Anyway＜限定盤/Black/Red Vinyl＞

For their fourth studio album, New York-based chiptune band Anamanaguchi moved into the Urbana, Illinois house immortalized on the cover of the first American Football album. The building had been purchased by a collective including American Football and Polyvinyl Records, who made it available to artists as a creative space. The group wrote the albums songs together in the house, rather than their usual process of sending files to each other through the Internet, then recorded the material with producer Dave Fridmann at his Tarbox Road Studios in Western New York. Not only is Anyway the most traditionally written and recorded work Anamanaguchi have made as a band, its easily their most lyrical and guitar-driven effort. The 8-bit melodies are still present, but theyre more pronounced in some songs than in others, often just adding some digital flavor to a gale of grungey guitars and propulsive drumming. Since Anamanaguchis songwriting has always felt closer in spirit to 90s alternative rock and power pop than video game soundtracks, their shift into a more rock-based direction isnt a big stretch, and they dont sound out of their element. Opener "Sparkler" has the sort of exuberant drive thats familiar to them, along with shoegazey guitars and trippy effects. "Magnet" is a noise pop gem with sweetly affectionate yet obsessive lyrics. "Come for Us" is triumphant, shout-along punk, and "Sapphire" adds bit-crushed textures to sugary-sweet pop-punk. The albums biggest and most rewarding diversion is "Valley of Silence," an atmospheric post-punk mini-epic with a very Cure-like bassline and dazzling electronics. "Fall Away" is thrashy and manic yet also progressive, and "Darcie" is maybe the most Weezer-like song theyve ever written. "Nightlife" opens with a meaty punk bassline, and the songs reckless energy doesnt let up, even with a dramatic breakdown. Anyway could be likened to a digital avatar turning into flesh and blood, but Anamanaguchi have always functioned as a proper band, so the album is more of a re-emphasis of their rock roots than a total transformation. ~ Paul Simpson