Japan’s Envy Streaming Songs from New Album Atheist’s Cornea

I think the reason a lot of Americans are fascinated (nay, obsessed) with Japanese culture and/or music is that a lot of Japanese folks are fascinated/obsessed with American culture/music. So a lot of the Japanese music we hear is like hearing our own trends mirrored back at us, filtered through Japanese weirdness.

In the case of Tokyo’s Envy, it’s strains of post-hardcore and shoegaze reflected through that Japanese lens (and then reflected again via newer American bands like Thursday, Boysetsfire, and Thrice). They also sing in Japanese, which makes for an interesting twist as well — what post-high school angst could they be exploring in their lyrics? What quasi-political ranting could they vaguely be referencing as a call to a general action of some kind (man I miss the 90s…)? We may never know.

What we do know is that Envy has a new album, Atheist’s Cornea, coming out July 10, and that they are currently streaming two songs from it — one, a harder-edged banger with a lot of screaming and tremolo picking, and one a more mellow, downer kind of introspective tune.

Check them out below, and I’ll let you figure out which is which.

Pre-order Atheist’s Cornea here, and relive your screamo days in style.