Hallelujahs were a Japanese group led by Shinji Shibayama during the mid-eighties. A great companion to LPs by countless other Japanese psychedelic free-form units, Hallelujahs present a truly memorable vision, providing mostly hushed acoustic guitars, long meandering solos, tasteful percussion; occasionally adding synthesizers, piano, and additional vocals to create a lush sound akin to the feeling of seasons changing. A record like this really reveals where groups like Galaxie 500 got their whole "Japanese-influenced sound." This version is the reissue from Rover records, and features beautiful artwork, a Japanese obi stripe and a color insert with rare photos and lyrics. One of my favorites of the "invisible Japanese scene," and reminiscent of all the late 80s/early 90s US/Euro indie rock I love.
