Remix albums might be the new live albums, but over the past few years, "sessions" have also come to prominence as a way for artists to reimagine or repurpose their music in a variety of different scenarios. Things like Daytrotter, La Blogotheque, Black Cab Sessions, "Don't Look Down" and other Pitchfork.tv shows, and AOL Sessions, have become the "MTV Unplugged" for the era of inexpensive digital technology, constantly shifting economic imperatives, and small-but-fervent online publics. Though not sponsored by an outside entity, Asobi Seksu's Rewolf, sold at merch tables earlier this year as Acoustic at Olympic Studios, fits perfectly in this niche, offering nine stripped-down reimaginings of the duo's music-- most from 2009's Hush-- with a cover of Hope Sandoval's smoky 2002 single "Suzanne".
One of the last works recorded at the London studio most known for legendary sessions with the Beatles and Stones, Rewolf-- cut on an off-day during a tour-- contains a few nice surprises. Where Hush felt too safe and familiar, walking carefully in the footprints of the still very good Citrus, a few recut tracks here emphasize some of the group's best qualities. "Blind Little Rain", for instance, was too delicate to be as pumped up with echo as it was, but the Rewolf version-- for just piano and voice-- sounds lovely and pristine in comparison, placing all due emphasis on the fragile melody. Though I liked the wobbly sci-fi undertones of the Hush version of "Gliss", and the brawny guitars of Citrus highlight "New Years", the stripped-down models of each-- reduced to xylophone and acoustic guitar, prove that strong compositions can withstand a bit of transformation. On the other hand, "Urusai Tori", from this year's Transparence EP (now called "Bossa"), shifts the focus fully to the duo's aptitude at interpretation. What started as a punchy number with well-placed glitchy electronic undertones gets thoroughly, and imaginatively, remodeled as something of a Stan Getz pastiche.
Not everything works so well, though. "Thursday" is more or less the duo's signature-- and best-- song, in large part because it's the group's best use of the studio-as-instrument. Blowing away the overdubbed fog and leaving nothing but a skeletal piano/acoustic guitar/voice structure is an act of bravery, but my over-familiarity with the original is the only thing holding my attention. It's certainly not the breathily spoken French overlaying the song's second refrain. Along the same line, the inclusion of 2004's "Walk on the Moon" does little here save remind us that it's more or less "Thursday"'s first draft (Hush's "In the Sky" was version 3.0). And though there are atmospheric similarities between Chikudate's and Hope Sandoval's approaches to singing, the "Suzanne" cover doesn't do much other than reaffirm the fact that the former Mazzy Star frontwoman has a lock on hazy, smoky ambience. Chikudate's porcelain-doll approach works for a lot of things, but does nothing to improve the original.
Rewolf is, of course, a quickie one-off interstitial between new material, meant more as an accompaniment to previous releases than a standalone work. At the same time though, it still manages to highlight that, when they want to, these two can stretch into a starker (yet still pretty) realm that would frighten off less-talented groups with equal predilections for studio wizardry. Hush left me confused, and a bit concerned, as to what Asobi Seksu's next move will be. Though it's lightweight, Rewolf gives me a bit of hope that they'll push themselves outward a bit more next time.
