Wagakki Band? ¡±Yasou Emaki¡±? (Avex Trax)
A large part of Japan¡¯s appeal overseas comes from the way it mixes the traditional and modern aspects of its culture. It¡¯s hard to say whether artists naturally merge the two, or whether its a calculated decision meant to up the ¡°cool¡± factor abroad.
This culture clash is Wagakki Band¡¯s main selling point. The eight-person group blends traditional instruments and enka-style vocals with a fast-paced, hard rock sound. The result conjures up a stereotypical ¡°Asian¡± sound and sonic elements popular in anime ¡ª both things that do well abroad.
Wagakki Band¡¯s premise is an interesting one, but it¡¯s often a bit heavy handed. ¡°Yasou Emaki,¡± the group¡¯s second album, can often feel like one long, exhausting track. And I can¡¯t help but suspect that this relentless energy is part of an effort to distract from the messiness of it ¡ª there¡¯s too much going on.
The onslaught is a problem on album opener ¡°Ikusa,¡± where the traditional instruments come across as an afterthought put in to make the rock ¡®n¡¯ roll ¡°more Japanese.¡± The stripped-down tracks on the album, such as ¡°Furin no Utautai,¡± give all the instruments a chance to be heard and it¡¯s here where the traditional-modern combination sounds more like art than commercial strategy.
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