Adult - Tokyo Jihen

Tokyo Jihen has finally melded into a band in its own right, rather than merely being Shiina Ringo's band. The current Tokyo Jihen lineup is not only the most talented set of musicians Shiina has ever worked with, but based on the studio set presented on Adult, Tokyo Jihen is greater than the sum of its formidable parts.

It is always difficult to tell exactly how popular foreign artists are in their home countries, but all evidence is that Shiina Ringo's popularity at its peak was nothing less than stratospheric. With her distinctive voice, quirky musical sense, and iconic mole, her solo career took her from impressive alt-rocker grrl with a pop sensibility to art-rock diva, even inspiring a character in a popular video game franchise. Her final solo album, Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana was a swirling blend of noise rock, electronica, traditional Japanese folk, and cabaret. After announcing her retirement, she had her signature mole surgically removed and reemerged as the vocalist for Tokyo Jihen. Their debut album, Kyoiku, was a crafty bit of post-punk rock-lite, full of high-tempo, angular songs and garage rock production. The disc had a few strong songs but never elevated beyond feeling like a Shiina Ringo one-off project.

Tokyo Jihen retooled its lineup since the release of Kyoiku and has come back stronger and more confident. The songs are more diverse, covering a range of 20th and 21st century popular musical styles. Shiina Ringo's musical influence is still felt strongly here – in fact Adult evokes the range on Shiina's influences and covers album, Utaite Myouri. The disc has all the polish and up-tempo swagger that Kyoiku lacked. The overall sensation is of a energetic jam session.

Shiina refreshingly reins in her performance to let the magic happening with the band shine. As a result Shiina's voice, usually so effective, sounds somewhat thin compared to her older work. She is weakest here on some of the jazz and swing-influenced numbers where a true chanteuse or a more forceful performance would have been preferable, but might have destroyed the precious balance of ego that catapults this disc to such heights.

The hard-rocking, daring, solo Shiina was brilliant while it lasted, but the musical maturity on display on Adult presents a Tokyo Jihen with a future just as bright.