It might come as a surprise to those of you who regularly read my Idol reviews, but I do enjoy music that’s a bit softer on occasion. When I do it’s usually in the form of either Shoegaze or Dream Pop and that’s exactly what Saitama 4-piece SPOOL are serving up on their self-titled debut album. The band’s influences are there for all who are familiar with them to hear but the group do a great job of presenting their own take on the album’s selection of genres. Several older songs have been reworked for the album release, fan favorite “sway, fade away” among them. The album’s at times rather dense Shoegaze instrumentation, often thinned out by a dreamy Pop piece or three, likely isn’t going to appeal to everyone I must admit. Frontwoman Kobayashi Ayumi’s low, breathy vocals definitely aren’t your typical Pop/Rock stuff either but they do take on a more raw edge in songs such as “Let me down” or closing track “No, thank you”. If you’re into Shoegaze or Dream Pop already then this is some good stuff, if not then maybe give this album a try and see what you think.
