back number (バックナンバ) looks to push to the forefront with the release of their first mini album.

The trio’s debut mini, titled 逃した魚 (Nogashita Sakana, the fish we let escape) features seven tracks and was released on February 18th.

The band’s emotional rock sound is laid atop a foundation of pop sensibility. The end result is genuine, heartfelt music that is rough at the margin yet pure and poignant at the core. Many tracks explore dynamics that range from melancholic lows to exciting highs. One track that serves as a excellent exhibition of back number’s signature style is “春を歌にして” (Haru o Uta ni Shite, make spring into a song).

“Haru o Uta ni Shite”, which is back number’s first single, rolls up and down from melodic valley to peak. Unexpectedly quiet verses are just vocalist/guitarist Kiyomizu (清水依与吏) singing while being backed by bassist Kazuya Kojima (小島和也), before the singer’s guitar and drummer Hisashi Kurihara (栗原寿) come in. Though the instrumention flows from calm to fleeting climax, Kiyomizu’s vocals remain as the song’s unrelenting and aching auditory focal point.

If the rest of Nogashita Sakana is like “Haru o Uta ni Shite” — and two other tracks on back number’s Audioleaf page: “重なり” (Kasanari, overlap) and “西藤公園” (Nishifuji Kouen, West Fuji Park) — then it is a striking debut that can help back number jump to the front.

back number formed in 2004 in Gunma Prefecture. They released their first CD in November of ’05 and followed up with releases in November of ’06 and ’07. The trio won a best rock band competition at a Gunma radio station in 2007. Since April of 2008, the band have hosted a weekly radio program, back number’s pizza small world on FM TARO (currently Friday nights at 11pm). They are currently signed with idOLSMITH Recordings.

Watch the PV for “Haru o Uta ni Shite”:

Visit back number’s official site, MySpace page and Audioleaf page

Buy Nogashita Sakana on HearJapan