As you may expect from a group who have been championed by oddball comedy duo The Mighty Boosh, there's something very off-kilter, slightly unsettling and undeniably charming about The Ralfe Band. The four piece supported the Boosh at two recent London shows and can even be spotted guesting in a couple of episodes of the TV show.
Like the rest of their debut album Swords, Women Of Japan is all a bit strange and woozy and this track in particular is enlivened by some very odd lyrics involving old women with no faces, chartered accountants from Spain and a man who's drowned all the children in Iran. Lead singer Oly Ralfe has one of those voices that can be just on the verge of being grating, but the sheer amount of strange background noises keep this an interesting and diverting listen.
In a similar fashion to their comedy pals, The Ralfe Band are something of an acquired taste, but for fans this single offers the opportunity to not just have two brand new songs as B-sides but also watch the ingenious Women In Japan animated video, which recently won an award at the prestigious South By Southwest festival. Recommended.
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