In multiple reviews of Merry albums, the biggest challenge has been to describe the sound of the Tokyo-based band. They are a rock band without any shade of doubt, but there are so many elements from punk, rockabilly, jazz, blues and metal sprinkled through their sound, that mere words cannot do them justice. Ultimately, the easiest way to describe Merry’s sound is to let them do it themselves, through their music. Not entirely without my influence, however, as these songs are my ten favorite Merry songs.

Merry is one of those bands where I don’t exactly have one or two clear favorites. Any of the top five songs could have topped the list, as those were the five songs I knew should be included immediately, without having to think for even a second. Stylistically, my preference does push this list towards a certain style within their signature sound, but there will be more on that while describing the songs. Nonetheless, this list should give you a good impression of what a wonderfully weird, yet surprisingly listenable band Merry is.

Oh yeah, before I start: ‘Peep Show’ will be the album best represented in this list by far. There is a very simple explanation for that, however. It is simply one of the best, most unique J-rock records of all time. Merry is one of the most consistent bands in the visual kei scene, to the point where even their worst album is great – imagine that! – but even for consistent bands, the stars sometimes align just right.

10. Yako (Beautiful Freaks, 2011)

Since the more extreme moments on 2009’s ‘under-world’ were aggressive enough to make me worried about Merry sacking their subdued retro rock – or “retrock”, as they called it themselves – influences, ‘Beautiful Freaks’ was a pleasant surprise. It surely is not their most consistent record, but there are more than a few excellent melodic rock songs. ‘Yako’ is not particularly retro, but Yuu’s opening riff does kind of sound like something a surfrocker would come up with after a steady diet of listening to British invasion bands. There is a looseness in it, a swing that Merry needed at that time in their careers. Also, the way the bright-sounding chorus suddenly opens the song up – not the first time in Merry song – is a moment of pure bliss. ‘Yako’ is certainly one of the best singles Merry has released to date and a pretty good way to get acquainted with them if you are still on the fence about the retro thing.

9. Bluescat (Peep Show, 2006)

Because of its title alone, ‘Bluescat’ was the first Merry song I ever heard. After all, if you are curious about a band that has one of the least search engine-friendly names in the world, you pick the song that does not require you to go through copying the kanji title first. ‘Bluescat’ did not disappoint though. This rockabilly on steroids track was enough to enhance my curiosity into the strange world of Merry even more. Crazy as I am about the song’s interestingly woven guitar tapestries, the first thing that stood out to me was Nero’s drumming. Japanese drummers in bands of this stature tend to be excellent, but also quite measured in their approach. Nero is wild, nearly unhinged in a sense that sounds like he is trying to translate the unpredictable improvisatory nature of jazz drummers to power hitting in a rock context. The guitars were nothing like I would expect, but they are playful and memorable. Some rhythmic surprises only increase the fun.

8. under-world (under-world, 2009)

Generally, aggressive material is not what I prefer to hear from Merry. Not because they are not good at it, but they are just not the type of band I listen to when I want to hear something fast and aggressive. The title track of their relatively aggressive ‘under-world’ album from 2009 is the most important exception to that rule for me though. Here, Merry mixes the aggression with an almost aching sense of melancholy in the vocal and lead guitar department. While Gara does a lot of screaming and yelling throughout the album, ‘under-world’ retains the melodic qualities of his voice and Nero shows what an absolute beast he is behind the drums. It is his switch from pounding polkas to a slower time feel that lends this song its excellent dynamic qualities. This should also serve as an example to modern metal bands: acoustic drum sounds can in fact sound good enough for fast music, as long as you hit your drum kit with the right amount of power and ferocity. Yes, I also think it sounds like “underwear”. No, it doesn’t spoil anything for me.

7. Haraiso (Modern Garde, 2004)

One of the Merry songs that really got a hold on me early on and it is kind of difficult to pinpoint why. Not that it is the type of song that I would not enjoy usually, but it is quite simple, consisting of only a handful of simple riffs. What it does do is subtly shift its mood multiple times. When the listener is thrown into the first verse immediately, it appears that ‘Haraiso’ will be a fun, lightweight rocker, but as soon as the drums switch to a slower feel, there is a brooding darkness underneath the song, followed by the sorrowful longing of the chorus. If the translation of the lyrics I found is to be trusted, this progression of moods – which I noticed prior to reading the translation – is present in the lyrics as well. I quite like Kenichi’s guitar solo as well. He seems to favor telling story through his lead guitar work instead of showing off. The melodic theme he plays on the chorus also adds some emotional gravitas it would not have otherwise.

