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...REVIEWS !!
SUSPICIOUS
BEASTS
NEVER BLOOM LP
USED
TO BE BEAUTIFUL LP
k
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german dutch
italian spanish french
ENGLISH
RAZORCAKE
93 (US) SEP 2016
Okay, let’s get real here for a sec. The past forty-five years has seen
no shortage of bands attempting a musical time travel back to the groovy psychedelic
sounds of the mid-’60s, so it should come as no surprise that these Japanese
kids are the latest in a very long line. To their credit, they are one of the
better bands making said attempt. One reason is that they aren’t wallowing
in piss-poor attempts to replicate the same sonic conditions and output. Another
is that they have the sense to filter later genres also influenced by the era
back into their sound—later era Beatles, hippie-dippy country rock, even
a bit of shoegazy dream pop. The main reason, though, is that the songs they’re
coming up with are goddamned good, which, when we get down to brass tacks, is
the only thing that really matters. Fans of the genre, and its related progeny,
will find much to love here, and I’m glad I can count myself among them
(JA)
SUNDAY EXPERIENCE (UK) DEC 2015 New outta Alien Snatch records, we mentioned these dudes many years ago, hailing from Japan these are Suspicious Beasts who’ve a new garage growled grooving wax platter just out entitled ‘might die tomorrow’. A strictly limited 500 only vinyl time machine trip back to the primordial swamp lands of garage beat’s first hatching. Alas – annoyingly – no sound links just yet, but it’s safe to say the brace of beauties we’ve heard are evidence enough that these out of time alchemists are on smoking hot form not least on ‘summer child’ wherein the opening Who-esque strum something cooled in a sun glazed glam psych shimmering emerges sighed in west coast breezes and sounding I have to admit not unlike how I’d imagine a studio face off clash between the Oh Sees and Woods to sound like. ‘don’t find the devil inside me’ is a more strut gouged swoon grooved Nuggets-esque gem that appears to these ears to freefall into the bliss kissed kaleidoscopic swirl cool of Brian Jonestown Massacre albeit as though aided and abetted by the Black Angels. Fear not we are scampering to rustle up a begging missive for sound links as you read….
MRR - MAXIMUMROCKNROLL(US) #369 FEB 2014 SUSPICIOUS BEASTS – “Never Bloom” LP - This one is pretty slick. It’s mid-tempo catchy pop with this great underlying twanginess. (Do not tell me that “twanginess” is not a word) and it’s a little folky. Yeah it is. If that scares you, it shouldn’t, because this is pretty badass. That this is a Japanese band is kind of mind blowing. For me this is very reminiscent of LPs by MUJERES and HEAD ON ELECTRIC, both of which came out in the last year or so. You might see this on my best of 2013 list. (KK) (Alien Snatch)
MRR - MAXIMUMROCKNROLL(US) #369 FEB 2014 SUSPICIOUS BEASTS – “Used To Be Beautiful” LP Almost immediately, this Japanese band reminded me of REIGNING SOUND, complete with some organ and harmonica. I’m really glad I got this one. Awesome crooning over ’60s garage inspired pop? Yes, please. Mix tape gold! No lyrics included. (DZ) (Alien Snatch)
Examiner (CAN) JAN 2014 Independent German label Alien Snatch! Records took on the task of releasing its first J-rock LPs in the way of Suspicious Beasts' Used To Be Beautiful and Never Bloom. Led by Brooklyn denizen, Japanese expatriate and master singer/songwriter Yusuke Okada, the very capable band of Beasts, featuring members of Blotto, Your Pest Band, The Golden Clouds and others, create a potent mixture of psych pop, garage rock and folk punk. With a very noticeable rootsy quality, the songs on these two LPs aren't your average J-rock or Japcore, like Melt-Banana, TsuShiMaMiRe, Shonen Knife, Molice, and so on. No; Suspicious Beasts are a completely different breed of animal, bordering on grunge yet without getting mired in any of that slow, down-tuned junkie rubbish. Suspicious Beasts' sound resides in a dangerous neighborhood with littered-streets, rundown buildings, graffiti-covered walls, and a punk squat around the corner where they play their half-distorted full-chord strums, messy leads, energetic drumming, nice low-end, and torrents of wild vocals. As such, their sound is comparable to bands like