After two-plus decades in Tokyo's music scene,
Yoko Utsumi -- a kindred spirit of
Shonen Knife and
the Boredoms -- enters the U.S. market with a self-titled set that's as frantic as it is exhilarating. The perky, tempo-changing "Fun" won't get construed as false advertising, but it's horn-injected numbers like "Neji" and the buoyant "Bye Bye" that will have listeners saying "Hello Yoko!" The punk-revivalist spark of "Revolt" and the downright snide "Asshole" are also well done. "My Art," a crooned blues lament, is the lone detriment, altering the exuberant vibe of this otherwise likeable offering. ~ John D. Luerssen