The Penelopes |
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Sitting here listening to Eternal Spring in my comfortable chair in a grey and rainy Western world, The Penelopes offer a unique sound all the way from Japan which almost manages to undermine all perspectives on modern pop music. Forget about the beats and breaks of the past five years. Even strip away the garish production techniques of the early ’90s, and continue heading back in time because this outfit derive A LOT of their influences from anything between the ’50s and late ’80s. The first initial play set off the alarm bells in my brain warning of this being dated, cheesy and just completely derivative. It even seemed like a joke at first, but at the same time, it was too far to go for a prank.
Again, first impressions can lead you astray because by the halfway point of Eternal Spring you are beginning to take it more seriously and enjoy it for what it is, and beyond the second listen, all you are thinking that is that it’s a glorious little pop record, which I can only imagine would be a joy to play on a warm summer’s day.
Each song tends to throw up a completely new influence to compare The Penelopes to, but it’s a charming effect, simply because the songs just seem so happy and naïve on the surface. Wars no longer scar the earth in this world. Heartbreak no longer feels infinite. At least, that’s the overall impression you receive from the music, and it’s physically difficult to dislike it because each track is vying to be the purest guitar pop ever created.
Lyrically, there is a darker side. Tales of politics and commentary on Japanese society are strung alongside the chiming of guitars and keyboards. There is always an element of pop shining through, though. Even the bass-heavier tracks like ‘From Head to Toe’ which are musically slightly gloomier, simply reflect the sound of Crowded House or Aztec Camera circa 1987. ‘Twinkle in the Rain’ even manages to combine some aspects of both The Police and early U2. If it had been written 20 years ago, you’d have seen The Penelopes' Behind the Music on VH1 by now.
Eternal Spring does admittedly lack in audio clarity, which adds more to the retro feeling. Instruments and vocals swim together, and you won’t feel the drums vibrate you or hear a snare crack, but it just has to be accepted as part of the character of chief member Tatsuhiko Watanabe. He’s the one responsible for these songs and sounds, and is so keen to share his journey for the perfect pop song that he started his own record label to achieve it. Technically it would have been easier to end the review by mentioning further reference points, from the Beatles, to OMD, to XTC, before tracing another path back through time. Watanabe is only attempting to mix all of his influences with Japanese culture, though, and it’s an interesting and fun listening experience.
Steven McCarron
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