Lightbulbs, the third LP from Brighton quartet Fujiya & Miyagi, begins uncomfortably close to how 2006’s Transparent Things began: Singer and guitarist David Best chants “Vanilla, Strawberry, Knickerbocker Glory” à la “Fujiya, Miyagi” in “Ankle Injuries” as a drum beat replicates the rhythm of Matt Hainsby’s former bassline. “I saw the ghost of Lena Zavaroni,” whispers Best -- a fitting phrase given the phantasmal qualities of the song -- as if some sort of harbinger of tragedy (Zavaroni was a child star that died at 35 due to complications from anorexia). It only worsens from here.
Typifying the challenge of following up a well-received record, Lightbulbs is similar enough to Transparent Things to deny any pretense of experimentation, yet disparate enough to feel sub-par. At its worst, Things fizzled with a few forgettable songs towards the end, but had strong singles like “Collarbone” and “Conductor 71” to carry the deadweight. Lightbulbs, meanwhile, supplants short-term memory loss with saturated pap.
“Pickpocket” and aptly named “Pussyfooting” are the main offenders, the former suffering from a horrible synth overlay and latter from the combination of David Best’s voice and the word “pussyfooting.” Down-tempo numbers like “Goosebumps” and “Lightbulbs” recall Hot Chip’s electro-balladry, but substitute the charm of Alexis Taylor with shades of pessimism. Only “Uh,” “Dishwasher,” and “Knickerbocker” manage to leave a positive impression of the album, yet not a strong enough one to compensate for the other faux pas.
Even if you dig Fujiya & Miyagi’s blend of krautrock and funk, I would recommend leaving the tracksuit and Reeboks in the closet and sleeping on this one: Lightbulbs exhausts the sleek chic of Fujiya & Miyagi’s previous work to a point of agitation.
Posts
