Suspicious Beasts - Used To Be Beautiful [Import] - New LP

hoo-ray! this is the coolest record we heard out of Japan since years! end! stop here! You need the full story? Then it has to be started back in the day when this rocknroll counter revolution spaceship was geared up in high school. Fink and all the kids kicked off the golden 90´s of Japanese buzzsaw punk with the RAYDIOS, FIRESTARTER, HAVENOTS and a bunch of killer 45 from Nippon. (MW)



MRR - MAXIMUMROCKNROLL(US) #369 Almost immediately, this Japanese band reminded me of REIGNING SOUND, complete with some organ and harmonica. I’m really glad I got this one. Awesome crooning over ’60s garage inspired pop? Yes, please. Mix tape gold! No lyrics included. (DZ)

SUNDAY EXPERIENCE (UK) In short the dogs danders, this babe is so hot it literally melts the turntable on impact. Many thanks are due to those dudes over at alien snatch who shipped this beauty out in quick fire time. Mentioned in passing a little while back in despatches this is the limited re-press of Japans Suspicious Beasts’ debuting full length platter entitled ‘used to be beautiful’. to cut to the chase a grade A slab of smoking rock-a-hula is what’s on offer for your hard earned readies which from the minute the stylus crackle fades on the opening ‘Sister Maree’ to its reluctant release at the parting ‘pretty horse’ will have the purists among you simply swooning and wanting more. Amid these grooves there are nuggets aplenty from the hot rodding rubber burning scowling and smoking hot ‘let’s go to the church’ – a blistering cover of a (I’m embarrassed to admit unfamiliar) lost gem by the hit here grilled, souped up and fitted with a full on kick ass V12 grind much reminiscent of the Mono Men at the height of their powers to the slinky and demurred 50’s shoo bop of ‘punch me in the face’ rethreaded here with a killer Thunders / Palladin like vibe that tailgates their rendering of ‘love is strange’ – this album just doesn’t understand the notion of disappointing. ’darkest sunshine’ is ablaze in howling harmonicas from out of which the sounds of frenetic and frenzied riff scowls surge to a dirty, raw and primal coda that heads might imagine being the sound of a rabid Baby Woodrose with a rocket up their back pipe. And just when you think it can’t get any better the subtly sexy ’let me breathe’ saunters in with the ghost of Link sitting on its shoulder to cook up a wig flipping strut gouged blues shimmy. Add in to the mix the previously mentioned ’pretty horse’ which still sounds to these ears like a kooky kaleidoscopic 50’s bubble grooved haze refracted through an Elephant 6 collective lens by Olivia tremor control and neutral milk hotel under the ever watchful eye of the mercurial Meek whilst ‘jail inside your heart’ is just pure classic era lazy eyed Neil Young. All said best of the set by the merest whisker is the opener ’Sister Maree’ – I kid you not when I say I’d sworn I’d died and gone to heaven upon hearing this for this honey swoons and kicks with such honky tonk flair as to have you thinking it was the Small Faces channelling Dylan. Absolutely essential listening.