Contemporary Movement＜限定盤/Colored Vinyl＞

只今再評価の嵐に突入し、アンソロジー盤やデビュー作『STRATOSPHERE』25周年記念盤、そして再結成以降の活動で多くのインディラヴァーを号泣させている、USローファイ×ポスト・ロックの至宝ダスター。2000年リリースの大名盤2ND『CONTEMPORARY MOVEMENT』が新色カラー盤で再発!

『STRATOSPHERE』でダスターとしてのスタイルをあっという間に確立。2年のタームで出た本作は、そのスタイルをさらに拡張させようと意気込んでいるのが伝わる大名作!"ME AND THE BIRDS"の伝家の宝刀的な掴めないボヤケサウンドの応酬。それに対して切迫感に満ちたイントロから最後まで息が詰まりそうな"TRAVELOGUE"、ここまで癒しな面を出したのは初!?な救いの"UNRECOVERY"と切なさが共通する新境地2曲の存在が際立つ内容に。

こんなに充実した中身にも関わらず世界からはスルー、そのままバンドは解散し再評価の時が来るまで待つ事になります。

In the context of what's popular in music at the turn of the century, the title of Duster's second full-length, Contemporary Movement, reveals this San Jose band's wry sense of their place in pop/rock's ecosystem. Their often sparse and laconic delivery (especially on tracks like "Auto-mobile") guarantees Duster a place outside contemporary music's mainstream. But in a more perfect world there would be at least three radio hits from this, their most accessible release to date. The opening track, "Get the Dutch," begins with an echoy synth lullaby that recalls the spacey sound of Stratosphere (Duster's debut full-length) ,an album that sounded as if it was composed by someone orbiting the earth in the broken down Mir Space Station with no hope of getting home. From there, the song abruptly shifts into Duster at its most excited, with a drum crash from Jason Albertini and resonating guitar chords that hang in the air long enough to speak volumes. Vocals play a more prominent role on Contemporary Movement following the course staked out on 1999's 1975 EP, revealing songwriting talent that adds another reason to admire this band. Lyrics like "Escapism creeps into our recipes" and "...we make friends just to have more projects/we make friends just to turn them into enemies" from "Get the Dutch" tell true stories that we might not always be comfortable recognizing. Tracks ("Travelogue," "Cooking," and "Unrecovery") also would find their way into heavy rotation on the mythical radio station that lives somewhere outside the time and space in which Duster exists. ~ Sean Hurley