Té

While these Japanese post-rockers may be similar in genre to countrymen Mono, there is a certain looseness and energy that Té provide to these songs that make their effort more accessible. Note that it doesn’t make their songs necessarily better, but it at least makes these songs somewhat lively and vital. As the album title foreshadows, Té like to be wordy with their songs, and by even writing out the title of one track I fear I may use my fair share of allotted words (they’re that long), thus numbers it shall be. For the best example of the mix of a loose rock feel in the quiet/loud structure, track four is by far the most successful. Starting with a simple rock opening, the song builds with a growing anxiety until it explodes into that head-bopping goodness that even touches on some post-punk, albeit without any shout-y vocals. Track five is a little more subdued, yet is an absolute monster when the climax comes. If there’s one thing Té get right, it’s their ferocity and conviction upon the climaxes of their mini-epics. While this effort is somewhat bland at times, Té have definitely made an impressive first move.