New single from Irish band Shibuya Crossings

Irish musicSingle releases
Written By Chris Singleton

Single release: Double A-side Gamla Stan / I'll Meet You at the Station from Shibuya Crossings
Release date: May 14 2012 
Label: Typically Magic Records
Listen: http://www.shibuyacrossings.com
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhCOnSi_T38

"It’s one of the best Irish singles of the year so far" – Goldenplec (on previous single, At Eight In A Spanish Bar)

On May 14 Shibuya Crossings willl release their brand new double A-side single Gamla Stan / I’ll Meet You At The Station. Many a fan was found when the band released their sophomore album, 2010’s DOYA, as it drew favorable comparisons to the likes of Hefner and Sparklehorse. Indeed, to delve into the Shibuya Crossings catalogue is to discover a band that lives to seek out the poeticism in everyday life. From trips to Stockholm’s Old Town with bottles of stolen wine (The Vaseline’s inspired Gamla Stan) to I’ll Meet You At The Station, the band meditates on the tragedy of missing love and the brevity of life’s little moments.

Judging solely on the 2 tracks featured here, Shibuya Crossings would appear to consist in the main of urbane, elliptical narratives wrapped in concise, savvy indie rock. Yet to stop there would be to miss the intriguing duality of the band. It’s effortless, idiosyncratic indie rock with an apparent lyrical simplicity that still beguiles and hints at the darker, almost tragic conflict in the human heart. BBC Radio 1, XFM and Ireland’s 2FM all seem to agree, as they spin tracks from the record, as do Channel 5 who have been using 'I’ll Meet You At The Station' in a number of their prominent TV trailers.

As much pieced together in anger and protest as they are by all things heartfelt, Shibuya Crossings’ songs succeed again here in bringing to the fore a rough and ready sound flecked with the influence of Sparklehorse, Hefner, Teenage Fanclub, and even the art-school fringe-swinging of Blur.

A literal translation of “Shibuya” is “Bitter Valley” and the poeticism of crossing a bitter valley captures Shibuya Crossings’ ideas perfectly. If the grass is always greener wherever we’re not, let’s at least enjoy the crossing.

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Chris Singleton
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