Spitz

Spitz

In the mid-’90s, Spitz would become one of Japan’s biggest pop-rock bands, famous for shimmering rivers of chiming guitar beauty and carefully crafted power-pop hooks. But on their self-titled 1991 debut album, these four young men were still a young band in the process of finding themselves. They were also in the process of getting their proverbial ya-yas out—the sound they serve up on their maiden voyage is a loud, scrappy one that is very much in line with the kind of recordings that were defining the “alternative nation” in the U.S. at the time, with an abundant supply of slamming drums, thick, reverberant riffs, and plenty of energy. Though there are already some elements of what would become the band’s signature sound in evidence at this early phase, Spitz didn’t connect with Japan’s musical mainstream the first time around. That wouldn’t happen for a few more albums. But there are plenty of indications that there was more to Spitz even at this point. The earthy, harmonica-laced “Bidama,” the soaring harmonies and cinematic, U2-ish feel of “Tsukini Kaeru,” and the chamber-pop vibe of the drumless acoustic ballad “Umeboshi” all serve notice that the young quartet is well-rounded beneath the full-speed-ahead rush. The contrast between the reflective feel and dirty guitar storm of the waltz-time track “Tanpopo” is the most overt indicator of the captivating push and pull between rocking out and reining in that occurs throughout Spitz’s debut. But even when the band is ripping it up, as on the roaring album opener, “Ninoudeno Sekai,” it’s catchy as hell, and plenty of Japanese radio stations picked up on the tune even though it was never released as a single. The album closes with one of its most fervent cuts, “Hibarino Kokoro,” leaving off with a final burst of excitement. In hindsight, it’s hard not to hear Spitz in the context of what the band would become, even while the record remains a classic slice of Japanese alt-rock in its own right.

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