At one time, Shonen Knife penetrated the American punk rock market, although you have to poll the old school fans in order to cue to mind the seminal Japanese femme trio. Ditto eighties metalheads who keep the memory of Loudness and E-Z-O alive largely unto themselves.
Nowadays, as Japan has crashed its media will into a gradually-receptive American-Rome power market (currently on the ropes, as current headlines relay), Puffy Amiyumi briefly became pop rock darlings who took the Beatles’ best lines and riffs and turned their grossly-addictive bubblegum hooks into a small franchise. Meanwhile, Boris and Balzac have become hipster elite of the American sludge and punk undergrounds. Kodo…they’re an entity of wonderment unto themselves.
Japan’s flourishing entertainment culture infected North America with the dreadful Pokemon, but it at least enriched our appreciation of animation with Akira, Bubblegum Crisis and Strait-Jacket, as it has in horror and martial arts fantasy epics varying from Audition to Shinobi.
Beware of Imari Tones. This spiritually-based pop-rock trio is within grasp of breaking through internationally, if you go by their rocksteady rhythm section that hails eighties hair rock and power metal, thrown akimbo with diverse modes related to pop punk and emo. This group, spearheaded by guitarist/vocalist Takahiro “Tone” Nakamine, likes to rock as much as they do to bounce on butterscotch clouds. Though this may be the first time you’re hearing the name Imari Tones, in Japan they have more than a handful of albums including Japanese Pop.
What Imari Tones has going for them is a keen ear for slick grooves, pop-mindedness and a hell of a guitar framework with which to deliver a driving, clean-cut instrumental sound. Musically-speaking, you can put Imari Tones onstage opening for Whitesnake or even Jimmy Eat World.
Coming off with a pleasurable beat and happily swirling guitar lines on the largely-yummy open track “Winning Song,” the only thing getting in Imari Tones’ way is Tone Nakamine’s lopsided and overbearing vocals.
Unfortunately, the majority of Japanese Pop is a bit of a grind to sift through because of Nakamine’s off-kilter wailing, and the likely reason for this is the man admirably sings most of the album in English. In order to gratify his would-be expanded audience, Nakamine overcompensates by delivering his notes with sometimes unnerving pitches, none more painful than on the musically-emotional “Skies of Tokyo” (a shame, since the instrumental finale is wonderful) and the embarrassing falsetto-fest of “I.”
Nevertheless, Imari Tones has their moments such as the Bangles-meets-Hawthorne Heights ditty “Karma Flower” and they put in a very heroic effort on “Iron Hammer,” where the group amps up with some classic metal riffs and a focused drive all around. Nakamine’s guitar solo is especially impressive here.
Musically-speaking, Japanese Pop has the energetic goods to make them a potential winner. Imari Tones knows how to play their instruments as well as craft upbeat and catchy tunes. More work in the vocal department (and recorded with less overbearing echo) and this will be a group to keep your eyes on.
Reviewed By Ray Van Horn
