HALF JAPANESE率いるJAD FAIRとYO LA TENGOのコラボと聴いて、胸がトキメかないインディLOVERはいるんでしょうか? そんな疑問を思わず抱く程、両者のポップセンスが火花散らしながら混ざり合う1998年のオルタナ裏名盤『STRANGE BUT TRUE』がJOYFUL NOISEよりまさかの再発!
JAD FAIRが元々YO LA TENGOにリスペクトを示しており、JADから3人へスタジオに入ろうと誘う形で本作のレコーディングがスタート。HALF JAPANESEらしいヨレヨレ感にYO LA TENGO印のギターが乗っかる姿は、90年代をある意味象徴する大事なポイント! 公式音源として公開されている"Texas Man Abducted By Aliens For Outer Space Joy Ride"のローファイな音質と胸を掻きむしる焦燥感、薄暗く暖かい雰囲気は両者にしか出せない職人の技です。
発売・販売元 提供資料(2025/10/24)
With song titles literally lifted from tabloid headlines ("Ohio Town Saved from Killer Bees by Hungry Vampire Bats," for example), Jad Fair & Yo La Tengo's joint effort Strange But True plays more like spoken word poetry than an actual "rock record." Those unfamiliar with Fair's "more talking than singing" vocal style will undoubtedly find Strange But True to be a difficult listen. On the positive side, this could very well be Fair's most accessible project to date due largely to the musical contributions of indie-favorites Yo La Tengo. Heavy with feedback and other sonic assaults, Yo La Tengo seems to be the perfect match for Fair. Unfortunately, the songwriting is rarely given more than B-side treatment, which isn't surprising, considering they recorded all twenty two songs in two days. Strange But True is record destined to split listeners down the middle with Jad Fair fans enjoying every word, but leaving Yo La Tengo fans feeling disappointed. ~ Gregg Sandheinrich
Rovi