Cibo Matto - Stereotype A
by Robert Schwartz
Cibo Matto (Italian for food crazy) is back with their sophomore effort and this release shows the band is more than a novelty act. Miho Hatori (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Yuka Honda (samples, programming, synths keyboards), two Japanese women living in New York, put out Viva La Woman to great acclaim but the fact all the songs were pretty simple sample-driven ditties about food encouraged scepticism concerning the group's longevity. Stereotype A proves Cibo Matto has blossomed into a well-rounded band that can churn out a variety of styles. Adding Sean Lennon on bass and Timo Ellis on drums has led to a fuller, meatier sound. I'm still not high on Hatori's rapping (for those living on Japanese shores the awkward pronunciation will be depressingly familiar), but the slinky dance beats and clever instrumentation remain awesome. These are showcased in the lead track "Working for Vacation," the funked-up "Lint of Love," the danceable "Sci-Fi Wasabi," and the heavier "Blue Train." The band stumbles, however, when they try sweeter tunes (that come off sounding like Sade imitations) such as "Flowers," "Moonchild," and "Stone." More original jazz-inflected numbers such as "Spoon" and "Speechless" carry you along easily, proving the outfit can succeed with a number of approaches. On the whole this is a very strong effort which one can jump around to or lend a more careful ear.
Over 90 music listings in this month's Tokyo Journal!!