Here's what people are saying about Shumai:

 

"A must listen for those who are fed up with the New Pornographers" Relapse "The whole feel of the record is that of a D.I.Y. pop adventure, of sunny days, of optimism and hope. Not so much of confidence, but definitely of self belief. I'd say get it, it'll make the long winter nights seem like summer, it'll make them much more bearable." read the whole review at Friends of the Heroes. "It's bullshit/I mean it/they cut off the cable/I know it was stealing/but hey man they left it on," Shumai's lead vocalist sings at the start of their album Tastes Like Summer; she has a pretty voice and sings in a sly, kind of distant but quietly forceful way that somehow sounds like she's kidding around and being totally serious. Behind her voice the song has classic-pop handclaps, 90s indie rock guitars, and a playful bounce, not to mention a low-key catchy melody. They don't take themselves too seriously - check out song titles like "$18 Rubber Pants" and "Dog Lipstick" - but their songs aren't frivolous either. On song after song, Tastes Like Summer is as charming as indie-pop albums come, with infectious hooks and a fetching sound - sweet but with a touch of melancholy and a light tilt towards rock n' roll. Don't set this one aside until summer, it'll be a nice soundtrack to your days no matter the season. from Erasing Clouds It just doesn't get more jingly jangly than this indie rock -- keyboards, guitars, hand clapping, girls and a guy singing vocals. Shumai is a Boston-baked creation with a sound that is reminiscent of Barcelona or the Rentals, and their three song disc has really piqued some interest -- its melodies are innocent, honest and well-matched with the band's fuzzy instrumentation. And besides, you can't really fail when you have song titles like "Are You Jeff Corwin Experienced?" or "The Lonely Passion of Joey Heatherton", as long as you're smart enough to carry the cleverness beyond the song titles. Shumai knocks those front-end jokes home with clever, wordy lyrics, with only the slightest hint of indie-cool pretentiousness. from Splendid "Alweer een berichtje hier, want ik ga (alweer) een lang weekend weg, dus moet ik je als bezoeker toch een paar dagen bezig houden, nietwaar. Met Shumai bijvoorbeeld, een leuk jong indiepoprockbandje op wier website je een drietal mp3's kan beluisteren." from Think Small. "Be the first kid on your block to discover and love this wonderful group." from Future Pop Shop's mp3 page. "And now time for some jingle-janglepop from Boston... Shumai is the name and they're making fine female fronted indiepop in where DIY meets the spirit of C86, all great and the sort of pop that was once made by bands like Tallulah Gosh (or now Tender Trap). It all sounds so innocent and the childlike approach makes swing your ass like it never did before... Wedding Present-guitars, nice keyboards, banging drums and a lovely female voice... what more do you wish for? Money, I know....but start with Shumai!" from The Original Sin

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