
Number Girl

September Girlfriend September Girlfriend
Mukai's songwriting has become a bit more sophisticated. The song also perfectly captures the essence of Number Girl's live performance, right down to vocalist's futile attempt to sing over his bandmates. This song easily becomes a fan favorite.
8/8/2003 Indie

Boy Meets Girl Boy Meets Girl
On "Boy Meets Girl" Number Girl has boosted the group's rhythm section, and cleaned up the guitar effects. Guitarists Mukai Shutoku and Tabuchi Hisako know how to pack a wallop with their six-string interchange.
5/24/2003 Indie

I don't know I don't know
The Japanese school-girl's dangerous world is shown in all it's menacing glory. This song is a portrait of intense alienation. Societies' lack of concern for these young women comes off as even more frightening than the actual predators...
5/24/2003 Indie

Num-Ami-Dabutz Num-Ami-Dabutz
Hints of Number Girl's experimental tendencies showed up on the song, "Num-Ami-Dabutz" -- the chorus has a disco beat, a first for a Number Girl song.
5/20/2003 Indie

Frustration in my blood Frustration in my blood
"Frustration in my blood" calls to mind the Police in the way the song alternates from a half-time reggae-like beat to a double-time punk beat.
5/20/2003 Indie

Manga Sick Manga Sick
"Manga Sick", which was recorded and produced by Mukai, is something of a high quality, lo-fi production. Mukai managed to capture the chest-pounding power of the group's sound without sacrificing any of its rough edges.
5/20/2003 Indie

delayed brain delayed brain
The drummer is the most prominent accompanist on the reasonably mellow "delayed brain", following the singer's phrases with thoughtfully timed fills.
5/19/2003 Indie

Tombo the electric bloodred Tombo the electric bloodred
"Tombo the electric bloodred" is so loud, digital clipping occurs at points in the track, but smack dab in the middle of a Number Girl song, it sounds almost downright appropriate.
5/19/2003 Indie

Kuromegachi na Shoujo Kuromegachi na Shoujo
Through all the twists and turns, Number Girl still delivers yet another passionate song. Nowhere is this more apparent than on "Kuromegachi na Shoojo". Mukai practically screams himself apart. He and Cocco ought to hang out.
5/19/2003 Indie

Fu-Si-Gi Fu-Si-Gi
"Fu-Si-Gi" trods along at a hulking pace, with thick, atonal chords punctuating the song, but at the end, Number Girl gets thrown down a hill, the song hurtling to a blur of a conclusion.
5/19/2003 Indie

Num-Heavymetallic Num-Heavymetallic
Guitarist Tabuchi Hisako grounds the track with an eerie arpeggio, over which drummer Ahito Inazawa plays a spare, dub beat. Inazawa also sings on the track, his voice wrung through an arsenal of effects.
5/19/2003 Indie

Toomei Shoujo Toomei Shoujo
On "Toomei Shoujo" Number Girl goes back to being the hyper-energetic punk band of its previous work, but not without a few tweaks to its fast-is-more work ethic.
5/19/2003 Indie

Destruction Baby Destruction Baby
"Destruction Baby" possesses a quirky rhythm and seems to meander a bit. During the chorus, it transforms into a hulking wall of sound, with Mukai screaming himself hoarse. It's an impassioned reading, one so riveting, 3:20 seems too short.
5/19/2003 Indie