Sparse suits Paellas well. Rarely would I choose to describe the Osaka group as “maximalist,” but “Weight” (if it isn’t fixed by now, I assume the spelling on the video is a typo, based off of streaming site info) strips it down even more, to the point where this sounds like Paellas embracing the whole “modern City Pop” thing that gets tossed around. This is romantic, light guitar strumming rubbing against some vapor-thin electronics, all allowing the sweet nothings of lead singer Matton to come through clearly. Yet all that space isn’t played as pillow talk…this still feels like a late night stroll with a lot weighing on someone’s mind, but maybe with slightly less menace lurking around. And that melancholy still comes through clearly. Listen above.
