album: Bonito Generation - Kero Kero Bonito

Kero Kero Bonito’s Bonito Generation begins with a sheepish yawn and then an invitation. “Let’s go on a Kero Kero journey,” vocalist Sarah Midori Perry exclaims, and with an opening so bubbly and pulsing, it’s impossible to imagine sleeping in. And in case you can’t tell by the technicolored album cover, a "Kero Kero journey" is unlike any adventure you've ever had.

Over the past two years, Kero Kero Bonito followed up a debut album with a series of impossibly catchy and danceable singles. The band's material is noted for fusing verses in Japanese and English, with a video-game like soundtrack providing the background. Bonito Generation brings these previously heard tracks together with brand new ones, making for a listening experience that’s like reaching into a grab bag of your favorite candy treats. No matter what you’re pulling out, it’s satisfyingly sweet.

Colorful, vibrant and carefree, the trio of Kero Kero Bonito have already taken us on a sun splashed “Break”, invited us to practice self love with a bevy of selfies on “Picture This” and kicked us into 8-bit beats on “Lipslap.” The unique and enchanting adventure continues with sunny pop lifted straight from the 90s (“Heard a Song”), melodies that bounce like a yo-yo (“Try Me”) and a sweet, shimmering call to smile and never give up (“Trampoline”). The "Kero Kero journey" ultimately takes our hand and guides us into their rainbow-hued world, an escape where frowns and negativity just can't be found. Bonito Generation is more than just music, it’s magic, and as Perry sings on “Trampoline,” you just have to believe.