Boris (花・太陽・雨)

Just in is the brand new album by the biggest main-stays in my CD player, Boris. Smile is everything I love about the soft-hard crunch and drone of these three brilliant musicians/artists from Japan.

From the cover of PYG's "Flower, Sun, Rain" (花・太陽・雨), to the "Too Fast for Love"-esque "Statement" (or "Hante!" "放て!", "Shoot!" in Japan), this album covers all bases from Pink to Akuma No Uta and even hearkens back at times to the bottom-heavy days of Amplifier Worship, especially on the "Untitled" (bonus track, "You Put Up Your Umbrella Part 2") which features a guest appearance by the man who must have a guitar strapped on at all times, Stephen O'Malley.

Smile is warm and inviting while playing the harsh and disturbing card in the same hand. And with the first 3,000 mail order versions containing a bonus DVD of the videos for "Pink", "Statement" and "My Neighbor Satan" (my copy is #1018), this is by far one of the best, most entertaining and utterly rich Boris releases to date. Go to southernlord.com and grab one up along with other Boris releases and merch.

(((03)))