Today We're The Greatest

The follow-up to Lost Friends, a Top Ten-charting debut in their native Australia, Today Were the Greatest finds hook-driven indie pop/rock trio Middle Kids in an openhearted and appreciative state of mind -- but not without reservations and deep introspection. Between releases, founding members Hannah Joy and Tim Fitz got married, and the album opens with spare acoustic guitar, a poignant tone, and the words: Hope is an underrated word that I heard when I was younger (Bad Neighbours). The songs arrangement gains only strings and understated noise effects in service of a quiet, anxious prelude. However, catchy, vibrant, fully arranged tracks follow in the form of rocker Cellophane (Brain) and the galloping R U 4 Me?, establishing that Today Were the Greatest intends to ruminate to the upper tiers of the theater. While the album includes a handful of cigarette lighter-friendly ballads, including the title track and the banjo-stippled Lost in Los Angeles, touches of intimacy temper even the lushest, most exuberant entries. The rousing, clattering, and ultimately romantic Run with You, for instance, weaves a pulsing recording of the couples first childs 20-week sonogram into the mix. That song also features a grungy lead guitar line that eventually falls into loose counterpoint with Joys soaring main melody. More rankled moments include the circular anthem I Dont Care (I gotta do what I want to), but these are outweighed by hard-won gratitude and affection on a set that above all delivers on big hooks. ~ Marcy Donelson

女性ヴォーカル/ギターをフロントに立て、インディー・ロック・アクトの宝庫、オーストラリアで頭角を現してきたミドル・キッズ。欧米進出も着実に進める3人組がリリースした2作目は、ポップ・カントリー系の女性シンガー・ソングライター、およびオーケストラルなインディー・ポップ両方のファンにオススメだ。クセの強さに頼らない爽やかな曲の数々は多くの人に歓迎されるはず。仄かに香るプログレっぽさも聴きどころだ。
bounce (C)山口智男