All Off

January 17, 2011

From Midnight to Sunshine

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2011

I still think the greatest compliment a Japanese rock band can get is that they don’t sound remotely Japanese. If that’s the standard, then All Off is the best thing out there, at least if you like clean pop punk with an emo and metal twist. The first time I heard them, I was sure they were the usual brattish group of suburban US kids in skater fashion trying to sound soulful, but, no, this five-piece, led by vocalist Sohei Matsuura, are all home grown. Melding catchy pop melodies and punk tempos, album opener “Find Yourself Tonight” and “I’ll Be There” mine the slightly sappy seam of teen self-discovery, but then there’s the ABBA effect! Lyrics like “I need a place to feel alive” that would sound a bit naff sung by a native speaker miraculously take on a new poignancy when earnestly delivered by someone in their second language.