Album Review

Shibuya Crossings – Song for Lovesick Teeangers

• 23rd Oct 2007

Off centre sounds akin to those made by Stars or My Bloody Valentine succumb to safer, Weezer reflecting sounds as they develop further and further the further you get into this debut ‘Songs for lovesick Teenagers’ LP from Shibuya Crossings.

There’s a somewhat ethereal but below par and seemingly conflicted Paul Draper (Mansun)/Tim De Laughter (Polyphonic Spree) vocal edge that just reaches noteworthy status as it struggles to find its true centre or direction on each enjoyable, slackly delivered song.

The instrumentation and lyrical aspects are nice with only a few thankfully infrequent moments that leave your ears beg for salvation, particularly the alarming Erasure echoing intro to track 3, the ‘Best I’ve ever had’ and track 6 ‘All I need to say’s seriously taken Tenacious D vocal styling’s.

If you can stomach those moments, you just might even learn to relish the alluring remainders that eventually get it together despite dragging their repetitive feet ever so slightly. New single ‘Can you Prove (something to me)’ along with the acoustic flipside track ‘Some Better Days’ is noticeably more buoyant but still maintains the SC dirge tinged quality that takes the soar from the striving singing, the sincerity from the heartfelt seriousness and the direction from the potentially direct songs.

Well worth a listen but to get a second listen they’ll have to pull together and pinpoint their weaknesses.