Following their 2022 record, Let’s Promise to Be Happy (しあわせになるから、なろうよ), Japanese math-rock group JYOCHO are back with a brand-new album, Unforgettable Memories (忘れたくないこと), marking a pivotal moment in the band’s history as they also announced the departure of their vocalist and plans to retire from touring live.
This album is a little bittersweet for me. Being based in the UK, we rarely see the arrival of Japanese bands on our shores, especially Japanese math-rock bands. Sure, ArcTanGent has facilitated the arrival of bands like Paranoid Void, Tricot, and MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS, but it’s not overly often. One of the bands I’ve been keen to see live is JYOCHO, but in April, around the time they announced their new album, the band revealed that their vocalist and keyboardist, Netako Nekota, will be leaving the band, and thus the band will be going on hiatus from touring.
So I guess I’m shit out of luck when it comes to seeing this band live, which is a shame.
The good news, however, is that the band plans to continue creating and releasing new music. So, as the last album with Netako on vox/keys, how is it? In short, it’s great, but there’s something a little off.
You know when a band does something that makes you feel a little uneasy? Well, JOYOCHO have done this for me. I adore their music, but recently they’ve made some questionable choices on their social media, specifically around the use of AI. To promote the album, the band dropped an “Official AI music video”, the kicker: the video was essentially AI-generated footage of forestry and nature.
For a band that is so intrinsically beautiful in both their composition and the overall vibe of their music, it left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. Adding to this, after critism in the comments, it seems they’ve updated the caption of the post with “AI as a tool, not a replacement”. Which I get; I truly do. But the irony of using AI to generate images of lush green forestry and nature is lost on them.
Anyway, with that out of the way, musically the album is as stunning as ever. I’ve always adored the way the band intertwines with one another. Guitarist Daijiro Nakagawa can play the guitar like no other, and no matter what he does, I’ll always be enamoured by his playing. That’s not to say the rest of the band rides on his coat tails; on the contrary. This only goes to highlight the immense talent that the rest of the band holds.
There is just one area where this album fails, and that’s having a song that truly stands out among the rest. Albums like The Beautiful Cycle of Terminal (美しい終末サイクル) or Days in the Bluish House (碧い家で僕ら暮らす) have songs that are deeply ingrained in my mind with rhythmic hooks and melodies that I can’t shake. Unforgettable Memories (忘れたくないこと) doesn’t quite have that. Compared to their previous releases, this album is, ironically, a little forgettable.
There’s no doubt that this album oozes talent and JYOCHO’s iconic sound, with intricate guitar and bass playing, odd time signatures, chaotic drums, and an angelic flute that flows among Netako’s delicate vocals and keys. But there’s what feels like a cornerstone song missing from the album. It’s a good JYOCHO album, but it’s not a GREAT JYOCHO album.
Overall, Unforgettable Memories (忘れたくないこと) is a great addition to JYOCHO’s catalogue. While it’s yet to really stick with me like previous releases, it’s a welcome addition to my collection and one that will surely grow on me over time, but initial impressions put this fairly low in my ratings of JYOCHO releases.
Score: 6/10
JYOCHO released Unforgettable Memories (忘れたくないこと) on June 10 via No Big Deal Records