Going forth with a bold stylistic shift, Kero Kero Bonito introduce a rather gristly over driven guitar tone into the mix! Not only do they dial back the childish quirk and charm established prior, the keys too recoil from punchy unabashed aesthetics. Time 'N' Place has the trio trying on new shoes. When sticking to their guns, they find a glossy, serine temperament stepping into classic Pop vibes with a modern edge. On the other front, hints of Grunge, Indie Pop and Shoegazing push them towards the uncanny valley as creative ideas clash with a touch of imposter syndrome lurking nearby.
Alongside the strives into guitar driven territory, the group take failing inspiration from the abrasive scenes of Glitch and Noise music. Three tracks in and Only Acting grates away with intentional CD skips leading into a ear aching assault of sharp fuzz on the listening. It seems so pointless, a barrage of disorientation that doesn't resolve to anything of interest. Fortunately these grating oddities are few and far between.
It
doesn't look good among a series of misses. Opening with Outside, the
Shoegazing kicks off on an odd note, not quite gelling with the
sparkling synths found glittering around its chord progressions. From
their most the songs land on odd footings, just not landing a charm as
they low through a string of simple themes and old timely vibes. Late in
the track listing, Sometimes is another stride beyond means. Aiming for
a youthful, folksy pub sing along, the brash acoustic guitar strumming
clashes with unrehearsed singing. The VGM 8bit synth jam that takes
place alongside sours too.
Most the songs are inoffensive but oddly mediocre in the shadow of their other works. It makes for a dull, lukewarm listen that often drags. Bit of a shame considering how interesting I've found this group up to this point. In fact what comes after with Civilization II is remarkable, a major difference from whats to be heard here. Time 'N' Space feels like the new ideas they brought to the mix didn't have the chemistry.
Rating: 4/10