Acidclank "Inner" (Self-released)
Japan has always had a surplus of shoegazers, and it's easy for any young artist, reared on My Bloody Valentine, to become smitten with feedback. "Inner," the debut album from Acidclank, knows when to break from the genre.
The attempts at shoegazing — the swirling "Candy" and the guitar-layering release of "Fade Out" — are solid replications, but the best moments on "Inner" come when Acidclank delivers straightforward British-style rock with only a dusting of feedback. "Diary" offers melancholic indie-pop, while "I'm Caustic" unfolds at half speed and leans just as heavily on acoustic strumming as it does fuzzed-out guitar.
"Inner's" biggest surprise comes with the closing salvo of "Cloudman" and "Never Catch the Sun," which switch over to the sort of hands-in-the-air rock that owes more to Oasis than the Jesus And Mary Chain. The finale, in particular, seems to take its pounding beat and psychedelic glaze from "Setting Sun," Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher's collaboration with electronica act Chemical Brother. By drawing from a wider range of sound, Acidclank finds a way to standout in a very crowded scene.
"Inner" is available via www.acidclank.bandcamp.com.
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