Terra 2001 (Japan Version)

Every time I hear the brilliant green's Maybe We Could Go Back To Then, I feel a slight ache in my heart, a flash of times past, people and places left behind. All the reluctant separations that accompany life expressed in a simple thought.

There is something about the brilliant green that lingers. The music is mellow, merry, and easy to listen to, but a familiar melancholy underlines all their songs. The lyrics are adorably simple, yet disarmingly deep with a quirkiness that is uniquely identifiable as buri guri (the brilliant green's nickname). Many of their songs are in English, and buri guri is definitely one of the few Asian bands for whom writing and singing in English actually adds to rather than detracts from their charm.

Released in 1999, buri guri's second album Terra 2001 continues their brand of crowd-pleasing, Beatles-influenced pop rock crooned out in Kawase Tomoko's sultry sulking voice. Tommy is one of the rare vocalists who can express emotions in monotone. Her clear, almost bored singing voice is uncannily suitable for the band's softer, stripped-down compositions, like Ai no Ai no Hoshi (Track 2), Round and Round (Track 8), and Nagai Tameiki no You ni (Track 11), while her snarly drawl is perfect for the playfully fast rock numbers, like BYE! MY BOY! (Track 1) and CALL MY NAME (Track 4).

One of their signature songs, Brownie the cat - miwaki no neko room - (Track 3) encapsulates the charm that is the brilliant green. From the title to the imagery - yellow flower chair, pink ice cream, blue marshmallow clouds, a moon of cheese and cream - Brownie the cat could very easily fall into overly cute territory, but with a relaxed voice, solid instrumentals, and an unobtrusively catchy mid-tempo melody, the song becomes pure whimsical rock. What is truly to be appreciated is that buri guri maintains this mellow energy, abstract poetry, and addictive pop appeal for all their songs. There is no other band that makes music as simultaneously fun and serious as the brilliant green.