Qty

ニューヨークを拠点に活動する男女インディー・ロック・デュオ、QTY(キュー・ティー・ワイ)、The 1975やウルフ・アリスが所属する英気鋭レーベル＜Dirty Hit＞からのデビュー・アルバム!! 元スウェードのバーナード・バトラーがプロデュースを務めた今作、既に「Michael」、「Rodeo」、「Dress / Undress」の3曲のシングルをリリースされ、早速海外主要音楽メディアが挙って大絶賛!

Arriving with plenty of laid-back swagger and street-smart lyricism, indie rock outfit QTY offer up their Bernard Butler-produced debut via the Dirty Hit label. Formed in 2014, QTY grew out of the partnership of singers/guitarists Dan Lardner and Alex Niemetz, two New York natives who had already cut their teeth together in another band, Grand Rapids. After recording some demos with a friend in San Francisco, they were quickly signed to U.K. indie Dirty Hit Records (Wolf Alice, the 1975) which urged the duo to take their time and continue honing their already stripped-down tunes. They were eventually paired with Suede guitarist Butler, who helped them strike a balance between their literate savvy and dirty garage punk hooks. What comes across on their debut is an amalgam of New York rock spanning several decades from the Velvet Underground to the Strokes to Parquet Courts. The melodies are generally strong and straightforward, delivered by Lardner in a laconic Lou Reed drawl with Niemetz joining in on harmony and occasional girl group vocal stacks. It's a classic sound, for sure, but what they lack in innovation, QTY make up for in tight songcraft and the strangely magnetic allure of their low key style of rock. Butler's occasionally glammy production works well on standout cut "Dress Undress," though "Cold Nights" ends up feeling a bit overblown. QTY sound most comfortable delivering tuneful guitar pop nuggets like the excellent "Sad Poetic" and the understated "New Beginnings," the latter of which lets Niemetz shine on lead vocals. Overall, this is a strong debut with heart, style, and some nice hooks. ~ Timothy Monger

ウルフ・アリスやスーパーフードを擁するロンドンの人気レーベルが初めてサインしたUSのアーティスト、ということでも話題沸騰中のNYに住む男女デュオ。テレヴィジョンやリチャード・ヘル&ザ・ヴォイドイズをはじめとする先達のサウンドをクールに追求しつつ、英国好みの悲哀に満ちた湿度の高いメロディーを合わせてしまう点がユニークだ。バーナード・バトラーがこのデビュー作のプロデュースを買って出たのも、何より歌メロにビビッと来たからだろう。スノッブな男性ヴォーカルとダルそうな女性ヴォーカルの掛け合い、スッカスカな演奏ほか、キルズの登場時を強烈に思い出してしまうのは私だけ? ちなみに、バンドの名付け親はXXのロミーなんだって! これは大化けの予感がプンプンするぞ!!
bounce (C)柴田かずえ