ファースト

In the 60s, every pop band was compared to the Beatles. In the 70s, every heavy band was matched up against Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. In the 80s, if you jangled you were the next R.E.M, and in the 90s, if you were loud, you were a Nirvana wannabe.

In Japanese rock, if you're manic and have a female singer, you're lumped in with Melt Banana. Not exactly bad company, but as the flood of decades and comparisons above illustrates, that method of categorization can really leave some gaping holes in what the listener expects. Midori often get the MB comparison, and while it's not ludicrously off base, it's got more than it's share of problems.

First off, hardcore isn't at the center of Midori's approach. The band setup is more reminiscent of a jazz trio than a punk band, being comprised of an upright bass player, a drummer, and a keyboardist more interested in Bill Evans than Martin Rev. On top of that there's Mariko Goto, a cute girl in a school uniform that is infinitely more likely to cut you in half with her samurai sword than cover her mouth and giggle discreetly. Oh yeah, she plays guitar, too.

So..what HAVE we got? Well, there's "わっしょい" ("Washoi,") a terrifying rumble of The Birthday Party's Louis-Prima-on-smack swing with Goto's psychotic little girl vocals jumping out like an infuriated drill sergeant, eventually devolving into a throaty, enraged grunt that's equal parts death metal growl and possessed Linda Blair howling. It's like some hellish, terrifying (and terrified) lost highlight from The Birthday Party's mighty "Junkyard" album, squeezed through more laser focused contempt and healthy rage than Australia's finest export were in any sort of shape to deliver.

Then...Oh Lord, there's "お猿" ("The Monkey,") a funhouse mirror of a track that is doubtlessly playing in Hell's speakeasy as you read this. It's bizarre enough to hear ragtime jazz squeezed into aggressive punk, but the fact that both elements somehow remain whole is simultaneously thrilling and deeply unsettling. It's got the weird, rubbery feeling of a particularly unsettling fever dream, topped off with the toothy grin of someone who has clearly lost their marbles. Where does this stuff come from?

The listener also has to contend with "ロマンティック夏モード" ("Romantic Summer Mode;" warning, video is NSFW...more standard live video here.) Jazz bop takes off like a piano falling down a flight of stairs as Goto cackles like some kind of evil witch, and a truly bizarre bridge makes you wonder if you slipped into some alternate dimension's surf party.

It should be obvious by now that Midori is not for the faint of heart, but it bears mentioning that, jazz affectations aside, there's a truly creative heart beating under the blood and gore. The EP closes with the not-as-ironic-as-you-might-think "Pop," a track that is every bit as calm and pretty as the rest of the tracks are abrasive and panicked. It's a finale that points the way to the band's first proper album, "セカンド” ("Second,") where they took their jazz punk fusion to a deeper level, which eventually led to a brand spanking new contract with Sony Japan. But the short sharp shock of "ファスト" is the true starting point. Keep your eye on Midori.

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Available at Amazon Japan