Quruli's latest album, Antenna, is definitely more intimate and approachable than their previous albums (Zukan, Team Rock, The World Is Mine). It's almost entirely rock. As in, pure guitar, drums in the spotlight. A subtle hint of a digitally created sound here and there, but almost nothing. It has to be their most minimal album. But it speaks so much. They have a new drummer now, Christopher Maguire. And I like his work, as traditional as it may be. It's still solid. I think he is also their first non-Japanese band member. I think Quruli is composed of four people right now.
"Good Morning", the first track on the album, relaxes me but makes me quite blue at the same time. Yet I prefer to think of it as a security blanket song. That sort of thing.
I think it's admirable, really. Their previous albums had their variety of rock as well as pop tunes. "Bara no Hana" was the first song I heard by them and I wanted to make a music video about it for years. Later, "Guilty" (from their album "The World Is Mine") was a good opening song and possibly an even better song for some opening sequence.
Now, they revert to a simpler sound. But it has so much energy and warmth. I wonder where they will go with their next album?
McGuire is a good friend of mine. He's done extensive work in Minneapolis and is quite arguably the most skilled drummer that has come from the area in some time. He was originally from Ohio, drummed for the first American band to be signed to the v2 label, if I'm not mistaken.
Watch for him in the future! - Anna
