Punk＜Colored Vinyl＞

The Japanese quartet CHAI made a big splash with their giddy, genre-splicing debut album Pink, and while their follow-up Punk lacks the element of surprise that made Pink so exciting, it's still joyous and thrilling pop music. CHAI reigned in some of the anything-goes approach of Pink here, casting aside some of the rap-rock influences and adding some production sheen to the mixes. That said, this is still exuberant music made by women who aren't willing to stay in their lane. If they want to throw heavy metal guitar grind into a synth pop ballad ("Curly Adventure") they will. If they feel like writing a revved-up ode to housework with jumbled samples and a frenetic, pulsating rhythm ("Good Job"), it's happening. They take on rubbery funk ("Fashionista"), happily corny handbag house ("This Is CHAI"), sunny '90s pop ("FAMILY MEMBER"), and punchy cheerleader rock ("Choose Go!) with the same kind of energy and aplomb that they did on Pink. Along with all the genre-hopping, there are a number of songs that settle into a kind of midtempo indie pop with synths and shouted choruses that suit them well. They dipped into it a little on Pink; here they perfect it. Tracks like "I'm Me" and Wintime" have a calm and collected feel that allows for relaxed listening and even a little bit of melancholy, or at least a little less giddiness, to creep into the proceedings. The similarly peaceful -- for CHAI anyway -- "Future" has a sweet, hopeful feel and almost a pop-reggae sound; "Feel the BEAT" is assured midtempo pop that isn't miles away from the mainstream of streaming pop, only the group's version of that sound has way more spirit than average. That goes for everything they try, and even though Punk might not be the pop explosion that Pink was, it's a well-rounded album that capitalizes on the band's imagination and capacity for experimentation while blending the sounds more organically. Plus, it's more fun than just about anything else going on in the late 2010s and that alone makes the record and the band worth checking out and falling (and staying madly) in love with. ~ Tim Sendra

国内外で絶好調な女子4人組の評価をさらに決定付けるであろうセカンド・アルバム。ブッ太いベースラインが先導する強烈にサイケデリックな"CHOOSE GO!"、ニューウェイヴ・テイストもEDMも呑み込んで爆発力のあるダンス・ナンバーに仕上げた"GREAT JOB"、盟友スーパーオーガニズムにも通じる、サンプリングをフィーチャーしたユルめのパーティー・チューン"FAMILY MEMBER"と、どこを切ってもこの1年の確かな成長が感じられる。海外エンジニアを迎えたミックスにしても、立体感のあるレイヤーとリヴァーブがかった音像はオルタナティヴにして世界標準。目標とするグラミー賞でもガール・パワーが吹き荒れる時代において、彼女たちが真の主役となる日もそう遠くはなさそうだ。
bounce (C)金子厚武