Review Summary: Half Japanese still stray far from the beaten path. However, this time they actually have a clue where they’re headed and how they got there.
Jad Fair
This is a name known amongst underground indie and punk circles as harbouring respect and disgust in equal parts. It is almost impossible to read a Half Japanese article or review without encountering the usual suspects: untuned guitar, nasally off-key vocals, unconventional song structure, and the Half Japanese shirt Kurt Cobain wore when he died. It's as if it's mandatory, like a caution sign stating "Beware! These Guys Can't F
ucking Play Their Instruments." There's a rather famous quote where Mr. Jad Fair insists "the only chord [he knows] is the one that connects the guitar to the amp."
Indeed, Half Japanese have been known to pride themselves in their complete disregard for what is considered
proper. They've always written their music however they damn well pleased, and this mindset has resulted in cult status. However, it has also restricted their exposure as many would-be listeners have been repulsed by their sound, and critical reception has ranged from relentless praise to musical incrimination. Nonethless, Jad Fair & co. have been banging trash cans since the 70s, and have become the poster boys of 'outsider music' alongside the likes of Daniel Johnston.
Overjoyed is their latest effort, and has arrived thirteen years since their last release,
Hello.
Hello was polarizing. Some critics praised Half Japanese for making what resembled an
actual indie rock album, while long time fans were discouraged by their approach and thought they'd sacrificed what made them exceptional, or… the lack thereof. You see, much of Half Japanese’s earliest material was comprised of lacklustre pop tunes lost in a sea of f
uckery - albeit,
artistic f
uckery - but at this point, 34 years since the release of their highly influential triple disc debut
Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts, Jad Fair is beginning to realize he doesn’t have to prove anything. He doesn’t
have to make a statement. Half Japanese are quite content to trim the fat and deliver an album that represents their carefree essence, but shows a willingness to mature.
Now, before you go crying
Uno! Dos! Tres!, Half Japanese hasn’t delivered a half-assed insipid shell of their former selves.
Overjoyed is every bit as romantically immature as their other material, and is thoroughly the grooviest record they’ve released to date. Jad’s vocals still retain all their charm, and resemble what Dan Bejar would sound like if he went deaf - in a good way, I promise - and the lyrics are expectedly silly. Old school Half Japanese fans might be dismayed by Half Japanese releasing what is easily their most accessible album, but incoming fans will have something lukewarm to dip their toes in before diving headfirst into the depths of the Half Japanese discography. Worry not, Half Japanese still stray far from the beaten path. However, this time they actually have a clue where they’re headed and how they got there.
