Wednesday, November 30, 2011

CD Review - Japanese Carcrash's "Synth+"

Technically speaking, and we'd better speak technico-ly this time, Japanese Carcrash ain't Austin - They're from Southeast Texas. But that's just technically: Stylistically, they're probably more Austin than Houston (or Dallas either, for that matter).
Left-right, we've got Casey LeBleu (synthesizer + voice), Michelle Martin (synthesizer), and Cole Livingston (synths + "manipulation"). (Not pictured - Tobi McKinley on drums.)

We've seen some video of these guys (we've got that embedded, below), but today we're talking their latest release "Synth+" (that's "Synth Plus"):

You like danceable, synth-powered, hi-energy-80-ish cuts? Then bounce on over to CD Baby and pick this sucker up.

Synth+ fires up with "Never Gonna Stop", an arpeggio-synth-powered dance number, an auditory pointillistism piece that's a proper introduction to the sound these guys can generate. But if that one doesn't get you moving, wait a sec - "Tonight Let's Dance" comes up next, and it pounds you into appreciation with it's irresistable grainy analog bass lines, understated percs, and other audio oddities.
In that same vein, "My Girl Hates My Radio" and (to a lesser extent) "Coming Home" keep the groove going, while the excellent "Bad News" puts out some seriously nice negative vibes with the chorused, vocoded vox and dissonant intervals, peppered-sprayed with some spooky synths for that finishing touch. Good stuff, ya'll. And though the closing number, "Emptiness", a very 80's Numan-esque production, has the same danceable traits as earlier numbers; it's darker tone doesn't quite pull you out of the funk left over from "Bad News".

At which point you simply Lather, Rinse, Repeat. All week, as need requires.
A fan managed to catch them at Elysium here in Austin, and here they are doing the aforementioned "Tonight Let's Dance":

Go ahead and pick up Synth+ on CD Baby, or on Amazon if that's your preference.

In lieu of an embed of the LP, which we were unable to Google into existence, we'll leave you with the 80s-bent "My Girl Hates My Radio" vid instead:


Find out more about Japanese Carcrash on Facebook and CD Baby.


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