Buffalo Daughter - "ET (Densha)"

Photo by Enno Kapitz / Digitally altered by Kosuke Kawamura

Buffalo Daughter first came to most of our attention way back in 1996 when their debut album was released on Grand Royal Records, the Beastie Boys' label. The Japanese noise legends fell off my radar after that, but have been releasing music ever since. September sees their first album in seven years, and we can check out a single from the album. "ET (Densha)" is weird. It's a combination of post rock, indie rock, shoegaze, techno, prog rock, etc. There may be a little of everything here. It may not be for your top 40 loving office mate, but Buffalo Daughter keep it oddly accessible... for the most part... until it isn't... at all. "ET (Densha)" almost starts off as moody atmospheric music you could keep on in the background, but it's almost like the song knows that's what you're doing and slowly starts demanding more and more of your attention until it's literally screaming at you. It's pretty great, obviously.

In a press release, the band says of the new song:

"'ET (Densha)' is our soundscape for the world we currently live in. Darkness and light, chaos and harmony, intensity and ease - they seem to be black and white, but are they really? Where are we going?  Take the ET (electric train) and let the journey begin."

You can watch the video for "ET (Densha)" below. We Are The Times is due out September 17 on Buffalo Ranch, Musicmine, or Anniversary depending on what country you're in. For more on Buffalo Daughter, check out the band's website.