Are jisokuryClub the happiest band on the planet? Review of “Climbers”
It’s been a rollercoaster few years for fishing pop band jisokuryClub. Since changing their name from Jisokury in 2022, the band have been one of Korea’s rising indie darlings. Their fervent chillness (if such a thing can exist) has really connected with people. Add a couple of viral hits, and they’ve become a festival mainstage regular. This week, they released their new EP, Climbers, and it just might be the best thing they’ve done yet.
EP opener and highlight, Horses, is a relatively energetic track for them, with a little touch of Canned Heat-esque Americana and a hooky chorus. The lyrics, about the beautiful pitfalls of horse race betting, get to the “life goes on” message at the heart of everything this band is about.
Hump track Neoguri has such a classic pop chorus, complete with jaunty piano, that’s not a million miles away from something Warren Zevon or Steely Dan might do. It’s about the resolution of life’s little conflicts, innocent disagreements that melt away with ramen and campfires.
What makes jisokuryClub so vital is the infectious positivity to everything they do. Something this unignorably sunny could so easily feel thin or even corny. jisokuryClub approaches it with such sincerity and earnestness that it never comes across as anything but joyous. When listening to this band, and especially their new EP, you can believe that this is the happiest band on the planet.
If there’s one fatal flaw to this, it’s the timing. It’s just too cold right now for music this sunny. Music like this is for swimming. It’s for hiking. It’s for the kind of outdoorsy, wholesome shit that is just not possible in this bitter climate.
Climbers closes on an appropriately dreamy track Side by side. It’s a Beatles-tinged sunset song that you already know festivalgoers will be swaying to this year.
The advancement made on Climbers isn’t necessarily their sound, although that is a notch more vigorous/less bedroom poppy than usual. No, the development here is that Jisokury feels more assured, and more confident. The new EP doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But that’s ok. Their sound is comforting. Hell, their whole approach is comforting. Let’s hope that stays the same.