CD Review: Shonen Knife – Overdrive

CD Review: Shonen Knife – Overdrive
Damnably
April 2014
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
6/10

It takes a bigger talent than I to dream up a catchy melody to the line “the bad luck song might be my good luck song, this is the best way of thinking”, but the crazy Japanese pocket rockets of Shonen Knife can do that and a lot more on their twentieth studio album – perhaps it’s a superpower of sorts.

It takes more than a catchy melody to make a decent song, however, but Shonen Knife have a well established signature sound that draws from pop punk, The Ramones, Sixties girl groups and no doubt Japanese pop culture (of which I know nothing), and it’s their quirky cuteness that elevates this above just another 3-chord pop punk affair.

Singer/guitarist (and only remaining original member) Naoko Yamano leads from the front whether she’s singing about Shopping (with a cleverly disguised anti-consumerism message), good times or food (Ramen Rock, Green Tea), throwing in plenty of classic rock references and almost makes up for the repetitive lyrics that their limited English can offer. Dance To The Rock and Robots From Hell especially suffer from repetition and a lack of wordplay.

Category: CD Reviews