What does Otoboke Beaver sound like?

Explosive Japanese punk that runs at 500mph for 90-second purges of energy.

The review ‘Is The New Album Out Yet?’ by Otoboke Beaver

With the lineup of Otoboke Beaver changing, following drummer Kahokiss’s departure, I wondered if the absolutely relentless energy of the band would change. I wasn’t worried, and the maxi single ‘Is The New Album Out Yet?’ confirms that the chaos and rapturous sass of the band is just as strong as ever. New drummer Leo supported the band on live shows, and she integrates seamlessly into the quartet. This single is a great prelude to hopefully that fabled new album!

As always, Otoboke Beaver songs are short and sweet. The three-track single is over in 3 minutes and 32 seconds! It never ceases to amaze me how much that J-punk group crams into such a short amount of time. ‘I Don’t Need To Be In Your Strike Zone’ kicks off the release with an angular two-note, four-chord guitar riff that swaggers its way at a relentless pace into your mind. The vocals flip from enraged shouts to hypnotic single-word chants. It’s incredibly catchy. ‘Hey, Where’s the Thank You?’ is less catchy and more a cavalcade of guitar shredding that cranks up tension for the first two-thirds of the piece before the whip cracks into its conclusive melodic final bars. Lastly, the 92-second title track rounds off the single. That affords the band an ear-piercing guitar solo, and even a send-up of bubblegum rock with a funky bassline for the last 30 seconds. The track is dynamic and tuneful, and I wonder if this nod towards a few bars of babygirl vocals is something that the band will explore more in future.

Otoboke Beaver is like a shot of adrenaline directly into your heart and brain simultaneously. This extremely pint-sized release is more than enough to tide us over until a full album is ready. When their albums are over in 22 minutes, it doesn’t surprise me that their singles are over in three. I’ve never quantified music by release length before, and this release is an example of quality over quantity. Superb.

Recommended track: I Don’t Need To Be In Your Strike Zone

Support Higher Plain Music

Higher Plain Music is part of the Higher Plain Network – a one-man indie media project. If you like what I do, please consider supporting me via Patreon for as little as $1/£1 a month. In return, you’ll receive additional perks for supporting me, such as behind-the-scenes content and free downloads. You can also donate using PayPal. Sharing the website helps too or using the affiliate buy now links on reviews. I receive a few pence per Amazon sale. All your support will enable me to produce better content, more often. I’d love to make this a full-time media network and your support can make that happen. Thank you.