Perfect by Half Japanese

Founded by brothers Jad & David Fair in 1975, the band is credited with pioneering the DIY and lo-fi movements and influencing everyone from Sonic Youth and Neutral Milk Hotel to Daniel Johnston and Kurt Cobain (who asked the band to open some of the dates on Nirvana’s In Utero tour.) Known for dismissing conventional music basics like melody, song structure and chords (and for Jad’s famous line “the only chord I know is the one that connects the guitar to the amp”), Half Japanese operated under the premise that rock music should be accessible to anyone who wanted to play.

Having released over two dozen EPs, LPs, and live albums between 1977 and 2001, Half Japanese returned in 2014 with Overjoyed, their first studio album in thirteen years and their first release for Joyful Noise Recordings. The uncharacteristically-accessible album was widely praised for its mix of upbeat positivity with the band’s signature off-kilter subject matter. They followed it with a surprise EP, Bingo Ringo, in July 2015.

Perfect is a collection of songs that feature otherworldly sounds, chaotic rhythms, and weird time signatures, topped off with Jad’s brash vocals and oddball lyrics. Its tracks run the gamut from sweet love songs with overtly sincere lyrics to manic, almost abrasive tracks that seem to end before you can fully wrap your head around them. With Perfect, Half Japanese manages to combine elements of every genre imaginable into one strange, unpredictable, and undeniably-catchy package.

Founded by brothers Jad & David Fair in 1975, Half Japanese is credited with pioneering the DIY and lo-fi movements and influencing everyone from Sonic Youth and Neutral Milk Hotel to Daniel Johnston and Kurt Cobain.