Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs
“Lightbulbs,” the third LP from Brighton quartet Fujiya & Miyagi, begins uncomfortably close to how 2006’s “Transparent Things” began: Singer and guitarist David Best chants “Vanilla, Strawberry, Knickerbocker Glory” à la “Fujiya, Miyagi” in “Ankle Injuries” as a drum beat replicates the rhythm of Matt Hainsby’s former bassline. “I saw the ghost of Lena Zavaroni,” whispers Best—a fitting phrase given the phantasmal qualities of the song—as if some sort of harbinger of tragedy (Zavaroni was a child star that died at 35 due to complications from anorexia). It only worsens from here.
Typifying the challenge of following up a well-received record, “Lightbulbs” is similar enough to “Transparent Things” to deny any pretense of experimentation, yet disparate enough to feel sub-par. At its worst, Things fizzled with a few forgettable songs towards the end, but had strong singles like “Collarbone” and “Conductor 71” to carry the deadweight. Lightbulbs, meanwhile, supplants short-term memory loss with saturated pap.
“Pickpocket” and aptly named “Pussyfooting” are the main offenders, the former suffering from a horrible synth overlay and latter from the combination of David Best’s voice and the word “pussyfooting.” Down-tempo numbers like “Goosebumps” and “Lightbulbs” recall Hot Chip’s electro-balladry, but substitute the charm of Alexis Taylor with shades of pessimism. Only “Uh,” “Dishwasher,” and “Knickerbocker” manage to leave a positive impression of the album, yet not a strong enough one to compensate for the other faux pas.
Even if you dig Fujiya & Miyagi’s blend of krautrock and funk, I would recommend leaving the tracksuit and Reeboks in the closet and sleeping on this one: “Lightbulbs” exhausts the sleek chic of Fujiya & Miyagi’s previous work to a point of agitation.
