Boris

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Boris 

Album: New Album 

Label: Sargent House 

Genre: Rock, experimental pop 

Comments: From the promoter: "Boris has long been celebrated for their rare ability to reinterpret a multitude of esoteric musical genres into a sound uniquely their own. New Album finds the intrepid Japanese trio etching their own post-noise, extreme pop niche with some of their most accessible and melodic music being equally their most subversive."

For a band whose music has been described as "sludge/doom rock," "psychedelic stoner rock" or even "heavy metal", New Album represents a notable change in direction; as alluded to above, though, it's certainly not the first such shift for Boris. "Extreme pop" is an apt moniker for the sound here; the songs feature upbeat melodies and cheery vocals--when Wata takes the lead on tunes like "Hope", the music almost sounds like an industrialized version of Deerhoof--but the song structures are complex, and the band just can't help but load up several tracks with layers of shoegazey noise.

The perfect example of these intertwined styles--pop vs. experimentation--is "Spoon", New Album's strongest track and, presumably, its thematic focal point. Says Pitchfork: "More complex than you'll notice on a first or even second listen, 'Spoon' goes places your standard pop doesn't. It's an intriguing look at a band trying their hand at a second genre--and succeeding."

What's perhaps most interesting is that "Spoon" and "Hope", along with many other selections on this LP, are reworked versions of previously released material. In other words, the band doesn't view New Album as a break from its past, but rather as the next step in its musical journey. Fascinating stuff all around; spin tracks 5, 1, 2 and 3.