When a new band gets the critics in a frenzy, it usually means one of two things. Firstly, that said band is so mind-numbingly incredible and people have been so stirred that they want to do nothing but have everyone else join in with their new-found enthusiasm. Secondly, it could instead mean that said band are not too bad but there hasn’t been anything else massively inspiring discovered over the previous few weeks so these people have unwittingly believed the hype created by the band’s PR machine. In this case sadly, it appears that critical enthusiasm for Teenagersintokyo may be a result of the latter.
Choosing the song Sacrifice as their opener doesn’t provide the best of introductions to those who still need convincing of their apparent greatness, with its repetitive and whiny nature not serving to create the greatest first impression. By the time I’ve heard lead singer Samantha Lim wail the lyric ‘sacrifice’ repeatedly throughout the duration of the song, the only thing I’m left wanting to sacrifice is myself. Luckily, Peter Pan takes things in a slightly different direction and makes for much more comfortable listening. The tempo change during the chorus to a speedy guitar riff is ridiculously catchy and this faster pace is much better suited to Lim’s voice; something that is demonstrated throughout the entire record. When breezing through songs at a steady rate her vocals appear to hold up well, and very much compliment the ediger guitars. As a result, songs including End It Tonight and New Day actually feel over all too quickly. However, the slower tracks on this record such as Long Walk Home really highlight the fact that in reality, her voice isn’t that smooth or overly strong and notes that need to be held for longer often waiver and sound strained.
Putting the vocals to one side for a second, the instrumentals are really rather good. Pulsating drum beats provide a heartbeat for the tracks and the searing electric guitars are a rousing force pumping through their veins. The oh-so-popular 80s influence is definitely there also, not only in the overall feel of production but with the inclusion of electro keys and synths in many songs. A couple of tracks see the band attempt different styles but with varying results. Robocat sees Lim’s vocals flow into each other at such impressive speed before switching into a banshee wail that you wonder when she actually managed to catch a breath. This keeps the momentum really going and doesn’t give you a free second to get bored, despite the song clocking in at over four and a half minutes in length. Meanwhile, 3046 sounds like a different band altogether, completely slowing down with more languid vocals and emotional lyrics; something not demonstrated previously. Yet instead of making an interesting change, this track just feels wholly out of place compared to the remaining nine and seems to really go against the grain of the wood that the band are trying to carve themselves out from.
Ok, so Teenagersintokyo aren’t terrible and some of their songs are actually pretty damned fantastic. The problem here is that we’ve heard a good majority of it all before. There’s nothing that makes them really distinctive in comparison to the thousands of other bands trying to make a success of themselves at the minute, hence my confusion as to why other critics are getting so excited over them. The album is definitely worth a listen and their form is promising, but they are still a while off reaching the mind-numbingly incredible status that will have me shouting from the Tokyo rooftops about them.
This review was originally posted on www.culturedeluxe.com
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