It’s a very big end of June coming up, and then July to follow it. A swarm of ridiculously cool acts from over the murky waters will be coming to Australia, and I’ve been lucky enough to secure tickets to most of the ones I’m interested in for their Sydney leg of the tour. We’ve got Northeast Party House, Thumpers, Circa Waves and of course The 1975. But a dark horse appeared the other week when I noticed a Kishi Bashi poster hanging in my morning coffee shop, and as on the fence as I am about the US indie hero led by reassuringly Japanese frontman Kaoru Ishibashi, I was kind of worried I wouldn’t be able to get tickets. But today, my girlfriend being as incredible as she is snagged some tickets and slapped those fears aside in one fell swoop. In light of the situation I thought I’d strike up a post on the latest single from the guy that held the prestigious title of album of the year on most indie blogs back in 2012.
The lead track from the new album Lighght (not a typo) is entitled Philosophize In It! Chemicalize With It! and is in tune with his standard indie folk musings, bringing back all that weirdo string stuff that got so much attention way back when. This time though, I find myself effectively lured back to the repeat button upon songs end, a feat never maintained when listening to 151a. The fairy tale string section that invades some parts of the song should honestly be saved for some kind of disney movie about a wrong side of the tracks chick that becomes a princess. But the rest of it is catchy, romantic and grabs shades of classic acts like Death Cab For Cutie and Bright Eyes.
Check it out below and stay tuned for a review following the gig. They’re playing at the Newtown Social Club on Tuesday 1st of July. For those of you that might be keen to attend, tickets are still on sale here: https://newtownsc.ticketscout.com.au/gigs/2587-kishi-bashi