Kishi Bashi

I was scared to listen to Kishi Bashi's (K Ishiabashi) new album because his previous album,151a, is one of my favorite albums released in the last couple of years. I hold that muthafucker up on a pedestal. And when I hold up certain albums on a pedestal the subsequent release is bound for disappointment.

BUT I forced myself to erase 151a from my ears and to listen to K's new album Lighght because I like K; he remains one of my favorite SYFFAL interviews. Not many will go toe to toe with me and Joel in an exchange of toilet humor because it doesn't really appease the masses...it just appeases me and Joel. Come to think of it, I'm not sure our interview with K had anything to do with music; it was a blur of swears and boner jokes. The end result was so awesomely hideous that K had to keep it on the down low in fear of offending his grandmother. BUT he didn't ask us to take it down and that is why K is alright in our book. He is one upstanding muthafucker who loves his Mema....and has a strange fetish for elephant dung. What more could you ask for in a bro?

SO, earlier in the week I drank a bottle of ammonia to clear the 151a cobwebs from my brain and on my way home from the hospital I grabbed Joel and we dove into Lighght feet first. (We're bad at diving)

This is what we thought....

Tom: I hoped K wasn't going to ditch or tone down the strange loops he creates with his violin because it makes Kishi Bashi stand out as an artist. It creates a live feel in recorded format, and to me, it's his signature sound. BUT thankfully in the first 10 seconds of this album I heard what I wanted to hear....those wacky sped up violin loops that sound like your listening to the audio of a beta max tape in fast forward. AHHHHHH. For some reason that shit completes me.

Joel: Going into this I wasn't sure how this shit was going to sit with me since Tom likes it, and sometimes I like to not like things just because Tom likes them because even when he doesn't react to it, I know it still hurts his adorable feelings. That being said, this album is fucking mesmerizing. It's like Andrew Bird on mushrooms, but where Andrew Bird was a huge Paul McCartney and Bob Geldof fan before eating the mushrooms, and he was really into pornography. That being said, this is intricately inspiring and I couldn't imagine not being completely fucking in love with this album.

EVEN THE 'MR. STEAK 'SONG IS NOW SOMETHING I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR AGAIN.

Tom: Yeah, I will pass on the 'Mr. Steak' song because it doesn't make my booty booty shake shake and it reminds me of the animated burger scene in Better Off Dead that used to freak me out when I was a kid. But EVERY OTHER track on this album is grade A beef.

And your description, although accurate, is just a ripple in a pond. I'll take it one step further: if Kishi Bashi was a wine he'd be the rarest and most coveted wine because he consists of the most diverse pallet notes. This asshole just does everything so well: the composition of the strings, his voice (which I think has gotten better on this album), the lyrics...and as much as I'd like to nail his sound down to some obscure genre...or say that he sounds like this or like that....I've come to the conclusion that Kishi Bashi sounds like Kishi Bashi. His music is the definition of eccentricity. He is the only planet in his galaxy. His sweat is derived of the finest nectars and shamans come from lands far and wide to collect it in a platinum vial. His skin is unblemished, except for that small freckle in the shape of Abraham Lincoln on his left butt cheek. And his natural musk brings George Clooney to his knees.

Is that a fair assessment?

Joel: Fair assessment? No. Accurate? Yes. Fairly accurate? Asi asi.

I'll have you know, Kishi Bashi is considered a unit of measure when discussing happiness, so when one achieved a level of Kishi Bashi it was customary to donate a smile to a random stranger. I've, so far, donated a good three handfuls of smiles to random strangers because of this fucking album. Albeit all smiles were donated while driving, smiling at people is safer than texting while driving bro. C'mon bro. Bro?
The song that first made me tilt my head like a dog who looks confused was 'Q&A'. What a fucking goofily romantic fucking song. As much as it sounds like he's almost mocking the idea of love, he's absolutely hitting the nail on the head with the sentiment he's dropping on us. While it's almost Nick Drake-y, it's so fucking honest. I can't wait to slip it on while my wife is in the car next to me just to see if she squeezes my hand while over my hand while I try to cop a feel, after asking permission. BECAUSE IT IS NEVER OKAY TO VIOLATE A WOMAN, EVEN IF SHE POKES YOU IN THE BUTTHOLE WHEN WALKING BEHIND YOU UP THE STAIRS BRO. AND EVEN IF YOU'RE INTO THAT UNREQUESTED BUTTHOLE POKING.

