We Can Do Anything＜限定盤＞

世界トータル・セールス1千万超え!80年代前半のアメリカのインディー・シーンでカルト的な人気を博したバイオレント・ファムズが15年振りとなるフル・アルバムをリリース!
1981年に結成し、アメリカのインディー・シーンで異彩を放った米ウィスコンシン州出身の3ピース・バンド、バイオレント・ファムズ。35年のキャリアの中で、アルバム8作と「Blister In The Sun」など数々のシングルをリリースし、世界でのトータル・セールスは1千万を超える。フォークやパンクなどを基調としたサウンドと辛らつな歌詞が特徴で、世代を超えて支持を集める。09年に解散するも13年にコーチェラ出演で再結成を果たし、15年にはEP『ハッピー・ニュー・イヤー』をリリース。同年、シドニーのオペラ・ハウスで行われた公演はソールドアウト。今回、15年振り9作目となる待望のフル・アルバム『ウィー・キャン・ドゥ・エニシング』をリリース!

Uncut - "This is an instantly familiar mix of anti-folk, post-punk, phantasmagorical country and alternative rock, delivered via an equally recognisable blend of raw acoustic guitars, thrumming acoustic bass and rattling snare, garnished with Gano's petulant whine." Clash (Magazine) - "'Memory' starts things off in signature upbeat fashion, its strummed guitars and shuffling percussion sounding refreshingly fresh as it always has."

The Violent Femmes spent the bulk of the 21st century either touring their old hits or suing each other over the proper royalty payment of said hits. Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie buried that hatchet in 2012 and reunited the following year, losing drummer Victor de Lorenzo after those 30th anniversary concerts -- but the pair soldiered on, recording We Can Do Anything, the band's first album of original material in 16 years, with Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione. We Can Do Anything doesn't bear any signs of outright animosity: Gano sounds as twitchy as ever, always poised on the brink of apoplexy, either at himself or some piece of nonsense, while Ritchie shouts back in solidarity or sarcasm. The years have turned the Femmes' rare ballads into something sweet and bruised -- "What You Really Mean" is as romantic and affecting as this group has ever gotten -- and that functions as a nice counterpoint to the numbers where the geekiness feels studied, pushing the tunes toward the realm of novelty. This delicate balance of tone always proved to be a problem for the Violent Femmes -- declarations of angst and galloping cowboy numbers begin to curdle past their sell-by date -- but even if the middle-aged Gano and Ritchie can't resist the clarion call of drunken sea shanties or tunes better suited for a kids records, they do know how to use their craft to not only sharpen the songs themselves, but the record. Even when things get silly on We Can Do Anything, the silliness blows on by, headed toward a bit of revved-up folk or unexpected introspection, and those twists are what makes the album worth hearing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine