Spangle call Lilli line - ghost is dead
01. azure
02. echoes of S
03. ghost in a closet
04. escort & landing
05. feel uneasy
06. dawn draw near
07. iris
08. evoke
09. anthology of time
10. constellation
11. sogna
Spangle call Lilli line has been one of the mainstays of the Japanese indie scene for well over a decade now. After forming in 1998 and releasing their debut self-titled album in 2001, the band has consistently released quality material earning them a high degree of respect amongst J-Indie fans. In the past, the band’s release schedule had been rather fast-paced, sometimes releasing multiple full-lengths in the same year; such as ISOLATION and PURPLE in 2008 as well as VIEW and forest at the head of a river in 2010. Since then, however, the rate of their output has dried up significantly. In fact, ghost is dead marks the band’s first full-length release in over five years, following vocalist Kana Otsubo’s entry into motherhood and bandmates Ken Fujieda & Kiyoaki Sasahara’s work lives becoming more and more time-consuming. Such a renowned band releasing an album after such a long period of inactivity can be both a cause for excitement and for apprehension, so the question naturally begs to be asked - does ghost is dead succeed or fail?
If there’s a single word that I’d choose to describe SCLL’s approach on ghost is dead, it would be “minimalist.” SCLL have never been the most technically complex band, but there’s a markedly more simple approach to songwriting here than on their previous efforts. This can be most notably observed on songs like ghost in a closet, iris, and sogna, but nevertheless permeates the rest of the album too. It's not a bad thing, however, one of SCLL's most defining traits over the years has been their ability to remain consistently inconsistent. There's a certain quality to Otsubo's vocals and their musical underpinning that helps to keep the band's discography feeling consistent in terms of its overall vibe, regardless of whether they're playing accessible indie-rock, orchestral pop, or longer, more complex tracks. In that respect ghost is dead feels right at home within their discography. Otsubo's wispy vocals are as relaxing as they've ever been, and the more minimalistic songwriting feels like less of a case of laziness and more like a case of the band embracing the elegance of simplicity.
All this talk of a highly-respected Japanese indie-band returning after a long absence with an album notably more restrained and minimalistic than their previous releases might remind some people of another notable release from earlier this year; namely toe's HEAR YOU. Indeed, in many ways the two albums are rather similar with regards to the way that they both feel situated within their respective bands discographies, but where ghost is dead succeeds while toe's effort can sometimes feel underwhelming is in the fact that SCLL's music has often served more as a musical landscape upon which Kana's vocals take center-stage. toe, by contrast, has always been a predominantly instrumental band, and an instrumentally complex one at that. Although embracing more minimalism in their music, SCLL haven't taken anything away from their core sound. Kana's vocals are are as soothing and beautiful as they've always been, and the album still feels very much in the same vein as the rest of their discography.
That said, however, one obvious side-effect of the approach that SCLL have opted to take this time around is that there aren't as many standout songs on the album compared to some of their previous efforts. azure is perhaps the album's most energetic and catchy song, whereas feel uneasy also stands out for being the first SCLL track to feature guest vocals in the form of moto kawabe from mitsume. Otherwise, however, I'd say that ghost is dead is best enjoyed as an overall package rather than as a collection of individual songs (something that seems to have been a common trait on a lot of indie releases this year, I feel). There's a remarkable consistency on the album, but those waiting for that one killer track to come along may feel somewhat underwhelmed.
Nevertheless, Spangle call Lilli line have been absent for far too long, and ghost is dead marks a welcome return for a band that has earned their place in the hearts of many over the years. It may not be the most memorable release in their discography overall, nor the most musically proficient or experimental, but it's still everything that an SCLL album should be, and after such a long time in the game it's surprising that they're still able to release music of such quality. With the band being so busy in their personal/work lives these days it could very well be the last release we get from them for quite some time, but encouragingly it seems that there's still a lot of life left in the band... when they can find the time to write new music.
