An alternative rock band with a truly unpredictable sound, MO’SOME TONEBENDER has experimented with many different sounds over the years. Most recently, the 2008 album SING! saw the band embrace a pop direction, while its follow-up, STRUGGLE, brought an unabashed return to aggressive, noisy rock. Their latest release, Strange Utopia Crazy Kitchen, is true to its name. Highly eclectic, the album sucks you in with catchy choruses and then bludgeons you over the head with noise.
Door starts the album off with a man’s voice calling out, seemingly from far away. An atmospheric instrumental track, its last minute sees the drums kick in with incredible force. This abrupt shift between extremes of loud and soft is a recurring theme for much of the album. communication, for example, starts out with a roar, then quickly switches over to a gentle “la la la” chorus. Frontman Kazuhiro Momo’s softest vocals of the whole album float over a warm, pleasant bassline, only to be violently ripped away in the last quarter.
Taking the opposite approach, Shining throws the battering ram of noise that MO’SOME TONEBENDER is known for into the blender with a fresh, summery energy. The end result is a song that feels light and catchy, with relentless drums and backing vocals that pound each word of the chorus into the listener. Definitely one of the highlights of the album.
happy new year is another standout. While it has a pop-rock appeal, it avoids the saccharine sweetness of some of the band’s SING! material because of its blazing guitar and the melancholy tone of its lyrics. Momo’s vocals have a childishness on the verses that contrasts nicely with its driving chorus, and the song ends with a powerful guitar solo that is sure to leave listeners feeling spent.
Some of the more bizarre songs are also very strong. Most notably, Cat Park, which has something of a retro rock’n roll feel and sees bassist Yasunori Takei adopt an Elvis-like, hiccupping vocal style before frenzied keyboards and static begin to engulf his voice. bone head dandy is another pleasant surprise, with a mellow, bass-driven electro-rock sound. It bounces along at a slow and steady pace before building to an intense climax.
Another odd track, ElectBoys almost sounds like an attempt at a club anthem in places, but the pounding drums, drill-like electronic noises and Momo’s desperate vocals tear through the beat and give the song a hysterical urgency. Highly energetic, you can practically see the sweat dripping from fans’ faces at future lives as you listen.
However, some of these experiments might be a bit off-putting for fans of the band’s pop work. Metaluca, in particular, is bizarrely heavy next to the rest of the album and sees Takei handle the verse vocals, with Momo screaming the chorus back at him obnoxiously over a wall of electronic sounds and drums. The listener is given a break in the middle before it descends into a chaotic mass of screams and noise.
The only real disappointment of the album, though, is the last song Anywhere (But Here). It starts out strong, but the upbeat chorus feels like a bit of a mismatch next to the longing of the verses, ending the album on a slightly lukewarm note.
Overall, Strange Utopia Crazy Kitchen’s eclectic sound is a double-edged sword. It’s fresh and exciting, and it has a lot of great songs to offer, but its lack of cohesiveness might confuse some listeners. However, if you like your rock loud and intense and you’re open to something slightly unusual, this album is definitely worth checking out.
The videos for Shining and Metaluca can be viewed below.
