J-Rock, ugggggggggh. Save for the brain-and-feet-pleasing Sakanaction…miles ahead of everyone else in Japan tagged “rock” it’s almost ridiculous…rock music in Japan seems to be trending towards some pretty shit places. One OK Rock’s boneheaded menace has proven to be a chart-topper, so brace for them to be a permanent fixture. Sekai No Owari have a few good ideas…”marching-drill percussion, cool!”…rubbed out by some bad ones…”gahhhhh everything else gross.” Man With A Mission wandered out of a theme park and I couldn’t tell you anything that makes them unique outside of wardrobe. Mr. Children are still basically the most popular thing around, and that sucks. Things don’t look promising.
So let’s get excited about anything offering promise. The Flickers have a debut album out next week…on a big-ish label…and maybe if we hope and pray (and buy) enough they can one day get elevated to a position where they are everywhere like all the schmucks mentioned above. New single “Love Destruction” highlights everything about this trio that has intrigued Make Believe Melodies since they appeared two years ago. It’s a driving number where the music is mostly locked in. All of the drama rests in the vocals…they start out subdued, jogging alongside the music, but pick up as the song barrels ahead. “Love Destruction” offers more sonic intrigue than their previous numbers – see the squelching effect popping up during the homestretch, adding a layer of cacophony to the song. It’s equal parts catchy and thrilling…with a dash of experimentalism…that modern J-Rock needs so badly. Hope, indeed, flickers on.