FEMM Channels Nostaligia on Cover Album "80s/90s J-Pop Revival"

The world's favorite duo of pop-star mannequins, FEMM, have made some major waves in the world of pop music during their short time together. Their debut album Femm-Isation saw their rise to fame with singles like White Noise and Kill the DJ, not to mention their breakout hit Fxxk Boyz Get Money. The group followed that up with the impeccable PoW!/L.C.S. EP in early 2016, and spent the remainder of the year on the collaborative avex supergroup FAMM'IN (with labelmates FAKY and Yup'in). Now the EDM dance queens are back with their second full-length album, made up of covers of songs from some of the most celebrated classic J-Pop artists.

The first thing you'll notice upon delving into 80s/90s J-Pop Revival is that this doesn't actually sound like a FEMM album (or, at least, not what we've come to think of as a FEMM album). Instead, it sits comfortably in a perfect marriage of Golden Era songwriting and modern-day dance music production. This isn't actually the first time FEMM have tackled a classic cover - the duo recorded a take on the Pink Lady track UFO as a bonus for the PoW!/L.C.S. EP.

80s/90s J-Pop Revival opens up with a blast of synth in the form of My Revolution, originally by Misato Watanabe. Without context I wouldn't have guessed that it was FEMM behind the mics here (until the rap segment kicks in, which is a concept that purists will probably shake their heads at but a staple of FEMM music thus far and expertly pulled off once again). Their rendition of CANDY GIRL is equally enthralling - the hitomi single finds new life here with an irresistibly bouncy beat which is equal parts fresh and faithful to the original.

The album's lead single is Samishii Nettaigyo, a fantastic WINK cover, which was followed by the double A-side combo of Sotsugyo (Yuki Saito) and Roman Hikou (Kome Kome Club). I have to admit that the album doesn't keep my attention all the way through, but I can't say there's a single song on here that I dislike on its own. Rather, in-context the album can feel just a little bit bloated as a coherent item, even while made up of very competent and (at times) incredible renditions of already beloved songs. It boils down to the common J-pop format of the single, where a song is meant to be able to stand on its own and be worth purchasing without an album to back it up. 80s/90s J-Pop Revival is an album of singles. From the nostalgia-inducing Sumire September Love (SHAZNA) to the absolutely gorgeous rendition of There Will Be Love There (The Brilliant Green), everything in this collection serves to pay homage to an influential era of pop music. I'd say you really can't go wrong with this one, so definitely check it out.

-Justin

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