Cody・Lee in a Japanese psychedelic pop band formed back in 2018 as a group of college friends messing about and playing songs. Fortune found their favor though and they pretty quickly met with enough success to consider making the band a full-time gig. Typically, none of this band's success has translated into little more than a batted eye in their direction here in the US. Japanese bands rarely garner a large audience in my native country, and when they do, it's generally because their music was included in an unusually popular anime. At least that's usually my reference point for Japanese music. Yes, I'm an enormous dork. Let's move on.
I don't know how I encountered Cody・Lee. All I can recall is that it involved the internet and a bout of insomnia. This hazy, half-remembered setup is actually a pretty good segue into talking about the band's debut album 生活のニュース (Life News). The album feels like it's landed in my lap via a rip in the fabric of reality, arriving either from another time, another universe entirely.
Twinkling, starlight colored guitars, slipping between the warp and weft of '70s psyche and soul, banking and then swerving left through shades of brit-pop and pop R'nB, acquiring both a taste for melody and hunger for hip hop in route, then going through a final twilight rinse of future funk revival before reaching my ear and getting caught in the grey mesh of my brain, like a falling start landing in a palm of catchers mitt during a cosmic game of baseball. More concisely, it's rare and polished dream-oriented pop with novel twists on familiar sounds. All around ecstatic and inspired stuff.
If I had to pick two top tracks to recommend to get you started, it would have to be the slick, ripple guitar lead "我愛你," a track sopping with nervous excitement and post-surf, sudsy overflow, and the spacey, sky-bop voyage "トゥートルズ." Although, I can't deny the chaotic charm of the controlled demolition and twisted ankle twirl of "When I Was Cityboy."
I can't promise that 生活のニュース will change your life, but I think it will give you a chance to hear something you probably haven't before. You could try to find a band from the US who are doing what Cody・Lee is doing here with a commensurate level of vision and polish, but I doubt you it would be worth the effort. You're welcome to make the attempt though. I'll wait... but I'm going to be listening to 生活のニュース the whole time.
