes, as evidenced by "Collarbone," on which David Best (Miyagi) sings, "got to get a new pair of shoes/ to kick it with her/ not kick it with you." This is highlighted by song titles like "Ankle Injuries" and "Reeboks in Heaven."
When they aren’t discussing shoes, F&M tackle a variety of topics, including office supplies, anatomy, cyclists and Vladimir Nabokov, all with great results. Coming across any dance music with lyrics that are worth hearing is rare enough, but Fujiya & Miyagi keep things interesting musically as well, using a broad range of instruments, including keyboards that they define as "strictly non-prog rock." The result is a kind of musical variety that is usually alien to the genre.
As with most electronic music, though, there are a couple of overlong, repetitive songs here – see the six-and-a-half minute "Casettesingle" – but for the most part, F&M resist the temptation to take themselves too seriously, and you can hear their sense of humour coming through loud and clear throughout the album.
|
Copyright ©2007 FFWD. All rights reserved.