Review Summary: A pretty good release, but still very reminiscent to the style of Judy and Mary...
In the early 2000's and late 90's, cookie cutter bands were at an all time high in Japan. One outstanding example would be Hysteric Blue. When they first released their debut album, "Baby Blue", there were tons of similarities between them and the hugely popular Judy and Mary. Some things were so similar (the vocals, for example) that at times, it would be damn right eerie. However, on the 2000 sophomore album, "Wallaby", the band attempts to split from the comparisons, and try something new. The only problem is... the similarities are still highly existent.
The album has the Judy and Mary sound intact, with songs like "Chokkan Paradise" backing up that feel. However, by the time "Futari Botchi" comes on, it shows the band breaking from the mold of mere copycat material, and starts the sound of alternative rock bridging with pop rock. The track itself is a pretty interesting turn in the band's sound, as it features a pretty laid back sound, with dream-like vocals performed by frontwoman Mayumi Takeda. A solid piece of pop-alternative rock, and a superb turn for not only the album, but for the band as well.
That sound is continued for a bit, until the track "Dear" comes on, which is one of the most impressive songs in the band's catalog. It starts off with a spacey sound, before kicking off into an extremely solid power pop anthem. The album then closes with the live version of "Ima Mieru A***a, Imashimeru Kyou", which is essentially a ripoff of older Judy and Mary material executed successfully. In this track, the vocals are as eerie as ever, as it clearly copies from the notebook of JAM vocalist, Yuki Isoya. A decent song, but one cannot ignore the similarities between the two bands, especially in this track.
Overall, the album shows Hysteric Blue breaking from the mold of JAM copycats, but eventually shows them relapsing back into that stage. If it weren't for the eerie resemblances of the JAM-like tracks, the album would be superb, maybe even a classic. However, those tracks bring the album down to an excellent status. A promising sophomoric release, equipped with a few imitative tracks that weighs the quality of the album down. Still head and shoulders above Baby Blue, however.
