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New Name, Same Haze: Cairophenomenons’ “Boston” And “Maladjustment”

At the very start of last year, Tokyo outfit Cairo released a very strong EP, one channeling American outfits such as Deerhunter alongside domestic acts from a few years back (but now feel like an era away) such as Hotel Mexico. In advance of a new four-song EP titled Cue, they’ve changed their name to Cairophenomenons. Intact, though, is the sun-on-cement feel of their indie-pop music, reflected in two of the songs from the forthcoming release. “Boston” is a mid-tempo strummer with a melancholy edge, and featuring vocals leaning pretty closely to what Bradford Cox does (and yet, this is quite refreshing considering every indie band in the city has tried to sound like Mac DeMarco in the past 12 months). “Maladjustment” doesn’t shake that sound up much, just adds a nice chug and synthesizer wave in the back half, but they sound comfortable within the haze. Listen to that one below.