Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2010

There’s something to be said for starting early. The Salovers frontman Yutaro Furutachi, guitarist Seiya Fujii and drummer Yuta Fujikawa have known each other since they were seven, with bassist Ryohei Kobayashi joining the Tokyo band at a venerable 12. Still college students and already with their Fuji Rock debut behind them, the quartet possess a tightness that comes from growing up and absorbing musical influences together. In the Salovers’ case, the UK rock scene of recent decades seems to have made the most impact: the opening song “China” is a classic slice of jangly ‘90s Britpop, while on “Francisco Sunset” Furutachi belies his age with raw, cracking vocals and a melancholic spirit that recalls Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones.

The Salovers play numerous dates around Tokyo from December to April. Info: http://thesalovers.com