Song Of The Day # 178 // The Suzan: ‘Come Come’

The vast virtual resource of the Internet enables singing Dogs and Jamaican tour guides to arise from a void we were oblivious about. On the other hand, it also provides a platform to unearth rough diamonds from nations which are not exactly the musical equivalent of a utopia.

Cue Tokyo based all-girl band The Suzan who released the good-naturedly titled debut LP Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat last month on popular indie label Fool’s Gold. The album itself was produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John fame after a defiant memo was sent from the band to the Swede via MySpace. (Who said Girl Power was dead?)

The band have been described as a psychedelic, pop-punk outfit and compared to all-American 60’s female group the Shangri-Las. Manufactured, fashion-conscious dolls they are most certainly not. ‘Come Come’ from the debut album is an enchanting lo-fi affair which is accompanied by an undiluted percussion pedestal of woodblock and bass drum. Lead singer Saori Suzuki’s soothing refrain of “Come to me/now come come” layered over airy strings ensures a reserved influence from the Land of the Rising Sun is knotted with the buoyant steelpan of the Calypso.

The glowing theme of the LP is that Yttling’s production nous has blended well with the J-Pop roots of The Suzan in creating an energetic and spacious record for Stretch Armstrong flexible aficionados to embrace.

Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat by The Suzan is out now on Fool’s Gold.