Dusted Reviews Artist: Fujiya & Miyagi Album: Transparent Things Label: Deaf, Dumb and Blind Review date: Feb. 28, 2007

Following a trio of vinyl singles, Transparent Things collects new versions of Fujiya & Miyagi's six initial songs together with four new tracks (one of them a U.S. exclusive). Considering that this is essentially a collection, Things holds together with surprising, solid consistency. The duo of David Best (aka Miyagi) and Steve Lewis (Fujiya), with bassist Matt Hainsby, have forged a sound that fuses a slickly modern take on krautrock with up-to-date elements appropriated from the recent post-punk revival.

Based on pulsating rhythms and a thick, steady bass, the songs are alternately reminiscent of Appliance, a more sprightly Stereolab, and contemporaries such as !!! and Out Hud. Best's guitar phrases loop and scratch over solid drums while old-school synths invoke the ghosts of Kraftwerk and, occasionally, memories of New Wave stars.

Great bass lines anchor songs like "Ankle Injuries" and "Collarbone," with the former owing a clear debt to Neu with a fast, repetitive drum beat and minimalist guitar notes. The latter opens with a quiet guitar melody before the heavy, stomping rhythm kicks in. The title of "Conductor 71" gives away the game before the song even announces its Trans-Europe Express origins, layering Kraftwerk-stolen synths over a hypnotic rhythm. At the other end of the decades, "In One Ear & Out The Other" could be a B-side from !!!, a dancefloor-ready bass-drum workout with the requisite I'm-ever-so-bored vocals.

The album's vocals exemplify the real problem here, which is that while the music is appealing and well-executed, everything feels perfectly coordinated and absolutely calculated. The affected breathiness and accenting of the vocals, chanted rather than sung, signals an uber-hip detachment. Together with the high-gleam polish on the music, the album sort of slides past without breaking a sweat.

None of this is necessarily a negative, depending on what you're looking for. The songs here are, indeed, well-executed, and as a melange of their influences the band has produced the sincerest form of flattery in an enjoyable fashion. But ultimately the songs are like showroom dummies, if you will -- lacking the pores and textures, the life essence, that would make them breathe.

By Mason Jones

Read More View all articles by Mason Jones Find out more about Deaf, Dumb and Blind