"Sajama Cut is part of the blossoming indie-music scene inhabited by bands such as The Brandals, Sore and The Upstairs. They cut 11 tracks for this impressive debut in January 2005 and the album's release has coincided with the growing popularity of local bands. The band's country sound in the debut album The Osaka Journals has little connection with the less-than-interesting mainstream music-scene in the country.
If only more local bands honed their songwriting craft to conceive a polished, radio-friendly songs, Peterpan and Dewa for example -- Sajama Cut's music has a wonderfully loose charm, out-of-tune vocals and undecipherable image-rich lyrics, mostly in English.
The band's signature is the warm sound of jangling guitar, reminiscent of Peter Buck's sound in R.E.M's early days. Another strong point is the eerie vocals of singer Marcel Thee, which are at times muffled deep in the mix. Aside from R.E.M, the band admitted that indie pop heroes Bright Eyes, The Fall and Guided By Voices were their biggest sources of inspiration. A combination of the two elements was best captured in the first single Fallen Japanese, which has a happy-sad melody that will not wear thin after repeated listens. Ornamented by lush choral harmonies from band members, the song is the album's crowning glory.
In the ocean of fake performers with rock-star attitude, Sajama Cut is a much-needed breath of fresh air"
Friday, June 22, 2007
Sajama Cut
