In the truly difficult year of 2020, Jad Fair knew the world could use a pep talk, and it turns out he was just the man to do it. Of the many surprising things about the rather inexplicable career of Half Japanese, its particularly remarkable that theyre not only still around and quite prolific four decades after they brought out their first album, the willfully inept noisemakers have evolved into a listenable and thoroughly charming rock band. 2020s Crazy Hearts, the sixth album since Fair revived Half Japanese with 2014s Overjoyed, is as accessible as anything hes ever given us, full of straightforward, cheerfully impassioned rock & roll with some garage rock and psychedelic touches to keep things colorful, coupled with Fairs individual lyrical outlook. Still talking more than he sings, Fair is much better at bringing the listener in than he was in his earlier days, and his tales of favorite horror movies (both real and imagined) have a homey, less obsessive tone that works in their favor. (Sci-fi fans should take note: A Phantom Menace has nothing to do with Star Wars.) For a guy whose songs about women could sound unnervingly needy, Crazy Hearts is the work of a more mature and balanced songwriter; if hes still a creature defined by his obsessions, they come from a place of joy and theyre actually fun to hear. Fairs latest edition of Half Japanese -- John Sluggett on guitar and synthesizer, Mick Hobbs on guitar and organ, Jason Willett on bass, and Gilles-Vincent Rieder on drums and keyboards -- have developed a superb feel for his musical outlook, and theyve made the band into something easier to embrace without stripping away Fairs singular view of the world. Though Crazy Hearts never addresses the multiple disasters that defined the year of its release, the fervent optimism of As Best You Can, And It Is, and A Job Well Done is welcome at any time, especially when fear and tragedy hold sway. Its as comforting as a cup of cocoa to hear Fair tell us Pick up the phone/Cupid called/He just called to say thank you/Youre doing everything right/Keep it up/Break a leg! Half Japanese are here for you on Crazy Hearts, and thats more reassuring than anyone might have imagined four decades previous. ~ Mark Deming

Rovi