Yume Bitsu: Auspicious Winds

Yume Bitsu is out to reclaim post-rock's favorite toy—the mercurial guitar build-up—for the average indie-rock Joe. Sure, they say this cinematic, over-intellectual Godspeed You Black Emperor! act works for the art-school crowd, but what about the rest of us? What if you're the type of band who litters its website with faux psychedelia like "The child-lion of Dryystyn radiates and we can hear its voice," occasionally sings about love, and is signed to legendary D.I.Y. stalwart K Records?

The answer: You cut an album like Auspicious Winds, a five-track, 48-minute disc full of gently pulsating guitar work, muted dadaist drumming, and production atmospherics. It may be a formulaic game, but Yume Bitsu plays it well. There is not much variation between the songs, but most of them have their charms, alternately weaving seasick feedback, ominous percussion, and emotive vocals into the ether.

Unfortunately, build-up's not worth anything without an eventual payoff, which is something that Yume Bitsu fails to provide. "The Wedding Procession" and "Into the Hole" both turn into predictable Young Team-era Mogwai imitations, and "Doctor Trips" and "Mothmen Meet the Council of Frogs" don't really turn into anything, which wouldn't be so bad if only they were different enough from the other songs on the album to make them interesting.

That alone doesn't make Auspicious Winds any less enjoyable if you're just in the mood to sink into your couch and let some heavily treated guitars wash over you. But Yume Bitsu really shoots itself in the foot on "Sharp, Twisted," the fuzz-pop third track, which grabs you from an otherwise peaceful nap and jarringly thrusts you into the early '90s. The song makes Yume Bitsu sound like the band that the producers of My So-Called Life would have tracked down if they weren't able to book Buffalo Tom for their rock and roll episode.

It's unfortunate, because it seemed like Yume Bitsu was onto something with its blend of space-rock and indie aesthetics. Maybe the next time it decides to invoke the child-lion of Dryystyn, it'll make sure it has something to say first. And hopefully it won't just be channeling Better Than Ezra. (K)

—Eliot Rose

Back to A&E...