LAZYgunsBRISKY - 26 times

26 times is LAZYgunsBRISKY’s 2nd major album and was released in the US on August 31, 2010 under the Goo Goo Dolls’ bassists’ label, Good Charamel Records. The quartet has performed at shows in Europe, but also plays shows in and around Tokyo, Kobe and Aomori.

The opening chords of any song are used to attract the listener and drawn him in. The vocals are just as important, and the first moment of hearing the Liar does just this, gently painting a colourful scene of nightlife. The four members work together to create an attitude-driven concept and drive home their songs with repetitive lyrics - an unusual technique but the lyrics stay with listeners hours afterward, running around in their mind.

The feelings stirred by Bitter Day are not bitter at all, despite the title. Bitter Day opens with the line “ooh mama what did you say / oh what a bitter day!” and jumps to a fun mix of upbeat guitar by izumi. The track is completely opposite to anything ‘bitter’ and seemingly throws the idea out there that bitterness is actually disguised as anything but negative.

The album slows down with Now, but the intro has a cinematic feel to it. Half of the song is instrumental: just guitar hooks, the beat of the drums and a slow, pleasant melody. The addition of vocals seems a little out of place and slightly rushed in the second half of Now and frankly, it makes it sound like two separate songs. Lucy’s repetitive lines in the chorus are almost mesmerizing; everything seems to blend together to a point.

Lucy turns a little more aggressive with the first verse of Chicken race. Still playful and wild, the vocals and the lyrics are pretty simple, so it’s very easy to understand. She scats a fair bit throughout 26 times, a singing technique that uses varying combinations of sounds that are repetitive but not actual words. It is a technique that many jazz singers incorporate into their works. Also, Lucy is surprisingly skilled in English.

The eighth track of the album draws it to a close. Abbey road is a relatively short track, and the guitar is the most captivating instrument throughout the song. Lucy’s voice turns much softer and she almost sounds like a completely different artist, which is definitely unexpected. It would be nice to hear more works similar to this track and be to able to experience a gentler side to LAZYgunsBRISKY.

Overall, 26 times is a pretty good listen, featuring common elements of most underground indie bands to even popular acts. LAZYgunsBRISKY, however, has a certain charm and attitude that makes it worth checking out their previous works and their works to come

Additionally, the album 26 times is also available via iTunes.