Ogikubo Station
We Can Pretend Like
Asian Man Records (2018)
Rating: 72 chocolate-chip cookies
I’m in awe of how much consistently good music Mike Park puts out. I don’t think there’s a single Mike Park project that I’m not completely in love with, and Ogikubo Station is no exception.
Of course, it would be a crime to not give credit where it’s due: Maura Weaver, formerly of Mixtapes (RIP), makes up the other half of the Ogikubo Station. I mentioned in my review of their last release, an EP called S/T that I’m a huge fan of lower feminine voices, which is definitely a big draw of Ogikubo Station (and Maura in general!) for me.
On this record, it feels like Maura’s voice is much more at the forefront of the music than in S/T. She’s got a voice that makes me feel like I’m getting a hug from a warm chocolate chip cookie (hence the rating), except less sticky and gross. Maura’s voice is especially heart-achingly genuine on the record’s title track.
Another difference between this release and the last one from Ogikubo Station is how much more fleshed out the songs are. That’s not to say that S/T wasn’t complete; it was simply more stripped-down, while We Can Pretend Like has a full band playing on most of the songs.
Something that didn’t change is how beautifully Mike and Maura’s voices go together. I’m definitely biased, but they’re at the top of my list for “best punk singing duo.” Their voices, combined with lyrics like “Will you still love me when I’m done loving you?” create something that is somehow soft on the outside and yet piercing on the inside.
-Julien Boulton
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