New Merpeoples: “Tinkle”

It has been awhile since we’ve heard anything new from Tokyo’s Merpeoples…last time was last June with the song “Silent Sleep,” a good tune albeit one that faded quickly. Looks the group are ready to give it another whirl, and they’ve got this blog’s full attention with the hopping “Tinkle.” Merpeople have always been good when everything sounds locked in, every guitar line and drum hitting like they’ve been blueprinted out, yet they’ve only been great when they mix some playfulness into their tracks. That’s what made the back-half of 2011’s Metropolis such a stunner, and this swinging energy makes “Tinkle” a worthy successor to the highlights from that full-length. Every instrument clicks into place just right…the keyboard, in particular, helps guide this one along wonderfully…but it never feels rigid, everything bouncing along. It’s the vocals that help the most, from the backing yelps to the lead vocalist’s stronger delivery come the chorus. New album soon, yeah? Listen above.