The 1999 releaseEnjoyable Songs, is a collaborative effort between Fair and his former Half Japanese bandmate, Jason Willett. At 35 songs the disc is rather lengthy, and while a few of the songs are exceptionally grating, the good news is that they'll be over soon. Unfortunately, the good songs will be over just as soon -- call it the play-the-odds Guided By Voices school of song writing.
The songs are characterized by explosions of buzzing, noise, frantic guitars and warble-voiced shouting, a bit like the musical equivalent of a 6-year-old's Halloween candy binge induced fit of hyperactivity. Fittingly, several of the songs bear sugary titles, "Sticky Cotton Candy Dress," "Lemondrops and Gumdrops" and "Sweet Honey" leap to mind. Around 10 of the songs are simply named after girls, and Fair touches on themes in one song only to pick up somewhere near where he left off several tracks later as with "The Mummy" and "Robot Vs. The Aztec Mummy," and "They Could Be Vampires" followed five tracks later by "Ask Me About Vampires."
The songs aren't exactly pretty, and your roommate probably won't ask to borrow it, but Enjoyable Songs is a fine example of Jad's (and Jason's) wholly unique approach to DIY indie noise pop. Recommended for those who truly enjoy, or are simply hip enough to pretend to enjoy, acts like the Shaggs. ~ Karen E. Graves