Album Review

Japanese Voyeurs – Sicking & Creaming EP

• 16th Sep 2009

As one gazes across the landscape that is the current UK music scene it’s hard to see anything apart from processed and re-packaged rubbish. Somewhat like walking through a Tesco superstore, in that it has become difficult to find anything wholesome. Something brought to you with the absolute minimum of interference by outside agencies.

Japanese Voyeurs are a London based 5-piece that seem to have misunderstood the mainstream manual. Showcasing a DIY garage rock sound, the group seem closer to Jon Spencer’s Pussy Galore in that they may have deliberately unlearned their instruments. If this wasn’t enough the band have a certain x-factor in the vocal stylings of Romily Alice. Who seems, not unlike Chan Marshall, to have ignored every vocal coach in the world, resulting in a voice so unique that it would be a staggering shame for it not to be more widely recognised in the future.

The band declare they are powered by repression and listening to these three early tracks it’s possible to taste that most British or preoccupations. Given all these factors it seems hard to believe that the band will find a market in the current Tesco Value UK music scene, saying far more about the British listener than the actual talent on show here, sadly.

Japanese Voyeurs ‘Sicking and Creaming’ EP is as honest and raw an introduction to a band as your likely to find today. Very aptly released on Slimeball Records on the 5th of October it would be a crime not to purchase a copy. At some point in the near future music listeners will hopefully come to their senses and understand that there is no substitute for honesty in creative endeavour. Anyone can walk around humming a catchy tune that will never raise one question in your mind as to why it was recorded. Japanese Voyers give a glimpse from within the viscera of their inner creative workings, possibly somewhat uncomfortable but there simply is nothing better to experience.