album of the week: 3.3

the pillows

HORN AGAIN

axex trax (2011)

why you'll love it: A few new tricks in the mix of solid indie pop

why you'll hate it: just as inconsistent and forgettable as the usual pillows album

the pillows is a band that has been plateauing for so long, even writing about their musical cryostasis has become a bit rote. So let's stip the "quantity over quality" and stagnation arguments for this 20+ year old band. I'm not saying these discussions are invalid. I'm just sick of going over them, and just want to enjoy some catchy music.

Things were put into perspective when I took a look at my iPod. I've got about seven or eight songs from HORN AGAIN. Not that much (although it is only a 10 song album.) I glanced at 2009's OoParts (which I for the most part, trashed), six songs.

Then I looked at what people call the classic pillows albums. Happy Bivouac (1999)- 7 songs. Little Busters (1998) - 7 songs. hmm.. what makes those albums so much better?

There are only two things consistent about this band, their inconsistency, and their simple catchiness. To be honest, these songs on HORN AGAIN are really not all that different from the mush revered FLCL contributions. The old songs are louder, and more distorted. I love that kind of music, so I prefer it like most fans do; but the blueprint is the same as these songs on HORN AGAIN, which are pretty damn good as well. I enjoy the innovation on "Limp Tomorrow". The record-skipping motif in the song. Sawao even gives a stuttering vocal delivery, which is a clever touch. "Movement" is a solid pop-rock song, and I think "Nobody Knows What Blooms" is one of their most ambitious and evocative songs in years. I think once you get the complaint of "Why can't they just make Runners High (1999) again?!" out of your head, you can start to enjoy albums like this and Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! (2007).

The thing about this album that annoys me the most is the engrish. The whole two random English words thing I usually take in stride with Japanese bands, but this is a 20 year band. Don't they have anyone to tell them things like "Doggie Howl" and HORN AGAIN are just awkward and a bit delegitimizing? Also, I have no idea what's up with the cowboy obsession. It's not as egregious here as in the recent past, but still leaves me scratching my head.

Maybe I've just become desensitized. I just look at a new pillows album and go "ok, what are the seven good songs? Are these better than the seven good songs on the last album?" That little difference is what makes praises of "diamonds in the rough" or complaints of stagnation. Such as is the kind of subtle innovation the pillows puts into their seemingly normal songs. I've managed to find the kind of patience to tolerate/appreciate this, but I don't blame others who haven't. This isn't a good album, but there are a handful of great songs on it. It's enough to leave me walking away saying "You know, that pillows band is doing alright."