Self-released, 19 Apr 2023
Okay, so this is a tough one. I’ve been a fan of Japanese pop punk band Hi-Standard since first hearing “My Sweet Dog” on the Physical Fatness comp from 1997. The band has been seemingly on-again, off-again for a while, but were recently in the on-again phase, working on new material when their drummer Akira Tsuneoka passed away. A couple months have passed and the band has released a new song, part of some “new material” recorded with Tsuneoka back in December. The song is called “I’m A Rat” and it’s available for streaming at the links below. It also comes with a lyric video, which you can again find below.
There’s no real reason to review a song in this context and I’ll acknowledge that I just feel lucky to have something new to hear from the band and from Tsuneoka. That said, the song is awesome to me. “I’m A Rat” opens with brief chugging guitars and a melodic vocal line before bursting with all the energy that always sucks me in. The cuts back-and-forth between the crazy-paced drums and the half-time drums that the band tends to utilize so well show up here, too – and to great effect. The vocal melody and backing vocals are fantastic and I completely love the melody that drops around the 1:20 mark. It all wraps with a quiet replication of the vocal melody accompanied by a guitar – drifting off nicely. “I’m A Rat” does the stuff I love to hear from Hi-Standard. I just wish the context was different. Highly recommended.
- Song Comes From: standalone single
- Purchase/Pre-Order/Pre-Save: Apple Music / Spotify
First Impressions are whiz-bang reviews of singles, 7″s, EPs, and LPs which are given a review after a single listen. This is a great way for TGEFM to showcase some of the releases which may not get a full review on their own.
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ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
