POLYSICS - Oh! No! It's Heavy POLYSICK! - Oh! Yes!

POLYSICS is a band that, even if you've never heard their music before, you'll recognize them if you know much of anything about Japanese music. The music industry landscape is about as bland in Japan as it is in America, with little done to brand bands and distinguish them visually (or aurally, unfortunately). In a sea of faces, most artist just disappear. But not POLYSICS - Oh! No! - whose visual style stands out like vivid color against the black and white Japanese industry in the same way that Lady Gaga's does in America.

And their music is just as distinctive as their visual style. With heavy use of electronic elements and enough 8-bit sound that they should have appeared on the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack, they stand out from the crowd already. But they don't just settle into the electropop outcast group. Instead, they refuse to join that crowd either, playing music so energetic that it toes the line of being difficult to listen to...without crossing the line. POLYSICS is what would happen if Perfume got hit with Joker gas. Or, alternately, what would happen if if Tsushimamire went electric. The quality of the performance is also very high - Hayashi has almost superhuman control over his voice, the instrumentation is totally solid, and it's clear that the band worked really hard on their English pronunciation, which is always a plus in my book.

I like every track on this album - they'd all be great for dancing to, great for listening to while driving too fast, great for music-fighting your neighbors who keep their damn sub against the shared wall, great for nerdy moshing and head-banging. I'm especially fond of "Let's Daba Daba" and "Don't Cry" which are catchy as hell but, unlike other catchy songs, don't stick in your mind like dog crap to the bottom of a shoe. "Jump Up and Clash" is nice for being closer to normal - something to play if you want to prove to friends that Japanese music can be both bizarre and awesome. "Cough Cough" and "Heavy POLYSICK" are great instrumentals, and "Subliminal CHA-CHA-CHA" has a great off-kilter beat that keeps up the tension with some speaking between verses that's cute and quirky. (*nerd squee start* These mini conversations also remind me a lot of "Ieru Ka Na, Baby?" by Suzukisan of "Pokemon" fame. They even have the 2-Guys-1-Girl combo like Suzukisan! *nerd squee end*)

My one complaint is that the album feels slightly flat in places, like they're missing something from their instrumentation. It's nothing huge, but it does take a little away from an otherwise amazing musical experience. I'm hoping that this is just because they recently lost a member and are still trying to balance the music between three people. But even if it's not, I still plan on getting all their subsequent music. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure as hell is mine.