The latest from school food punishment is finally here! After giving Riff-rain a week to digest, an article about it couldn’t wait any longer.

Riff-rain is school food punishment’s third mini album. It comes just over a year since the band’s last mini album, the acclaimed air feel, color swim. Considering the short time between the releases of school food punishment’s first and second mini album, Riff-rain feels overdue eventhough it’s right on time (it’s actually early thanks to a Tower Records limited sale — the nationwide release is out January 14th).

The six tracks on Riff-rain are enough to satisfy, until the listener realizes he/she is craving more.

The mini album kicks off with “Flow”. With a brief beginning that sounds like a more solemn and understated version of the intro to Van Halen’s “Right Now”, “Flow” quickly leaves that notion behind when the rest of the band punches in. The poppy, jazzy sound created by keyboardist Masayuki Hasuo (蓮尾雅之), bassist Hideaki Yamasaki (山崎英明), and drummer Osamu Hidai (比田井修) unites with the piercing-yet-smooth, seasoned vocals and guitar of Yumi Uchimura (内村友美).

Each element coalesces to create a sound that is crisp enough to be interesting and ethereal enough to fascinating. This combination creates a gravity of perpetual intrigue that’s simply hard to escape. Tracks consist of constant play with jazzy piano progressions, funky rhythms, and synthy atmospherics.

“Feedback” is the obvious single off of Riff-rain. It’s got a nice hook and is the most balanced blend of school food punishment’s ‘sounds’. “Egoist” flows with fluid synths and saw waves. After “Egoist”, “Killer” sounds much more au naturel, but it’s not without some glitchy highlights. The brief track, “Over” completes Riff-rain and brings things back full circle, ending on the same notes that “Flow” began with.

With the exception of the mellow and sublime “二人海の底” (Futari Umi No Soko), each track on Riff-rain is packed full of pop and punch with electronic tones always creeping around in the background.

The avidity of the piano sometimes starts to sound a bit monotonous so it’s great to see the band mix things up when needed. That little switch results in making the Rhodes-like accompaniment on “二人海の底” sound brilliant.

school food punishment formed in late 2004. With two demos, a compilation, and three mini albums, expect a full-length album sometime soon. Though the band’s first two mini albums were with JULY RECORDS, Riff-rain is being released with FIVEMAN ARMY ROCKS.

Check out the PV for “Feedback”:

Visit school food punishment’s official site or MySpace.

Buy Riff-rain by school food punishment.