An Open Letter To Your Gold, My Pink (Featuring New Songs And Video)
Dear Your Gold, My Pink,
I hope this letter finds you well. I won’t waste space on formalities – you were one of the first bands to really get me excited about Japan’s music scene when I first came to these shores. You’re catchy melodies and sudden outbursts of pure joy sounded like an evolutionary leap forward for J-Rock, a genre that once left me feeling bored out of my brain. I listened to you online. I watched the music videos. I tried my best to tell people about you, to let others know they to could feel a new burst of passion when it came to Japanese rock. You had me at hello.
I finally got to see you live at the Nara Street Style Music Festival. You would follow another recent favorite of mine, √thumm. “Two of the most exciting young bands in Japan back to back…pinch me!” I thought as I excitedly downed my Kirin Lager, freeing my hands to clap. √thumm dazzled…then it was your turn. You showed up late. You weren’t very energetic. The music, once so exciting streaming online, now sounded bland and unconvincing. I seriously considered seeking out the taste of Chicken McNuggets dunked in sweet and sour sauce instead of listening to your full set. I stayed. You seemingly ended early. I left dissapointed.
I’ll be honest with you…I planned on never mentioning those oddly selected colors featured in your moniker ever again around these parts. I’d find some Japanese dubstep to fill the gap left by you. I saw the other day you had a new mini-album out in July. Hesitant to see how an old flame was doing, I forced myself to listen to the samples featured on your once alluring MySpace page.
And I quickly fell back in love with you. I was a fool to ever leave!
“Adolescence” jumped out as a frontrunner for “Summer Jam of 2010” right away. That guitar line, so Strokes-ey but so completely relaxing at the same time. I want to put it on loop as I lazily slice a watermelon in the kitchen on a hot day, bobbing my head just a little faster as that sweet chorus looms. Then you give me a sample of “Twinkle Steps,” which takes all the great elements of the British “Nu-rave/dance” sound (those drums! those electronics!) and morph them into something that sounds achingly sincere. You’d already worked me into a tizzy by now, but then you introduced me to “Twilight Twilight’s” screeching guitars and skybound vocals.
You’d already won me back, but you also included a new video for another song, “Star Fall.” I first thought this track paled in comparison to the samples featured above…nice, but a little safe, those random shouts not adding much to the track. Then, post-chorus, the band started playing in all sorts of different directions and it dawned on me…you’d finally found a way to sound like Deerhoof, and it was great. The video also made me smile, great use of umbrellas.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVAeCm4h7cA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=ja_JP&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]
Take me back Your Gold, My Pink. Forgive me. I’ll be the first in line to buy the new mini-album in July. I’ll never doubt you again. No McNugget will break up apart again.
