Archery Sound System is a five-man band that has been around for a few years. Their music is a mix of electronica, pop and rock, a combination that is refreshingly eclectic. Their latest single,
Midnight Driving E.P, was released in August, and it is a good sample of what to expect from the band.
The single starts with
Midnight Amusement, and the intro immediately makes the title clear: the ringing synthesized melody brings to mind an evening out at an amusement park. The imagery of blinking lights and whirling rides is crystal clear. The mood of the song is very relaxed and carefree, with the guitars acting as a muted background for the futuristic sounding tune. The deeper sounding vocals are a nice contrast to the sharp synth notes. Towards the end of the song, laughter from a funhouse is laced into the instrumental break, completing the amusement park theme.
The following song,
Inside Step, is faster and seems more complex. The layering of guitars and keyboards is perfect, blending to create a dreamy, psychedelic background. Vocalist
Kondo Daisuke sounds a little rough at first, but during the chorus, his reedy voice meshes well with the melody. The chorus also evokes a retro, discotheque feeling. The guitars stand out a bit more during the instrumental breaks and even get a short solo, and the running guitar refrain throughout the song is a catchy hook.
Inside Step ends on a high note, and the knee-jerk reaction to the final bass chord is to applaud.
Midnight Driving E.P is certainly a single worth putting on while going out for a nighttime drive. It’s danceable, yet soothing, and hopefully
Archery Sound System will give us more to listen to in the near future.
The single is available for purchase at
HearJapan.