Dinosaur Jr, The Mojomatics, Good Night Loving, Deadly Snakes, Reigning Sound, and the like. Used To Be Beautiful, released in 2013 by Alien Snatch!, consists of seven tracks, both originals and versions of songs by the members' other bands, like The Golden Clouds' "Punch Me In The Face." The record opens with "Sister Maree," an impressive piece of psyched-out garage rock and folk punk, which clearly tells how good the rest of the record is going to be. On the B-Side there are some really good tracks, too, like "Let Me Breathe" and "Jail Inside Your Heart." Never Bloom, also released in 2013 by Alien Snatch!, has eight Suspicious Beast originals. This Side possesses such absorbing Suspicious Beasts numbers as "Feel Okay," "Last Song," and "Strange Patterns," while on That Side there are equally great songs like "With The Devil" and "Who Wants To Buy My Soul." Never Bloom also comes in a quality sleeve with neat cover art by Yusuke Okada himself, and a visual art collage around the tracklisting by Amy Fierro, which makes for a rather interesting artistic social and political statement of today's world, with media images ranging from Santa Clause, George Bush Jr., Ronald MacDonald, Monica Lewinsky, Elvis Presley, Tupac, The Easter Bunny, and so on. Never Bloom was recorded in both Tokyo, Japan and Denton, Texas. After listening to these two Suspicious Beasts records a number of times, I simply can't wait to get my hands on more of their material. Hopefully there will be something in the near future. There probably will be, after all, because as I understand it they are very talented and productive artists. Both Suspicious Beasts LPs, Used To Be Beautiful and Never Bloom, are available from Alien Snatch! Records. And if they are playing a show in your area, be sure to make it out. You will be glad you did.
Lo-Fi Your Brain Out (ESP) JAN 2014 We present you SUSPICIOUS BEASTS, whose name, or their leader Yusuke Okada, maybe doesn’t ring any bells, but surely you have heard of Jeff Burke, voice and guitar of Marked Men and Radioactivity. He was responsible for the recording and production of this album, which took place in Tokyo and Denton, Texas, along with Fumito Yamazaki, a member of the band. Now that we have your attention, let's talk about Never Bloom, the second album by Yusuke Okada, Fumito Yamazaki, Masashi Watanabe, Miso Takaoka and Takahide Maruyama, released by one of our new favorite labels, ALIEN SNATCH! RECORDS. After the first surprise when seeing the Japanese roots of the band, it takes a few seconds of "Feel Okay" to realize that those musical roots come from across the world, clinging to American music at its best. What at first glance appears to be just a garage band, is far more than that. Following a plethoric start, with a cheerful garage-pop, a southern touch and a piano giving it a perfect sweet twist, bringing back memories of The Strange Boys, in “Flowers” they show us their most brazen side. Garage punk à la Dead Ghosts or Black Lips, with vibrant guitars that intertwine Okada’s raw and raspy voice, adorned by vocals that elevate the song to a higher dimension. In a perfect album, despite having only 8 tracks, could not miss that moving ballad, sung from the depths of the heart, "Last Song". After hearing "this is the last song, 'cause I wanna die", one sighs with relief when "To The Moon" starts, another delicacy, another perfect combination of contagious rhythm, distant guitars and psychedelia that takes you to a walk on the moon, which links to "Strange Patterns" without blinking, adding an organ like fallen from heaven. By now you may have noticed that this has nothing to do with what Jeff Burke usually does, so what? The B-side will only reaffirm your faith in them or will make you believers once and for all. "With The Devil" is one of the most brilliant tracks of this particularly bright Never Bloom, with a more furious tone, faster, approaching punk without leaving the chapel, with that constant and magic echo. In "You'll Never Know", more organ, more psychedelia, setting the perfect soundtrack for a trip into the wilderness with your pocket full of peyote, and immediately we stumble upon the mega-harmonious garage of "Who Wants To Buy My Soul", gorgeous, bringing us tears of joy remembering what Harlem did a few years ago, giving a golden finale to a remarkable second reference.
