Okay Japanese doom sludge drone rockers Boris love the Melvins. After all they named themselves after a track from their Bullhead album. So not only are they cool and love the Melvins, they’re so cool that they love early Melvins. This is their 14th or so album, and if you’re familiar with their oeuvre you’d be aware that not unlike the Melvins they’ve travelled in all kinds of weird and wonderful directions over the years. And despite the fact that their second track on Smile is called Buzz-in, with some classic Melvins high speed riffage (though they can’t manage to conjure up King Buzzo’s triumphant growl), they’re not a Melvins tribute band. In fact Smile is genuinely difficult to get a handle on. The opener Flower Sun Rain takes an almost folk direction with much singing and repetition before going into the most raw gut churning over the top relentless guitar solo seemingly to reward/ punish you having stuck in for so long. Then there’s Laser Beam which courts classic punk rock, Statement sounds like Queens of the Stone Age would if they were a real band, a sort of drony rocky poppy dirge with difficult experimental shreiking guitars and back up harmonies, whilst My Neighbour Satan is their torch ballad that turns into a real bluesy stoner rock out where you are left somewhere between pumping your fist in the air at the psychedelic grandeur of it all and holding a plate of cheese. Sun O))) icon Stephen O’Malley pops in for an untitled final track which assists in developing their experimental credentials with subdued heavily treated guitars intersecting before it’s stalked, almost from another room by another band mid grove that takes over then stops abruptly. Later the track builds into a sludged out shoegazer doom jam. The verdict is that their mixer should get off the mushrooms – or perhaps take more, because it only assists in the confusion that is Smile. I personally think it is hilarious, and fearsome. But in all honesty I have no idea what’s going on here. And what’s with the title? Are they Beach Boys fans as well?
Bob Baker Fish
