featured review #92: Baby who wanders by DECAYS

[Zeus 7997]

 

 

| A wonderful resurgence for a band I didn't care for at all.

 

The halfway point of this decade marks a resurgence in Japanese music as a whole. I would have never thought guitarist Die of DIR EN GREY and Kobayashi of THE NOVEMBERS would team together and cross the traditionally solid divide between visual kei and indie rock. However, things that seemed a match in heaven at first were not. It became clear after the first few releases that the band couldn't find their sound. Kobayashi departing soon after was the best move for the band because Die found not one, but two new members to fill out the roster in vocalist Ataru Nakamura and violinist Ayasa. These additions imbued DECAYS with the charisma they previously lacked without changing their core sound.

 

Die's contributions to DIR EN GREY have always been eclectic and he's responsible for penning classics such as "Audrey" and "304号室、白死の桜" (304 goushitsu, hakushi no sakura). Those musical tendencies are everywhere in Baby who wanders. The whole album falls into the shoegaze realm with some punky influences. The crisp production really pushes the wall of sound shoegaze is known for and Die and Nakamura's vocals blend incredibly well. Ayasa's violin opens everything up musically, breathing life into their previously stagnant, almost mechanical sound. This is best shown when contrasting the album version of "愛と哀を遺さず…" with its single version. Supplemented with a healthy dose of electronics and a mesmerizing rhythm section, each song pulsates with a radiant atmosphere.

 

For a band I thought was a flop, DECAYS has done a lot to improve my opinion of them. Baby who wanders remains interesting right up to closer "綺麗な指" and gives off an intoxicating warmth that invites you back again and again. It gets better with every listen too; multiple listens brought me around on some tracks that didn't win me over the first time. Recommended heartily for any fans of pop, rock, or shoegaze looking for something new and captivating. This is so good it makes you forget it's a side project.

 

 

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[Original Saku 1593]

color me intrigued!

 

great review and you really made me want to check it out

[Ro plz 1290]

DUDE I KNEW I MADE A RIGHT CHOICE IN TELLING YOU TO CHECK IT OUT hahaha.

 

I'm happy that you like it man!!!!

 

Its right up there with my tops for 2016.

[Zeus 7997]

1 hour ago, Ro plz said:

DUDE I KNEW I MADE A RIGHT CHOICE IN TELLING YOU TO CHECK IT OUT hahaha.

 

I'm happy that you like it man!!!!

 

Its right up there with my tops for 2016.

I mean I had  it sitting around, but you convinced me to move it to the top of my queue. I really didn't expect much from DECAYS after the lackluster singles. In this scene, I'm used to bands starting strong and petering out. It seems like this band just hit its stride and I'm excited for more! Just remind me that this album is eligible for 2017's list since it came out too late for 2016's list, but if it was it would have found a place on it guaranteed. It's just too good not to.

[WhirlingBlack 1043]

Dies name surprisingly isn't Daisuke, so you might want to edit that. Great review otherwise, I'm interested in trying this myself as well once I get some time.

[enyx 903]

Yeah, this one really came out of nowhere. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece by any means but considering the fact that I found absolutely nothing notable about their previous release, the fact that I ended up enjoying this one quite a fair bit is a big surprise. I haven't had enough time (or listens) yet to decide whether it'll just creep its way into my end of 2016 list yet, but it might be a bit of a dark horse contender.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Pho

[kawa35 17]

Nice review ! You made me want to check it out even if they never interested me haha