Now entering their fourth decade, Shonen Knife continue to find new energy and joy in the rock-and-roll form. Their new record, Our Best Place, is out now via Good Charamel, and it's as uplifting and fun as you'd expect. Leader Naoko Yamano gides the trio through a Ramones-y soundscape here that's sure to please.
The fuzzy "Mujinto Rock kicks things off with a nice blast of power-pop power, while "Nice Day" marries a Swingin' Sixties-style guitar lick with a forceful hook. The group's sound hasn't changed that much in 40 years, and thank God for that! Like the Ramones, a band they clearly draw inspiration from, Shonen Knife keep things simple, favoring an elegantly direct approach. For long-time fans, there will be no shocks here, but there will be a big smile when something like the brash "Ocean Sunfish" roars out of the speakers. Atsuko Yamano on drums provides another link to the early days of this band, though she's left and returned, unlike Naoko, who's been here all along. Bassist Risa Kawano anchors this material throughout Our Best Place.
Like Guided by Voices, The Ramones, and The Primitives, Shonen Knife are an institution of sorts, offering up pleasures that remind a listener over and over again of why rock-and-roll can be so invigorating and, frankly, fun. I mean, how great is a tune like "Vamos Tacquitos"? Who else is going to serve up stuff like this? I've been listening to this trio for more than 30 years, though not quite 40, and I'm still grateful to the rock gods that a band remembers how to serve up the fun missing in most post-rock. And as they sing in "Girl's Rock", "Don't be afraid, you can change the world!" Sometimes all it takes is a loud guitar, right?
Our Best Place is out on Good Charamel Records.
[Photo: Good Charamel]