SUNDAY EXPERIENCE (UK) DEC 2013 In short the dogs danders, this babe is so hot it literally melts the turntable on impact. Many thanks are due to those dudes over at alien snatch who shipped this beauty out in quick fire time. Mentioned in passing a little while back in despatches this is the limited re-press of Japans Suspicious Beasts’ debuting full length platter entitled ‘used to be beautiful’. to cut to the chase a grade A slab of smoking rock-a-hula is what’s on offer for your hard earned readies which from the minute the stylus crackle fades on the opening ‘Sister Maree’ to its reluctant release at the parting ‘pretty horse’ will have the purists among you simply swooning and wanting more. Amid these grooves there are nuggets aplenty from the hot rodding rubber burning scowling and smoking hot ‘let’s go to the church’ – a blistering cover of a (I’m embarrassed to admit unfamiliar) lost gem by the hit here grilled, souped up and fitted with a full on kick ass V12 grind much reminiscent of the Mono Men at the height of their powers to the slinky and demurred 50’s shoo bop of ‘punch me in the face’ rethreaded here with a killer Thunders / Palladin like vibe that tailgates their rendering of ‘love is strange’ – this album just doesn’t understand the notion of disappointing. ’darkest sunshine’ is ablaze in howling harmonicas from out of which the sounds of frenetic and frenzied riff scowls surge to a dirty, raw and primal coda that heads might imagine being the sound of a rabid Baby Woodrose with a rocket up their back pipe. And just when you think it can’t get any better the subtly sexy ’let me breathe’ saunters in with the ghost of Link sitting on its shoulder to cook up a wig flipping strut gouged blues shimmy. Add in to the mix the previously mentioned ’pretty horse’ which still sounds to these ears like a kooky kaleidoscopic 50’s bubble grooved haze refracted through an Elephant 6 collective lens by Olivia tremor control and neutral milk hotel under the ever watchful eye of the mercurial Meek whilst ‘jail inside your heart’ is just pure classic era lazy eyed Neil Young. All said best of the set by the merest whisker is the opener ’Sister Maree’ – I kid you not when I say I’d sworn I’d died and gone to heaven upon hearing this for this honey swoons and kicks with such honky tonk flair as to have you thinking it was the Small Faces channelling Dylan. Absolutely essential listening.
RIDE A DOVE BLOG (GER) Feb 2014 Along with Suspicious Beasts' second "Never Bloom" album the great Alien Snatch! label has also reissued their first 12". which originally came out on Black Hole in 2011. With an incredible energy, Tokyo-based, Suspecious Beatsts' sun-soaked pop is injected with the stomp of vintage garage, the directness of classic Rip Off and Crypt releases and the pop sensibility of 60s folk and psych. Some songs are reminiscent of Teengenerate, others venture into a sweeter sunshine pop and deeper psych territory, but they are all delivered with soul, catchiness and power. There's an undercurrent of rambling country and folk edges just about everywhere giving the recordings an fresh, exciting and unmistakble note. The catchy as hell vocals and the tons of addictive organ melodies are two more main reasons for the record's feel-good effect. Think of a more pop-orientated product of Black Lips, Jacuzzi Boys and Demon's Claws. (Patrick)
