Bore us? Never!
The US trade deficit just keeps rising, and one reason behind the gap is no doubt the number of albums churned out by Japanese power trio Boris. Unnamed sources within the White House claim that the Bush administration has been dreading the band’s inevitable team-up with Ghost, another one of the Land of the Rising Sun’s most prolific outfits. That hasn’t quite happened. (The Commerce Secretary wipes his brow as he reads Drag City’s new release output. “Bullet dodged,” he says. “Bullet dodged.”) But Rainbow, Boris’ collaboration with Ghost guitarist Michio Kurihara, comes pretty damn close.
Those among you who are somewhat bitter about the high quality of Boris’ recent release schedule will be p.o.’d to learn that, yes, this is yet another hit, a disc that exploits the band’s more tuneful tendencies. That is, it’s good-to-great. Just don’t expect the blistering blooz rock of Pink, the trio’s last proper full-length. Or the avant doom of Altar, Boris’ so-recent-it-makes-you-wonder-how-they-even-book-studio-time collaboration with Sunn O))). Do, however, expect a very groovy, very in-control set of psych pop tunes. To this Kurihara adds plenty of frizzled-fried guitar that sounds as if it was recorded at a much more aggressive session. It’s a superior hard rock product. And fast.
Brent Burton
