Fujiya & Miyagi, emissaries of rainy British speakeasy funk, have released “Sixteen Shades of Black and Blue,” the first single off their fourth LP, Ventriloquizzing, on Pitchfork. The album is slated to drop on January 25.
Working with producer Thom Monahan, whose work includes Devendra Banhart and The Silver Jews, the band promises that Ventriloquizzing is “moodier, darker and deeper than ever before.” No word yet on whether Fujiya & Miyagi recorded it in a methadone clinic.
But even with the whisper/come-hither vocals and a subtly menacing melody, “Sixteen Shades” isn't that morose. Anchored with assertive shots of piano and an unrelenting snare, it sounds as if The xx learned to shake their hips a little more.