CORY (US) AUG 2013 "WHERE DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GO?" Some of us have a need to pack up and jump in any direction. Some of us want to run to the past. SUSPICIOUS BEASTS seem to know which way and when they are heading. Formed by Brooklyn resident / Japanese expatriate Yusuke Okada back in his hometown of Tokyo in 2010, SUSPICIOUS BEASTS throw some real fucking fresh kindling onto the never-ending-but-always-cooling-down campfire of modern psychey-garage rock. With influences from The OUTSIDERS, LOVE, BRIAN JONESTWON MASSACRE, ALEX CHILTON , and more, the beasts BEAT. They jam. They drive. They get fucked up and someone steals their shirts. They get dark. They wanna fly to the moon, but first, they're doing it in America. - Cory Feierman
RAZORCAKE
(US) APRIL 2014
SUSPICIOUS BEASTS: Never Bloom: LP
Unusually mid-paced power pop from Tokyo, Japan. Whereas you have acts like
Gentleman Jesse And His Men or the Reigning Sound mixing in bouncy numbers alongside
their slower ballads, nearly all of eight songs on this platter stay on course
with a slow and simple pace. The dreary vocals don’t do much to help get
me psyched on this record, which is a pity because the moments that do rock
are overshadowed by the laid back nature of the rest of the tracks: sort of
like drinking a six pack of beer and only getting a buzz from two of them. And
with that, I just realized how appropriate the title of this record is. –Juan
Espinosa
RAZORCAKE
(US) APRIL 2014
SUSPICIOUS BEASTS: Used to Be Beautiful: LP
Remember ten or so years ago when Snuffy Smiles was churning out bands that
were digesting the current trends of U.S. punk and spitting them back out with
added Japanese flair, many times even surpassing the original sounds? Suspicious
Beasts carries on this tradition sans the Snuffy Smiles label, instead opting
for a German label release. I don’t see any band ever surpassing Reigning
Sound doing what they do, but throw some Too Much Guitar and Teengenerate together,
add a dash of rock’n’roll swagger, and you’ve got a record
destined to find its way on to the repeat stack. –Matt Seward
OX
(GER) FEB 2016 Die haben sich jeden einzelnen Akkord der BYRDS einverleibt,
sind zu THE LA’S großgeworden und mausern sich mit herausragenden
Songwriting-Fähigkeiten zu einer der vielver-sprechendsten zeitgenössischen
Bands auf dem Terrain des Garage-Twang à gogo. Das dritte Album der SUSPICIOUS
BEASTS verweist auf die Harmonien von BIG STAR, den Jangle von BADFINGER, den
Punch der PEZ-BAND und zahlt dabei regelmäßig aufs Psych-Konto ein.
Dabei entstehen Melodien, die man tagelang mit-pfeifen kann, möchte, muss.
Die beiden Vorgänger-platten fand ich bereits ungemein gut, doch für
diese Platte scheinen sie erst richtig auf Touren gekommen zu sein. SUSPICIOUS
BEASTS spielen rootsy Powerpop und Sunshine Psychedelia auf einem Niveau, das
ihnen anno 1966 die Vorherrschaft auf den Playlists der ame-rikanischen Campus-Radios
landauf und landab gesichert hätte. Hier formiert sich eine gelungene und
würdige Nachlassverwaltung des Wirkens von Alex Chilton, Brian Wilson und
Paul Westerberg. Entlang dieser Parameter skizzieren die SUSPICIOUS BEASTS ihren
eigenen Entwurf von verspieltem Breeze-Pop mit Western-Touch und Garage-Dekor,
tragen diesen relaxt, gelegentlich melancholisch und mit unbeirrter Intensität
vor, so dass die Vorstellung schwerfällt, dass es tatsächlich Menschen
gibt, die dem Reiz der Beats und Songs vom Kaliber von „Love from million
miles away“ nicht erliegen. (MB)
MOLOKO
PLUS January 2016 Die Passform für den SUSPICIOUS
BEASTS-Sound gießen vornehmlich kalifornische Bands der mid-Sixties, allen voran
THE BYRDS und MOBY GRAPE, wobei das als Beschreibung der Sache nicht annähernd
gerecht wird. Was SUSPICIOUS BEASTS um den nun in Brooklyn ansässigen japanischen
Expatriaten Yusuke Okada eigentlich so großartig macht ist, dass sie in eine
Kluft fallen, zwischen dem, was sei sein wollen (BIG STAR) und dem, was sie
dann tatsächlich sind (self-fashioned Garage-Folkanistas von GOODNIGHT LOVING-Format).
