There are too many shoegaze bands in this world. Far, far too many. I say that as someone who loved the genre 25 years ago and got sick of the label being overused as every band with a budget for effects pedals tried to replicate Loveless. So when I saw new(er) band Tashaki Miyaki labelled a shoegaze act, I recoiled a bit. Then I listened to the new album, The Dream, out Friday on Metropolis Records, and was happily surprised at how fully-formed this material is. Traces of shoegaze stuff remain here but the tunes are all superb and, if anything, the band's songs resemble those of Mazzy Star more than anything else.
The lush "City" channels a bit of that Hope Sandoval-fronted act, while the languid "Girls on TV" recalls Mojave 3 a bit. "Out Of My Head" charts similar territory, while the breathy "Cool Runnings" purrs past in a nice melding of chamber rock and -- dare I say it? -- shoegaze. Elsewhere, "Facts Of Life" nods in the direction of The Dream Syndicate, and "Keep Me In Mind" adds a hint of Sixties folk rock to the mix.
Serving as the band's full-length debut, The Dream is a pretty good showcase for the sort of dream pop offered up by Tashaki Miyaki. The duo has made something here that is far, far better than one would expect from something so easily compared to certain other acts, acts whose tunes are far easier to take inspiration from than equal. And, yeah, as a release, The Dream is consistent and tuneful and affecting in just the right ways.
Out Friday on Metropolis Records, The Dream by Tashaki Miyaki is an album that demands your attention. Follow Tashaki Miyaki via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Uncredited promo pic]