Tom: BRO....'Q&A'. If you give me that tilted head dog look then i'm going to be forced to scratch your belly until you uncontrollably kick your leg in ecstasy. And not because you are pathetically adorable Joel; it's because this song makes me want to do good things for other people. Throw musical taste out the window; the simplicity of this song crosses boundaries because lyrically everybody can relate to it. This track reminds me a lot the video for 'First Day Of My Life' by Bright Eyes. The video is just catching the warm and fuzzy reactions of random couples, from all walks of life, listening to the lyrics with headphones on. As a viewer it forces you to listen to the lyrics too and enjoy the human elements of life. It's these rare songs that can't be defined by a genre...they are just HUMAN. Nothing more. Nothing less:

You are the answer to my question
You are my accomplice in a crime
You are my wingwoman, and did I mention
We were together in another life
In that dream, you probably were my wife
(Q&A streaming immediately below)

Joel: FREAL DUDE. The fact that it makes me wish I could squeeze my wifepiece's hand is pretty telling in how fucking electrically natural those fucking lyrics are. 'Q&A' might be one of the better love songs ever written.

But if we're talking best tracks on the album, you can't even front: 'HAHAHA Part 1' and 'HAHAHA Part 2' are just perfect. The 1:37 mark of 'Part 2' makes me want to start 'Part 1' over and then listen all the way through over and over and over and over. The way these two songs make me feel is three eighths fortitudinal, half syncopatic, and 75% roshashana it's so fucking indescribably beautiful. The fluttering purr of the strings on this track, as the delay decays, just hits me in the feels and I can only liken it to feeling of the sun on your skin for the first time in days, and all you can do is smile with your eyes shut and lean back and let that delicious shine pour onto you like a fucking 55 gallon drum of skittles bro.

I never want those two songs to stop playing on repeat bro.

Tom: Once again, I'm not going to fight you on the 'HAHAHA's'. Those 2 tracks are so embedded into my brain from repeat listening that it was the soundtrack to my nightmare last night: I was getting a handsie from Foofa in Yo Gabba Gabba land and once Brobee found out he started beating the shit out of me with those long ass arms. And then rather than helping me, Muno just stood there laughing. 'HAHAHAHAHAHAHA'. It was so trippy....and erotic...and scary.

But as a whole, the album almost seems like it's split down the middle where on one half we have the crazy ass compositions and on the other half we have camouflaged pop songs. Now I say camouflaged because they are dressed up with enough weirdness for a hipster to not turn up his/her nose at them, but they still have 'the 1, 2, 3, and the 4 on the floor' sub floor. I gotta say that I like this halvsie/halvsie approach because it keeps my ears on their toes...if they had toes. You knows? (Hahaha Pt. 2 streaming immediately below)

Joel: Ear toes are the best toes broes. I agree that there seems to be a dividing line between (BETWITXT BRO) the WHERE THE HELL AM I and THIS PILLOW IS MAAAD COMF BRO songs on the album. I like some from both, and I've even learned to appreciate the song about 'Mr. Steak', but there are four songs on this album that are absolutely fucking perfect.

Because of these four songs, I would call the entire album a success and a front runner for album of the quarter, and quite possibly in my top ten of 2014. I don't really care much for those lists we do because I always forget shit, but dude, Kishi Bashi fucking murders this shit.

I would totes bone him bro.

Tom: Kishi Bashi is on my unofficial top 5 list of Japanese Americans who can sport a mohawk and play violin. Actually, come to think of it...I think he has the market cornered.

Lighght is the perfect continuation to his career projectory. If you are a big Kishi Bashi fan and a worry wart like me, this album is the perfect follow up to 151a; the sound is uncompromised, but more elements have been thrown into the mix. Lighght sounds a bit bigger and more grande. NOW I have to go see these songs performed live. Because the only thing better than a Kishi Bashi album is a Kishi Bashi live performance - where he basically recreates the sound on his album right in front of you via looping pedals. shit is daw jropping. Yes, your daw will be on the floor.