A lot has changed over the past decade, but sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper to find the constants. Teen Runnings have a new album out later this month, the project’s first in five years, and plenty has changed for Shota Kaneko’s project. Each full-length has found the group getting less fuzzy, and if “Baby G” (and previously released cut “Hair Wax 95“) isn’t some outlier, Teen Runnings has welcomed in laid-back electronics into their arsenal. “Baby G” lets a guitar riff push everything forward, but it isn’t coating everything in a layer of noise as much as it lends a nudge towards a melody also making plenty of room for beach-ready keyboard lines. Everything is a bit clearer here, but just focus on Kaneko’s words to be reminded of that ol’ melancholy always lurking in his music. “Now that I’m trying hard enough / But who’s gonna care about me / Who’s gonna care about me.” Now that’s the Teen Runnings we know (and hey, you always have Make Believe Melodies). Listen above.
