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Season’s Greetings: +Ano(t)raks Shares New Compilation Plus One Featuring The Neon City, Minami Otsuka And More

The newly minted +Ano(t)raks imprint might be different from Ano(t)raks proper, but whatever shape this new branch of the indie-pop label takes, compilations like Plus One hint that listeners can expect the same sweet twee sounds they’ve been shining a light on for the last few years. It’s a very strong collection of young indie-pop outfits of all sorts from across the country, given the chance to show what they got. Osaka’s The Neon City improves by embracing an off-kilter approach on “China Town,” where her voice zig-zags around itself while minimal electronics drift beneath her. Melancholy twee rules the day here, though, highlighted by the whispered skip of Somersault’s “Passing Time,” while Marquee Beach Club add subtle vocal manipulation on the hip-moving “City” to make their nostalgic indie-pop all the more intriguing. True to Ano(t)raks spirit, the music also veers off into other directions, such as Minami Otsuka’s silly party-starter that kicks off the comp, while Kyohei Yonemitsu goes full electro-pop on “Cicada.” Listen below, or get it here.