Hero worship in the best sense
The ’60s have been over for what? 30 years now?
But as the recent chart-topping success of The Beatles #1 demonstrates, the third to the last decade of the previous millenium refuses to go into that good night.
So what to make of Love Psychedelico?
This duo from Japan are so enamoured of their Jefferson Airplane, Rolling Stones and Revolver-era Beatles records, lead singer KUMI even affects a British accent in her Japanese. They’ve even titled their debut album, The Greatest Hits.
Love Psychedelico so faithfully recreate a vintage sound, right down to wheezy organs, clanging klaviers and jangly, twangy guitars, it’s amazing to think anyone in the world would go so retro so hardcore. (Only the drum machines give them away as a modern band.)
Under unskilled hands, this kind of sound could result in true evil, but Love Psychedelico not only manage to avoid nostalgic gimmickery — they make their sound totally work.
Credit that to the group’s incredibly strong songwriting and KUMI’s soaring vocals. Tracks such as “Your Song”, “Lady Madonna”, “Moonly” and “Nostalgia ’69” never tire with repeated listenings.
Even when shades of the past get a bit too familiar — the chorus of “I miss you” is almost a note-for-note quote of “Ruby Tuesday” — Love Psychedelico never fall into the trap of blind hero worship.
If anything, the group has done the miraculous achievement of honoring the past by creating new works in that same idiom. Sort of like folk singers who aren’t afraid to set traditional Gaelic waulking songs to techno beats.
Brings new meaning to the term “idol pop.”