The Pastels are one of the most fondly remembered bands on the
C86 cassette compilation released by British music magazine
New Musical Express in 1986. The Glasgow group helped define
C86‘s earnest, scruffy, melancholy, neo-psychedelic guitar pop.
Since 2000, the Tokyo-based duo Tenniscoats have been making indie pop
that epitomizes what Westerners love about classic Japanese art. With
delicate, sweet female vocals and a gentle, stark-yet-warm minimalism,
Tenniscoats evoke a Zen-like harmony with the natural world. Sung in
both Japanese and English, Two Sunsets is the first
collaboration between the two bands.
The Pastels bring a more overt 1960s pop sensibility to the mix, and
Tenniscoats give the Pastels an exotic, classy polish that still
preserves both bands’ casual, heart-on-sleeve identities. Incorporating
loungey horns and soft, shuffling percussion, much of the album boasts
a Japanese-flavored Burt Bacharach sound. Two Sunsets’ listening
is decidedly very easy, which can be an asset or a liability depending
on your mood. If you’re after something a bit more caffeinated, the
music can drift off into dismissible background noise. But if you’re
seeking sedative sounds, the album’s mellow, indisputable beauty is
satisfyingly relaxing. Together, Tenniscoats and the Pastels supply
some exquisite, exotic lounge pop. — Michael David
Toth
This article appears in Sep 23-29, 2009.
