album of the week: 8.2

チリヌルヲワカ

白穴

(2011)

why you'll love it: Great guitar work, catchy indie rock

why you'll hate it: no gimmicks, don't know what they're saying

Here is a nice surprise. The last (and only) time we heard from チリヌルヲワカ was in 2005, with the album イロハ. A more straight-laced indie rock outfit offered a nice change of pace from singer Yumi Nakashima's well known surf punk band, GO!GO!7188. イロハ was no rock masterpiece, but had enough to leave you wanting more. After five years, anticipation turned into resignation. So even though this new release is only an EP, it feels like an absolute treat.

Stylistically little has changed with this new batch of songs. The production is a big difference. This is a much less polished sound. Everything is a bit fuzzier and rough around the edges, which I feel works for them. It sounds more like a one-take studio session, rather than a layered ordeal. With less studio tricks, these new songs rest on the performance skills of the band. There is a lot to enjoy about the dual guitar interplay.

None of the songs here are as instantly catchy like on the last release, but by the second or third listen, memorable progressions really start to sink in. That main guitar riff on "White Hole" is so enjoyable that I'd like the song to be three minutes longer. "姫事" and "天邪鬼" really drive home that off-the-cuff feeling mentioned earlier. "答案用紙" nails that Pixies-esque perfect balance between something a bit experimental and marketable indie pop. チリヌルヲワカ still doesn't set the scene on fire the same way GO!GO!7188 does, but the fact that they're once again on the scene at all is a joy.