Ready For Heaven

元ダーティー・プロジェクターズのエンジェル・デラドゥーリアンの新作が完成。
私たちが暮らす世界に対する人間らしい反応を公然と表現したアルバム『レディ・フォー・ヘヴン』、リリース。

Deradoorian(Decisive Pink、Dirty Projectors)が天国と地球、地獄と救済について対処するアルバム、『Ready for Heaven』をリリースする。これは、軽快なタッチと鋭い焦点に恵まれた、好奇心を掻き立てる40分間のポップ・ソングのセットで、リスナーを魅了せずにはいられない。この大胆でオープンハートなレコードが、たった一人の人間によって、たった一人で作られたというのは、注目すべき事実だ。曲が完成するまで何度も作り直すのは骨の折れる作業だが、それにより、Angel Deradoorianが自身の芸術の奥義に浸れるエネルギーと空間が生まれた。また、過去の音楽の栄光に取り組むことは、このアルバムの主要テーマであり、私たちの周りの世界のひどい性質に対処するのに役立つ。私たちには、切り抜けるにはあまりにも多くの混沌があり、人間関係が枯渇している世界に対処しなくてはならない。『Ready for Heaven』は、私たちが暮らす世界に対する人間らしい反応を公然と表現したもので、Deradoorianは、彼女の機知と知識のすべてを駆使して、リスナーに安らぎと慰めの源を創り出している。

Angel Deradoorian doesnt make boring records, each one takes her core competencies -- amazing voice, sharp-eyed lyrical acumen, highly developed musical skills -- and gives it a small twist. Eternal Recurrence was the most drastic swerve as it did away with drums entirely; 2025s Ready for Heavenss approach is less dramatic, yet the changes are palpable. She adds more electronics to the mix and stakes a claim on disco territory on "No No Yes Yes", but the biggest difference here is the confidence and overall strength of both the songs and her performance. It feels like her previous albums have been leading to this, a powerfully, intense record that features her vocals at their best while also stretching out her musical muscles in new ways. Every song takes a different tack on the kind of post-punk meets tricky indie rock shes delivered in the past. "Storm in My Brain" moves like a panther, mixing high impact dub bass with jagged guitar explosions and vocal exhortations; "Digital Gravestone" pairs thudding drums with clanging organ interjections, saxophone blares, and an intense atmosphere, and "Hell Island" slows the tempo to a menacing crawl as Deradoorians stuttering vocals and the spooky guitars intertwine. Tracks like these make up the bulk of the album and they are near-perfect incarnations of the sound Deradoorian had been working towards previously, and on their own they make the album a triumph. Added to them are songs that take some artistic leaps. "Reigning Down" is the most electronic track on the record, its heavy synths and almost industrial punch give her a chance to get a little tough vocally, the afore-mentioned disco punk "No No Yes Yes" features her slinkiest vocal over some ricocheting percussion and a thumping late night club pulse, and "Purgatory of Consciousness" is a formless ambient track that forgoes relaxation for the creeping feel of a haunted, shadow-filled apartment. All experiments are successful and part of that is down to a certainty in the albums production that leaves no room for doubt. Deradoorian knew exactly what sounds she wanted to bring the songs fully into focus and she gets them. Ready for Heaven is easily her best record to date; it brings all her talents together in one shimmering emotionally charged and musically impressive package. ~ Tim Sendra

元ダーティー・プロジェクターズのエンジェル・デラドゥーリアンが作り上げた本作は、ポップ・グループやマキシマム・ジョイといったバンドを連想させる。リズミカルなベースを強調し、ディレイとリヴァーブを多用したサウンドはダブ要素が濃い。反復ビートが心地良い中毒性を生み出す"No No Yes Yes"は極上のニューウェイヴ・ディスコだ。
bounce (C)近藤真弥