CD: Tanukichan - Sundays

Shoegaze was only a moment really, a scene that flared briefly as the Eighties drew to a close. The music press – the “inkies” - used the term to describe bands, usually flop-fringed with lazy posture, whose heads would hang as they played gigs, ostensibly because they were looking at effects pedals and wotnot, but really because they and their music were shy.

Following the example of My Bloody Valentine, they’d found a way to hide their pop songs amid distortion, deep down in it. But what no-one realised was that shoegaze’s reach would be so far and long.

Who knows whether Hannah van Loon from Oakland, California, was influenced by Galaxie 500, Mazzy Star, Slowdive and the rest, but, as Tanukichan, her music emanates a lot of those shoegaze flavours, albeit she doesn’t major in the heavy version, she’s in the dreamier mode, the vibe is more honeyed bongs than nodding out on smack. One of the key features of shoegaze was that it sounded opiated, even if the players had never been anywhere near the fruit of the poppy in their life. Sundays, dominated by van Loon’s hazed-out airy voice, certainly has this quality.

Working with Chaz Bear who owns Company, the label that releases this album, is a fitting choice for van Loon since his own work as Toro Y Moi veers firmly towards spacey synths in places. Tanukichan has synthesizers and steadily paced drum machines (the latter especially on “Perfect”) but Sundays fits more easily into the world of indie and trad songwriting than electronica. “Hunned Bandz” has a heavy – albeit stoned – buzzy guitar riff at its core, “Like the Sun” is a nod to the Cocteau Twins, and songs such as “The Blue Sky” are simply sweet.

Sundays is too derivative to truly create waves but in terms of presenting a new songwriter, it’s a likeable showcase.

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Below: watch the video for "Lazy Love" by Tanukichan