A grey cat is lying on her back, paws up, floating through the autumn sky, towards the smiling new moon, accompanied by three lonely stars that frame her like a necklace, gazing towards infinity in a zero gravity midnight blue bliss.
That describes what represents one of the most beautiful record sleeves I've come across so far, in all its naive, hand drawn glory. Yet those very lines might as well apply to the record itself, offering a rare instance of perfect synchronicity between artwork and music: they both reflect a sense of melancholic, bittersweet, childish sensitivity.
It's been one of my favorite albums from the moment a good friend introduced me to it - and not just because of the sleeve, although I must confess it might have played a great role in my giving it a first listen. It is one of those albums you just listen from one end to the other, share it with all your friends and keep listening it for ages, till you know it by heart.
Considering that Yuka Ijichi is a Japanese artist, it would be easy to fall into the simplistic kawaii interpretation - however, I think the tape manages to override the ''cutesy'' label. This is a rare, beautiful gem that sounds pretty much like nothing else while being strangely familiar - like finding an old photograph in the flea market of someone who vaguely resembles your grandmother. As far as psychedelic folk bands go, I did have a soft spot for all the improvisational Finnish artists such as Lau Nau, Kuupu or Avarus, not to mention all the American freak-folk scene of 2004-2008. But Yuka Ijichi is pretty much an artist that came out of nowhere, covered in the glowing aura only a pre-internet era bedroom musician could have, oozing of that overly emotional twee naiveté and lo fi aesthetics.
In the Japanese context, probably the band I feel it closest to would be the Maher Shalal Hash Baz, especially for their underlying pop sensitivities. Maybe that's what makes Peanuts Butter particularly attractive - deep down, it is a very pop, melodic album in the most Brian Wilson sense of the word, while also incorporating psychedelic elements, a twee heart-on-sleeve sincerity all wrapped up in subtle, fuzzy analog tape hiss. Much of its psychedelic charm lies in the gorgeous spacy guitar twang provided by Kiyohiro Takada of the infamous 1960s' avant-garde band Les Rallizes Dénudés, another big influence on the record. Despite this guest underground star appearance, Yuka Ijichi displays a singular voice, certainly infused by those great heroes of the past, yet as someone who has internalized those influences and is ready to create something of their own.
Peanuts Butter is a wonderful little treasure that stands out in the Sloow Tapes catalogue, an excellent Belgian label which rarely disappoints. So grab Mr. Snuggles, cozy up in your cocooning duvet and slowly drift into dreamland while watching your ceiling planetarium quietly fade away.
Tracklist:
A1. Ride Your PonyA2. Doo Dah
A3. People Around Me
A4. Hand Glass
B1. Sunday Afternoon
B2. Nawashiro Strawberry
B3. A Sand Dune
B4. Doo Dah (Closet Mix)