Dazwischen geht es bei „Might Die Tomorrow“ wie auch auf den Vorgängeralben
ums Können, Streben und Wollen bei gleichzeitigem Ausbleiben von jeder Form
von Triumph, die es ihnen erlauben würde, gefällig zu werden. Zwischen diesen
Koordinaten liegen bei SUSPICIOUS BEASTS Parallelen zu BADFINGER und RASPBERRIES
auf der Hand, zur PEZBAND, THE OUTSIDERS und 20/20, wenngleich SUSPICIOUS BEASTS
mehr Tiefe und Konsistenz zeigen als die kanonisierten household names des US
Powerpops. Todd Rundgren fällt noch als Vergleich ins Ohr, der es ebenso schafft,
kalifornischen Sunshine Pop, College Radio Playlisten des Jahres 1965 und den
Glanz der British Invasion heraufzubeschwören. Das Strahlende an den eher upbeat
geratenen Songs der SUSPICIOUS BEASTS erinnert in der Tat an das Material aus
der Feder von Chris Bell und Alex Chilton, also jenen speziellen Sound von amerikanischen
Kids, die zu britischen Pop-Importen aufgewachsen sind. Doch unter die Töne
des richtungsweisenden Sixties Pop streuen SUSPICIOUS BEATS Dissonanzen galore,
speisen sich aus Räucherstäbchen-Psychedelia und rootsigem Campfire-Country,
Western Twang und Jinglejangle-Folk, und werden dabei von der schmirgelnden,
rau croonenden Stimme Yusukes instruiert. Einendes Element: großzügiger Strum
auf der Gitarre und tragende Goose Bumps-Orgel; Gefühlsmodus: weinschwere Nostalgie
im Trauer-Moll; Vortragsweise: unbeständig, sprunghaft, aufgewühlt; Umsetzung:
trotz allem nachgerade laid back. Damit reizen SUSPICIOUS BEASTS die Grenzen
des Kosmos’ klassischer Gitarrenmusik ziemlich weit aus, machen die Felder vom
Bumper Sticker-Rock’n’Roll, der Beatlemania und BEACH BOYS’eskem Bubblegum gleichermaßen
nutzbar. Alles in allem ist das ein höchstgradig retrospektiver Sound mit einem
trotz aller melancholischen Wenden und bittersüßen Twists ausgesprochen siegesgewissen
„everything’s gonna be alright“-Versprechen, der Rückblenden zu frühen WHO,
SMALL FACES, Midwest Powerpop und Produktionen aus dem Joe Meek-Opus wirft.
An anderen Stellen wird sich ebenso um Kopf und Kragen geschrieben, wenn versucht
wird, den Sound der SUSPICIOUS BEASTS in Worte zu fassen. „Rootsy Rock’n’Roll-Stil
trifft auf ’76 Powerpop“ scheint da eine der Formeln zu sein, auf die man sich
zumindest zeitweise einigen kann, eine Art akustische Beschwörung zeitgenössischer
Teenage Angst wird vielerorts übereinstimmed als Thema ausgemacht. Wer verzuckerte
Garage-Delikatessen wie HARLEM, NUDE BEACH oder THE GOODNIGHT LOVING vermisst,
wird vermutlich ein paar Tränen der Freude verdrücken ob der Nachricht, dass
sich „hailing from Nippon“ nun auf dem mittlerweile dritten Album aus der Schnittmenge
von Bands wie YOUR PEST BAND, BLOTTO und THE GOLDEN CLOUDS ein ernzunehmender
Nachlassempfänger für diesen atmosphärischen, seltsam düstern wirkenden Breeze
Pop mit zugrundeliegender Twanginess und grobkörnigem Powerpop-Hooks gefunden
hat. „Might Die Tomorrow“ ist ein wirklich exzellentes Album, dessen lokalistischer
Bezug zwar von der Westküste und aus der Prärie stammt, aber im Grunde für die
Translokation in die graffitiübersäten Wände eines Punksquats angedacht ist.
Mit seinem „Southern Touch“ hat der Sound einfach Seele – ja wandelt fast schon
auf den Spuren des Greg Cartwright-Trademark-Sounds –, sodass man wirklich gut
beraten ist, ein Ohr zu riskieren, nur für den Fall, dass man wirklich bereits
schon morgen das Zeitliche segnen sollte. Mitsamt der beiden vorangegangenen
Alben überreichen SUSPICIOUS BEASTS ein wirklich üppiges Bouquet an strahlenden
Melodien und Gold-Material für jedes Mixtape. Die Behauptung an sich ist vielleicht
vermessen oder im mindesten Fall aufgeblasene Spökenkiekerei, aber in einer
besseren Welt (oder zumindest in „Radio City“) würden SUSPICIOUS BEASTS damit
irgendwann ein ähnliches Schicksal, eine späte Wertschätzung allenthalben wie
BIG STAR zuteilwerden, als „loser history upgraded by the passage of time.“
(8/10 MATTI)
OX
(GER) DEC 2013 see scan!
