Edition of 400, comes in 2 colours (gold & black) silkscreened on heavy jacket with obi (black or patterned light pink), with inserts and a postcard.
Keen observers of the An'Archives stable will know of Usurabi for their debut album released back in 2021. To less committed followers of the label, Usurabi might come as a surprise. An'Archives works extensively with, shall we say, the more outsider elements of Japanese underground music, be that noise, free jazz, improv, and otherwise hard to place experimentalism. Though that's by no means a conclusive summary of their work, by contrast, Outside Of The World still stands as a radical departure. This is, in plain terms, a melodically-centred, ebullient guitar pop record that makes reference to some of the greats of the genre while passing them through a unique cultural filter. The three-piece find some untapped ground between wonky Flying Nun jangle (The Chills and The Clean especially), Paisley Underground dreaming (Valley Of The Morning Sun!), later Sarah output (Blueboy in particular) and that always distinct Japanese skill of recalibrating Western aesthetics to their own vernacular. Writer/singer, Toshimitsu is a lively, engaging presence, effective at that always winning skill of managing to capture both joy and sadness simultaneously. It's an even more impressive skill if she's able to do that without the listener being able to understand the language. It's a thrillingly unpretentious collection, the playing effortless and light, but the songs radiant and robust, rewarding of repeat plays. If Outside Of The World is a surprise to those not regularly checking in on An'Archives, than it's also a reminder of just how varied and untapped Japanese music still, making their work ever more appreciated.
