Shonen Knife – Let’s Knife Re-Cut

Let’s start this review with an admission, Shonen Knife are amongst the few bands that always make me genuinely happy, I find it impossible to sink into self pity when they are playing, and the times I’ve caught them live are amongst my favourite memories of the many many live shows I’ve attended over the decades. Does that mean they are one of my favourite bands, well yes and no. Their effervescent anti-depressant qualities are practically unrivalled, but do I love every sugar coated note they’ve ever written, frankly no, but there is something truly irresistible about their kitschy soundtrack. I picked up the original release of Let’s Knife back in the 90’s, as with many albums I bought at the time it was on a whim, I just liked the look of it and I’d read things about them in the inky music papers of the era. When I got that album home, along with it’s bonus singalong karaoke seven inch, there was a love affair with them from the moment the needle dropped on track one side one, which was the timeless kitsch of Riding On A Rocket. Did I care that that the majority of those I knew at that time didn’t get it? Not in the slightest, that was their problem as far as I was concerned.

My copy of that album has gone the way of many records I purchased, in short I have not a fucking clue what happened to it. Despite not being able to access the tracks due to the album’s criminal unavailability outside of record fairs or the lottery of eBay, the lyrics on the likes of Riding On A Rocket, Devil House, and especially I Am A Cat, never left me, and I have surprised myself on several occasions by being able to sing along at their live shows despite not having heard the songs in years. After all that reminiscing let’s get back to the point and the present, Shonen Knife recognised that their breakthrough album should be available, and I wholeheartedly concur with them on this. They have faithfully re-recorded Let’s Knife with a Re-Cut version. Same songs, same joy, same running order, just three and a bit decades later. I completely understand any reservations at this news, there are way too many bands who have tried to recreate their early recordings with disappointing, or sometimes just bloody awful results. Recapturing that spark of youth is nigh on impossible, and this applies equally to me. But there are exceptions, and Shonen Knife seem to have perpetually kept their naivety, innocence and wonder that is funnelled through pop culture and a love of all things furry, tasty or kitsch.

Shonen Knife have unconsciously broken all the rules, they have recaptured recordings from decades before without losing what made them so wonderful in the first place, they are happiness bottled, I doubt they understand the concept of being jaded or cynical. Shonen Knife celebrate the things that make them happy, something that shines through in their recordings and in their live shows, and in today’s world that makes them indispensable, and I would argue compulsory. Let’s Knife Re-Cut serves up an album that should never have disappeared, I can only presume this relates to assorted labels, ownership rights and all the other complexities that sometimes beset bands. Revisiting your past shouldn’t work. However, on this occasion it does, this is a band who have never forgotten why they do what they do, they defy the decades in their live shows and they seem to still truly love being Shonen Knife. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to play play I Am A Cat on repeat.

Let’s Knife Re-Cut is set for physical release on July 10th via Good Charamel Records with streaming platforms following on July 15th. Shonen Knife are hitting the road with Men At Work and Toad the Wet Sprocket in the US, the trio will also headline three special Osaka Ramones shows at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge, Denver’s HQ, and Indianapolis’ Hi-Fi with set lists that highlight their love of punk icons Ramones.