Spring Colors Challenge - Day 26: Mint*
Fujiya & Miyagi's has more recent albums, but their 2017 self-titled crests above any other high-tide marker they've otherwise washed over. I've always felt Fujiya & Miyagi has received short shrift from the music press, likely because of the tendency of critics to compare them to the significantly less consistent but highly acclaimed LCD Sound System. True, they're also one of those indie bands from the '00s who stressed the pop potential of kosmische musik and dry, post-punk infused funk, but they're definitely a modern rock band first and pastiche second. The irony and nostalgia are there, but so are unsurpassable melodies, unbeatable grooves, and a will to bend time and space to meet people on level, sure-footed terrain. I'm glad that they made the move to give their sixth a self-titled** moniker as the group was well into their career when it dropped, but it feels they're truly in love with the material, and the record sees them playing like they've got nothing but their enthusiasm and something to prove to carry them into the future. It comes across as very fresh and sharp, like the band is carving up new territory and planting a flag in it as if it were their own demesne. They'd essentially lived a full life before this album, and another after its release, but their self-titled still feels like the moment when they really found their stride.
