It has been 20 years since Fukuoka outfit Number Girl formed, an outfit that went on to create some of the best (and most frantic…and intense…and, well, more adjectives could be stuffed here) rock music of the ’90s and early Oughts. To honor them, a bunch of artists from across Japan have put together Good-Bye School Girl, a tribute album to the group featuring a different outfit covering a different Number Girl song. Some are pretty straightforward covers, such as Nyai’s opening take on “Iggy Pop Fan Club.” Others offer a bit more of a departure — Ghostlight turns the aggressive “Sentimental Kajō” into a barely there drifter, his vocals drifting through the hazy music behind him. Synth-loving outfit Einsteins turns “Cibicco San” into a bouncy electronic number, and preceding that one are some straight-up dance remixes. The most intriguing rework comes from American outfit The Bilinda Butchers, who recruit Japanese singer Smany for a housed-up take on “Sentimental Girls Violent Joke.” It highlights what this collection does well most of the time — rather than make you crave the originals, it offers you new perspective on the songs while still capturing the essence of what made the originals so enduring. Listen above.
