Plastic Tree
Utsusemi

Tic, tac, tic, tac... the metronome marks 60 BPM, and after a few seconds Utsusemi begins, an ambiguous word like many words in Japanese, which can mean many things and many more because it is written with the syllables used for foreign words. "Utsusemi"... maybe it refers to cicadas, so present in the hot summer days of Tokyo? Or to the real world, represented in many facets? Or even to the tenacity of behaviors? Or perhaps to something else?

The tenth album by Plastic Tree carries with it at least two mysteries: if the first is that of the title, the second is more unsettling, linked to certain mysterious magical and esoteric practices, as can only be read in medieval bestiaries. Over the years, it happens, many things fade and lose their strength, and unfortunately, that's what happened to a band symbol of the '80s, the Cure, one that characterized the '90s, the Smashing Pumpkins, and one that marked the turning point between the two decades, Nirvana. If for the latter, the activity ended due to insurmountable reasons, the other two bands have somewhat faded maybe due to the years, maybe for the money, maybe because of the music market, maybe I don't know... but certainly, they are no longer marking these 2000s with the deep grooves they carved out in past times. And I discovered why: it was Plastic Tree. It was these four Japanese guys, with who knows what secret formula, that stole their talent, technique, themes, image, and even the ability to quickly translate the moment they are experiencing into music. Mixing in a huge cauldron all the best albums of Cure, Nirvana, and Smashing Pumpkins, and adding a huge dose of romance and an ephemeral and light Japanese-style poetry, Plastic Tree has obtained the elixir of perfect music.

Utsusemi may not be the most beautiful album of the band from Chiba, but it is undoubtedly their most mature work: after Nega To Posi of 2007, in which the four paid tribute to their masters with songs brimming with cultured references, Utsusemi proves to be the exercise with which the band managed to surpass their models and reach their masters. It is the transition from theory to practice, from saying to doing, from "I wish I were as good as Robert Smith" to being as good as Robert Smith, from studying references to creating a reference. Exceptional songs such as Replay and Alone Again, Wonderful World (the two singles extracted from the album, which strongly testify that the band deserves international attention) are joined by dazzling displays of brilliance like Tetris, Q or the extraordinary Closer... but truly, I could cite every single track and never be wrong because - incredibly - there isn't a single wrong track, not a weak link. Let's take Fiction, my favorite track: it references the Cure already in the name, has melancholy verses and an explosive chorus like a good grunge song, and an arrangement that clearly recalls Billy Corgan, yet the melody is so infinitely gentle, the lyrics truly moving, and Ryutaro Arimura's sweet voice manage to elevate this song from a good artist's replica to a perfectly autonomous work, of excellent quality as well.

Plastic Tree has never made a secret of loving the three Anglophone bands mentioned, and just now as their idols are setting, they are rising: it's a process that started years ago and has now reached full maturity; it indeed seems that there has been some kind of incredible transfer of talent, otherwise, it doesn't explain why if on one side they are almost living on benefits, on the other side they keep improving more and more. Well, alchemical mysteries.