An oblique reference to Love Psychedelico on my friend Rachael’s MySpace page led me to discover this stunning duo from Japan. Love Psychedelico are Kumi and Naoki, the former on vocals, the latter on guitar. I guess they’re technically J-Pop, which is a genre about which I know very little. in fact, the average Horned Tulip knows more about J-Pop than I do. Wikipedia points out that Kumi’s vocals, which bounce gleefully between Japanese and English, are unusually articulate for the genre. Fair enough. The entry also cites The Beatles and Led Zeppelin as influences. That, I figured out on my own. And the other thing I figured out on my own? I really, really like them.
Their music is bright and melodic, and even though more than a fair share of the songs brush the five minute mark, there’s a lean, sinewy feel to them. Kumi’s vocals pierce the upper registers with a tough, rhotic twang, which in any other context I might find annoying, but here it’s bracing and minty fresh. The song posted below, “Everyone, Everyone” is not exactly representative of their work, but it’s the one that made me sit up and hit the Rewind button. It’s available on the LP comp, “Early Times,” which collects some of their best work under a single roof (not to be confused with their first album, amusingly entitled, “The Greatest Hits.”) The Beatles influence is front and center, with its “Hey Jude” sing-a-long “clap your hands!” quality. I’m completely addicted.
Love Psychedelico – “Everyone, Everyone”
On The Web: myspace, wikipedia, official site
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[…] weeks ago I blabbed about recent discovery, Love Psychedelico. I’m back. And here’s some more LP love. On […]
[…] weeks ago I blabbed about recent discovery, Love Psychedelico. I’m back. And here’s some more LP love. On April […]