Lo-Fi
Your Brain Out (ESP) JAN 2014 Os presentamos a SUSPICIOUS BEASTS,
de quienes posiblemente no os suene el nombre, ni el de su líder Yusuke
Okada, pero seguramente sí que habréis oído hablar de Jeff
Burke, voz y una de las guitarras de Marked Men y Radioactivity. Él se
encargó de la grabación y producción del disco junto a
Fumito Yamazaki, integrante del grupo, grabación que tuvo lugar en Tokyo
y Denton, Texas.
Ahora que ya tenemos vuestra atención, hablemos de Never Bloom, el segundo
álbum de Yusuke Okada, Fumito Yamazaki, Masashi Watanabe, Miso Takaoka
y Takahide Maruyama, editado por uno de nuestros nuevos sellos preferidos, ALIEN
SNATCH! RECORDS. Después de la primera sorpresa al ver las raíces
japonesas de la banda, basta con escuchar "Feel Okay" para darse cuenta
que las raíces musicales provienen más bien del otro lado del
mundo, aferrándose a la música americana en su máxima expresión.
Lo que a simple vista parece ser una banda de garage, resulta ser mucho más
que eso.
Tras un arranque pletórico, con un alegre garage-pop, un toque sureño
y un piano que le da un perfecto toque dulce, trayendo a la memoria a The Strange
Boys, nos muestran a continuación su cara más descarada, en "Flowers".
Garage gamberro à la Dead Ghosts o Black Lips, con guitarras vibrantes
que se entrelazan alrededor de la cruda y rasgada voz de 
Okada,
adornado por coros que elevan la canción a una dimensión superior.
En un álbum perfecto, pese a tener sólo 8 temas, no podía
faltar esa balada conmovedora, cantada desde lo más profundo del corazón,
"Last Song". Después de oír "this is the last song,
'cause I wanna die", uno suspira de alivio cuando empieza "To The
Moon", otra exquisitez, otra perfecta combinación de ritmo contagioso,
guitarras lejanas, algo de psicodelia de la que te lleva a dar un paseo por
la luna, que enlaza con "Strange Patterns" sin pestañear, añadiendo
un organillo que parece bajado del cielo. A estas alturas ya os habréis
dado cuenta de que esto no tiene nada que ver con lo que suele hacer Jeff Burke,
y qué? La cara B sólo hará que reafirmar vuestra fe en
este grupo o os hará creyentes de una vez por todas. "With The Devil"
es uno de los momentos especialmente brillantes de Never Bloom, con un tono
más furioso, más veloz, acercándose al punk aunque sin
salir de la capilla, con ese constante y mágico eco. Más organillo,
más psicodelia para poner banda sonora a un viaje al desierto con el
bolsillo lleno de peyote, en "You'll Never Know", y acto seguido nos
topamos con el garage mega-harmonioso de "Who Wants To Buy My Soul",
precioso, como lo hacían Harlem hace unos años, para poner el
broche de oro a un más que notable segundo trabajo de SUSPICIOUS BEASTS.
tba
KICK OUT THE JAMS Blog (ES) May 2014 Suspicious Beast – Used to be beautiful:Reedición del primer disco de estos japoneses a cargo del sello alemán Alien Snatch. Editado originalmente por el sello Black Hole en el año 2011 y recuperado ahora por el alienígena Daniel, que como bien confiesa fue uno de sus discos de cabecera y motivo por el que editó el segundo trabajo de estos Suspicious Beasts “Never Bloom” . Los siete temas de este minilp son una extraña mezcla de influencias que da comienzo con los aires folkies de “Sister Maree” que atrapa a la primera escucha y en donde la influencia de Greg Cartwright se deja escuchar, la harmónica de “Darkest Sunshine” muestra a una banda que desprende intensidad, dando paso a un tema pop de altos vuelos como “Punch me in the face” o la paranoica “Let’s go to the church”, dos versiones de The Golden Clouds y The Fit, bandas por las que militaron algunos de los componentes de este combo. En la cara b vuelven a sorprender con medios tiempos enmarañados de guitarras como “Let me breathe” y dos temas para adorar a esta banda como “Jail inside your heart” o “Pretty Horse”. No me queda más que dar las gracias a los responsables de Alien Snatch por descubrírmelos. (Oscarkotj-2014).
