Bless This Mess

良質なソングライティングとファンクからスロウ・ジャムまで飲み込んだアンセム感あふれる類稀なるポップ・センスで唯一無二の地位を築き上げたメグ・レミー率いるU.S.ガールズが3年ぶり8作目となる最新作を〈4AD〉リリース!

双子の男の子の妊娠・出産と同時に制作がスタートした本作はベック、ロジャー・マニング・ジュニア(ジェリーフィッシュ)、アレックス・フランケル(ホーリー・ゴースト!)、ライランド・ブラッキントン(コブラ・スターシップ)、マーカー・スターリング、ベイシア・ブラットといった豪華コラボレーターが集結。
1stシングルとしてリリースされると2022年夏屈指のキラー・チューンとして世界中のラジオでかかった「So Typically Now」、示唆的なイントロからプリンスを彷彿とさせるミニマル・ファンク「Futures Bet」、芯を食ったタイトル曲であるバラード「Bless This Mess」を筆頭にバラエティに富みながらもポップ・ミュージックの真髄と彼女の真価をさらに発揮した全10曲を収録。

The threads of disco and funk that fused with conceptual art rock on previous U.S. Girls songs move into the spotlight on Bless This Mess, the eighth studio album from the ever-morphing project led by mastermind Meg Remy. Remys output as U.S. Girls has never settled in one stylistic direction, and moments of her wonderful 2020 effort Heavy Light found her leading a large cast of backup vocalists through relaxed and danceable disco-soul tunes, among various other approaches. Bless This Mess amplifies the danceability factor, beginning with the simmering groove of "Only Daedalus," a sleek assemblage of 80s synths, airtight rhythms, and powerful vocals delivering lyrics that envision figures of Greek mythology in a late-night lovers argument outside of the club. "So Typically Now" is similar, with stomping but skeletal rhythms and infectious synth lines that crisscross tough vocal melodies while backing vocalists belt out performances that recall the best early house tracks. Remys ability to adapt her distinctive songwriting voice to whatever style she chooses remains one of her main strengths on Bless This Mess, with glittery disco-pop burners like "Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)" sitting nicely alongside the acoustic guitars and airy textures of "St. James Way" or the cinematic balladry of the title track. No U.S. Girls album is limited to mere musical presentation, however, and the conceptualism thats touched all of Remys discography continues here. Bless This Mess was written and recorded at the same time Remy was pregnant with and eventually gave birth to twins, so themes of motherhood are intrinsic to the album. The most explicit example of this is closing track "Pump," where a sample of a breast pump joins a fluid funk bass to build up the backing rhythm while the lyrics center on the intensity of delivering babies and keeping them fed once theyre born. Elsewhere, "Screen Face" depicts a remote digital date over a bubbly soft rock instrumental and "Futures Bet" quotes the National Anthem on a very heavy metal guitar before evolving into a complex patchwork of catchy sounds and lyrics about accepting the fact that life invariably presents many unanswerable questions. Bless This Mess is another chapter of U.S. Girls consistent evolution marked by pristine production and a deft balance of hooks and soul-baring beauty, with Remy pulling off the feat of intertwining some of her most emotionally complex material with what might be her most accessible sounds yet. ~ Fred Thomas

イリノイ育ちのメグ・レミーによるソロ・プロジェクトが発表した8枚目のアルバムは、ファンクやR&Bの要素が濃い。甘美なコーラスとストリングスが耳に残る"Just Space For Light"、ストイックな4つ打ちのビートを刻むエレクトロ・ディスコ"So Typically Now"など、自然と身体を揺らしたくなるダンス・ナンバーが収められている。
bounce (C)近藤真弥