Iwaou (EP)
MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS
[review-body]
MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS (MASS) has a rather deep reputation and legacy within the American side of Japanese music fandom. one i’ve been fascinated by for years. you see, if you go on to any Japanese music forum you’ll see posts mention “all time favorite albums”, or “underrated gems”, or “top music ever released”. within these posts, time after time after time, MASS’ 2009 album World Is Yours will find a mention, usually within the top of these lists. the legacy of this band run’s deep within these communities, even if they still remain relatively unknown today. coming in to Iwaou feels like an important release, even if the scale of the importance might be comparatively small against larger music icons. Iwaou is a brisk six track release, with a similar momentum running through it. Iwaou feels like the matured sound of a band that long ago found their voice, although since their 2009 album, have shifted their sound significantly. Iwaou feels distinctly influenced by American alternative, sometimes in a way that threatens to feels generic.
Iwaou feels best when lead singer Natsuko Miyamoto comes in clear over the intense drumming and fuzzy interference revving the EP’s engine. her voice sounds crystal clear and in tune, giving the music a powerful identity. its when she sings that the music can be parsed from its influences and begin to feel original. for this reason songs like “Let It Go” and “Iwaou” feel like the standouts of the EP, by leaning into her performance. when the experience falls back on instrumentals alone, the EP starts to flatten out. a flattening that comes from leaning too far into their western influence. not a complete bad thing. i can tell it’s the sound they are happily pushing for. their last album Awakening:Sleeping feeling its best in the song “Dramatic”, which dives fully into this shoegaze rock. the song demonstrates their new persona while keeping their internal edge. so while it is usually a blend of this universal sound that i find so curious and cool, i wouldn’t mind a bit more identity as well, especially in Iwaou. the EP sounds its very best when Miyamoto is at the front.
“Dareka ga kizu ou sono shunkan wo” centers her voice in the first stretch to a magnificent degree. letting the music come in after establishing her presence. the remainder of the song only amplifies her efforts. an organic feeling sound coming from the band in soaring guitar riffs and thrashing percussion. the song drums out explosively as Miyamoto’s voice keeps the chaos tuned in. it manages to pull the EP away from its own gravity in a way i really like.
“Let It Go” feels a bit more pop focused in a way i also really enjoy. taking orbit a bit further away into a more approachable style of music is when MASS sounds best. the approachable and more pop focused sound giving the EP some necessary shape. Miyamoto, again, specifically shines in her somewhat cutesy yet largely formidable voice projection. her performance is layered and intriguing in her emotion and control. in “Iwaou” she sounds a bit more dark and melancholic giving the song an appreciable weight.
i would also like to call out the final track “Ghost”. not for finding a unique sound, but for tying down the EP into a thematic finish. it makes the work appreciably more listenable and makes it easier to want to slide back in to replay. i find the 9 minute run time no trouble at all.
Iwaou is an excellent extension of the band, displaying their long matured and explorative modern sound. while some points of the EP lose their identity in common American-feeling alternative rock, they also find a unique power when combining this sound with their Japanese identity. an identity that only bolsters their signature rather hinder it, from potential global recognition. MASS seems to think so too. trusting in Miyamoto’s voice is the key to the heart of Iwaou. the alternative style grunge is a great aesthetic, one that will excite plenty of western Japanese music nerds specifically, and i’m sure Japanese comma music nerds as well. i love the grunge and the noise, specifically when it isn’t marinating in itself.
[review-footer]
Highlights
Let It Go
Dareka ga Kizu o Ou Sono Shunkan o
Iwaou
Ghost
Tracklist
Simmer Summer
Let It Go
Hers
Dareka ga Kizu o Ou Sono Shunkan o
Iwaou
Ghost
