We’ve barely just began 2009 and already there’s a shocker of the year so stunning, a taser couldn’t make me twitch this much. Now, perhaps that’s some pretty ridiculous hyperbole but let the record show that I remain jarred.

There was some fair warning but nonetheless, wow! Here’s some background:

Since their mid-2007 major debut, jazz fusion band Gulliver Get (ガリバーゲット) have made some beautiful and inspiring music. The quintet quickly found their niche and delivered three singles and a mini album by early 2008. The late ’08 release of Gulliver Get’s fourth single (“Koi ni Ochita”) shook up the fine-cocktail jazz sound in a pop/rock-coated tumbler and the band’s latest album — which was released on February 4th, 2009 — splits the ‘sound’ right down the center.

From what I’ve heard, a majority of the tracks on スタートの青色 (Start no Aoiro, blue start) stay true to Gulliver Get’s jazz-inspired roots yet a small-but-strapping minority shoot off in a different direction. These tracks, which include singles and few others, take Gulliver Get’s sophisticated jazz sound out of the dimly lit, smoke-filled lounges and onto the sunny outdoor stages (airport runways?) set in front of a blue sky.

This striking stylistic dichotomy works because even though a song gets louder and faster and the guitar get more distorted, Gulliver Get’s musical prowess remains in tact even when the action appears somewhat tongue-in-cheek. The newer pop/rock-fueled approach means that the acoustic guitar is replaced by an electric, saxophone solos get shorter and integrated into the chorus, the bass goes from upright to horizontal, and the drums crash with ferocity.

Lead singer Ayao’s (アヤヲ) powerful vocals and the saxophony of Yuuichi Sakaguchi (阪口裕一) deliver nearly no matter the situation or song. These two powerful elements help cement Gulliver Get and their sound together regardless of the stylistic changes made. Bassist Yoichi Yamada (山田洋一), guitarist Takashi Yamamoto (山本隆), and drummer Kenji Tsuruta (鶴田憲司) complete the bonding process by adapting to the different directions the songs take.

It appears that Ayao went from seductive debutante to fun-loving girl. At least that’s the case in the PVs for “コイニオチタ” (Koi ni Ochita) and “Start no Aoiro”. While the song, “Koi ni Ochita” may have ventured a bit too far into pop territory, with it’s distinct GIZA Studio ‘pop sound’ (the band’s label), “Start no Aoiro” does a better job bringing the band’s jazz talents to a more mass appeal.

As for the album, it begins in charging, cheery pop/rock fashion. “Start no Aoiro” proceeds “Koi ni Ochita”. The third track, ‘週末なんていらない” (shuumatsu nanteiranai) brings the album back down to a more mature and relaxed jazz level. The tenacity and energy of the album’s beginning is replaced by beauty as Ayao’s vocal talent — as well as the other member’s expertise — come forward. A few more elements of Gulliver Get’s changing direction surface on tracks like “薔薇は彼女” (bara wa kanojo) but they manage to maintain a degree of original style. In addition to unique album versions of some tracks, Start no Aoiro includes and acoustic song as well as a bossa nova rendition of “Koi ni Ochita”.

Gulliver Get was fomed in Kyoto in 2001. Originally the instrumental trio of Yamada, Yamamoto, and Sakaguchi, Ayao joined and added her unique vocals in ’02. Since 2007, they’ve been signed with GIZA Studio.

Watch the PV for “Start no Aoiro” :

Now, experience the jazzy side of Guliver Get with a live performance of “紅い月～あの人に愛されますように”:

Visit Gulliver Get’s official site

Buy Start no Aoiro by Gulliver Get HERE and HERE