OneMetal.com music REVIEW:
Japanese Voyeurs – Yolk

Ironically, when a generous sector of the alt-rock community reacted against the increasing marketed side of the industry during the “Grunge” era, the culture itself became a commodity largely based upon its gradual popularity and became a victim of its own success. Today Japanese Voyeurs seem intent on rekindling this anti-commercial spark that existed over 20 years ago. Their raison d’être is clearly displayed on their homepage:

In this world there are two kinds of bands: there are those who aim to be the biggest group in the world, who aim to make money and be famous, and who will do anything to achieve their aim. And then there are those whose mission statement is to explore the possibilities of modern music, of heavy music, and whose instinct is to create something that they themselves yearn to hear. Since forming in 2007 the London-based quintet Japanese Voyeurs have shown themselves to be the second of these kinds of bands.

It is quite a statement considering they are essentially a grunge revivalist band, cultivating the shoots of the stronger lineage within American alternative rock, namely the Seattle scene, and bringing back the “classic sounds” with what on first listen appears to be not so different to what was heard all that time ago. A cynic would suggest that there is nothing left to explore from the genre.

However, this album wonderfully captures the raw essence of that sound in a well thought out and progressive way. Melodies are back in, choruses are underpinned by the quiet-loud dynamic, and yet there are hints of experimentation from the female fronted band who themselves have fewer strong bands to look back on than their male fronted peers — Hole, L7, The Breeders, Daisy Chainsaw etc. Yolk is a strong and forceful debut album which is constantly juxtaposed by the captivating voice of Romily Alice. She sounds similar to a sweeter sounding version of Queen Adreena’s KatieJane Garside, but on tracks such as ‘Smother Me’ that drift toward a desert rock sound, her reverb filled vocals are perfectly suited to glide over the top of the hypnotic riffs. This is where the band excel, not within the “verse-chorus” framework, but one that transcends into other areas that didn’t quite “make it” the first time round.

Japanese Voyeurs Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/japanesevoyeursofficial
Fiction Records: http://fictionrecords.co.uk

Bottom Line

Japanese Voyeurs deliver a formidable debut, exploring areas that brushed past the Seattle sound.