Oreskaband – S/T / 2006 Sony / 6 Tracks / http://www.oreskaband.com / http://www.sony.com /
As one can likely game from the band’s name, what Oreskaband play is a brand of ska that is in the same vein as a Mighty Mighty Bosstones or a Reel Big Fish. The first track on the disc is “Pantimeâ€, and it is a quick, barely-minute long track that gives individuals some sort of context for the rest of the EP. “Yeah! Ska Dance†is more of the same ska fare, with the Asiatic-tinted vocals giving a little bit of a Puffy Ami Yumi sound to this well-tread genre. “Pinocchio†marks the middle of this EP, and it continues with much of the same style and sounds that have previously been established by Oreskaband to this point.
By the time that “Pinocchio†finishes, it feels as if Oreskaband is in a little bit of a rut. Sure, the tracks are all catchy and fun, but none of the subsequent tracks on this EP give listeners anything in the way of different approaches or nuances to the band’s sound. The band is able to put together interesting tracks, butt there is just not enough in the way of variation to keeps fans interested even with this shortened runtime. For the band’s next release, there has to be much more in the way of variation to keep things interesting.
“Monkey Man†has a clapping chorus that changes things up, but even this gives up the ghost much too quickly. While it is always interesting to see a Japanese band go forth and get a little bit of fame in the United States, Oreskaband is ultimately forgettable. Give them another listen for their next album, but skip this release. Sorry, girls, but there just is not enough interesting here to keep individuals focused in for the entirety of this disc.
Top Track: Pinocchio
Rating: 3.0/10