Public Storage＜Red Marble Effect Vinyl＞

Hana Vu rose to self-recorded indie prominence with her uniquely alienated and overcast, grooving earworms on a series of gradually more elaborate EPs beginning in her early teens. Now entering her twenties, Vu worked with an outside co-producer for the first time on her full-length debut, Public Storage. It doubles as her Ghostly International label debut. Named for the storage units that held various family possessions through multiple childhood moves around Los Angeles, it was recorded with Day Waves Jackson Phillips, who also plays on and mixed the album. Her most consistent set to this point, its wounded indie rock wrangles graceful acoustic elements, darkly distorted guitars, dreamy reverb, and pulsing dance beats, in turn and often together. An echoing, rhythmic piano intro opens the prelude-like first track, April Fool, which adds bass, acoustic guitar, four-on-the-floor kick drum, synthesized string voices, and more without encroaching on Vus resigned vocal delivery as she wonders how to say or do the right thing in any given moment. She soon plugs in for the grungy title track, which delivers four-limb rock drums and layers of churning guitars and bass. Oversaturated vocals on the choruses question whether she means it when she says she doesnt care. This type of circular rumination defines the album as much as do knotty textures, which edge toward disco-rock on Aubade, orchestral fuzz on Heaven, and bass-heavy synth pop on Keeper -- and thats just the front half of the track list. Throughout, Vus distinctively deep, sorrowful voice ties everything together, as do the frustrated tone and frequent timbral callbacks, which operate like a color palette for a film. While Public Storage doesnt represent the songwriters hookiest material, its affecting album-length presentation lingers -- emotionally and sonically -- nonetheless. ~ Marcy Donelson

LA在住のシンガー・ソングライターによるアルバム。ダークなフィーリングが目立つ歌詞は人という生き物の情動を上手く捉えており、非常に聴き応えがある。強さと弱さが共立した言葉の数々は無視できない滋味でいっぱいだ。そんな言葉と交わるサウンドもおもしろい。ドリーミーな音像が印象的な"Keeper "、グランジを想起させるギターの鳴りが映える"Gutter"など、アレンジの多彩さが終始光っている。
bounce (C)近藤真弥