3 out of 5

Label: ProBably RecOrds

Produced by: (If I can grab the kanji from somewheres, I will)

A mini-album of (mostly) energized, punked-up power pop, Mrs. GREEN APPLE affect a nerviness reminiscent of early Hot Hot Heat or other such quirky indie pop artists, infused with slightly more of an edge than their peers, nudging them – by dint of volume and energy – out as more noticeable.  How ya’ like them long sentences, eh?

Here’s the rub, though: when your vibe is built on momentum, as with Progressive’s killer opening three tracks, when you go poppier – アンゼンパイ, 日々と君 – things start to sound rather generic.  Closer Wall Flower brings the fast pace back, but the mix on that track oddly seats the keys – an excitingly zippy layer to their sound – way in the background, with the attention on a more generic rock riff versus the punked-up riffage that kicks things off.  Those first three tracks, though – 我逢人, ナニヲナニヲ, and Conflict – are instantly arresting, masterfully produced pummelings of tightly interlaced drum fills, washes of keys, and guitar noodling, with lead singer Motoki Omori showing off an impressive mastery of his higher-range vocals.

I appreciate the desire to mix things up, but hopefully MGA’s other releases find a way to do so without losing the exciting sense of zeal and creativity that makes Progressive’s opening tracks so compelling.