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Koji

Fury EP

Written by: TL on 03/08/2015 15:08:44

Harrisburg activist and songwriter Andrew Koji Shiraki has been active for a number of years now, both as a solo acoustic performer and with a full backing band, and on his newest EP "Fury" it's the latter side of him fans get to hear. Through four tracks, Koji mixes soft grunge riffs and power-pop choruses, while his soft, raspy singing style brings to mind bands like Silversun Pickups, Smashing Pumpkins and The Weakerthans, with especially the former feeling similar, as Koji sings with a comparable downplayed style.

The restrained intensity in the singing does nothing, however, to hinder the songs from quickly establishing themselves as the deceptively catchy sort, as especially the titular first track soon etches itself into your memory with the recurring "In a hurry I stepped in, in a fury I'll leave". The following "Breaking And Broken" is similar, yet a bit slower, with warm guitar chords once more channeling a 90s vibe, while "Everyday" ramps the tempo up and goes for a more sunny and timeless, Americana-soaked powerpop nuance. "Oh how my longing heart just needs you" sings Koji, sounding like he could've been streaming out of a car radio on the way to the beach during any of the past four decades.

The EP closes with "Question", which once again changes gear, now to a more trudging, introspective pace, drawing out the notes in another simple yet effective chorus melody. It leaves you with an appreciation for the record, and the feeling that it's over too soon, despite the fact that the songwriting technique has seemed more traditional and dependable than straight up exciting. There's simply a wonderfully immersive quality to the hum of the guitar and the texture of Koji's voice in Will Yip's production job, which resonates with the subtle efficiency of the hook melodies, making you likely to leave the EP on your playlist for an extended period, feeling a nice sense of recognition each time you make it back to it.

Download: Fury, Question
For The Fans Of: Silversun Pickups, Smashing Pumpkins, The Weakerthans
Listen: facebook.com/kojimusic

Release date 16.06.2015
No Sleep Records