Yumi Yoshimura and Ami Onuki, the savvy entrepreneurs behind the Japanese girl pop duo
Puffy AmiYumi, return with
Spike, their fourth full-length collection of new material and their first under a shiny new moniker. (The artists, formerly known only as
Puffy, were legally blindsided and robbed of their six-year-old stage name by
Sean "Puffy" Combs -- aka
Puff Daddy, aka P-Diddy -- who apparently didn't think the world was big enough for two Puffys. (Rumors that he will take out a copyright on the letter "P" could not be confirmed at press time.) Like 1999's
Fever*Fever,
Spike is an ultra-cute, polished piece of work that draws heavily on the duo's Western influences, from
Brian Setzer and
Brian Wilson to the Go-Go's and
the Ramones. "Boogie Woogie No. 5" is a competent stab at big-band rockabilly, complete with jazz guitars and a rollicking horn section; "Shut Your Mouth, Honey" is an infectious bit of retro power pop that's eerily reminiscent of
the Brady Bunch's "Keep On"; and "Sui Sui" sounds like an inspired hybrid of
Shonen Knife and
the Beach Boys. Indeed,
Spike is a mixed bag of musical styles, with Yoshimura and Onuki showing off their diverse talents on each track. The result is pure joy, the kind of hook-driven pop that will surely win them a solid fan base in America.