6. Sayonara Ame (Rain) (Peep Show, 2006)

To this day, it baffles me that Tetsu does not have a songwriting credit on ‘Sayonara Ame (Rain)’. His bass line, one of my favorites in J-rock history, is nearly half of what makes the song so good. It starts out as something reminiscent of Killing Joke’s ‘Love Like Blood’ rhythmically, but far more melodic. During the pre-chorus, the bass gets so melodically busy that it should clash with Gara’s vocals, except it does not. The chorus, meanwhile, is one of the best in Merry’s catalog. It somehow manages to be melancholic and uplifting at the same time, while Yuu’s guitar solo might just be the best he ever recorded. It is short and not at all virtuosic, but it does a great job building from the main melody of the song. The little clean guitar part before the verses start does wonders for the song’s dynamic character as well.

5. Tokyo Telephone (Haikara-San Ga Toru 2nd Press Ni Amo Meikyoku Tsuika, 2002)

Full disclosure: I used to mix up ‘Tokyo Telephone’ and ‘Tasogare Restaurant’, which – spoiler alert – is still to come, all the time. Maybe because they both have titles that are half kanji, half katakana. Or maybe it is because they are both early Merry tracks with a subdued groove that manages to be laid-back and driven at the same time. ‘Tokyo Telephone’ is the slightly more relaxed one of the two, with its rhythms dragging instead of pushing. The way Kenichi’s and Yuu’s guitars dance around each other add a great deal of swing to ‘Tokyo Telephone’ as well. If there is one thing this song proves, it would be that merely a year after Merry had formed, their signature sound had already been established and they excelled at it. Sonically as well; the guitar sounds in this song are subdued enough to give enhance the song’s vibe, but also just abrasive enough to emphasize that Merry is first and foremost a rock band.

4. Fukuro (Nonsense Market, 2014)

Sheer euphoria. That is what I feel every time I hear ‘Fukuro’ and that is why it has been one of my favorite Merry songs ever since I heard it. While that busy drums and dissonant guitar chords intro does a great job introducing the song, it is when it opens up immediately afterward when the beauty of ‘Fukuro’ is revealed. That lead guitar melody is quite simple, but does so much to give that section its triumphant feel. When ‘Fukuro’ was released, I had been listening to Merry for a couple of years and was so glad that Gara seemed to be moving into a more melodic direction vocally again. Musically, the song sounds like it came together from a spontaneous jam, but the fact that every member knows exactly when not to play betrays that the arrangement was far more thought-out than it may seem. Tetsu does not write a lot of Merry songs, but when he does, they tend to be winners. ‘Fukuro’ is the Exhibit A.

3. Sentimental Newpop (Peep Show, 2006)

That teasing lead guitar line, those sudden bursts of intensity, those simple yet excellent vocal harmonies in what appears to be the pre-chorus, that release from all the tension in the final minute or so of the song… Even today, I sometimes have trouble understanding how much great stuff Merry crammed into only three minutes in ‘Sentimental Newpop’. While it is not necessarily a busy song, as the structure is easy to follow and the arrangement leaves enough room for the vocals and guitars to breathe, it has far more musical information than the average three minute song. The title of the song undoubtedly is a reference to the omnipresent nostalgia in Merry’s discography, but let me tell you this: if new pop music was generally this energetic and melodically rich, I would not have complained about it nearly as much as I do.

2. Tasogare Restaurant (Gendai Stoic, 2003)

If ‘Sayonara Ame (Rain)’ and ‘Sentimental Newpop’ were the songs that made me fall in love with Merry, ‘Tasogare Restaurant’ is the song that made me decide that I wanted to stay with them. Despite its driving rock beat, the song feels relatively subdued and there is a nostalgic melancholy in both Gara’s vocal delivery and the overall feel of the song. That main riff, with Kenichi holding down the deceptively simple chord work and Yuu laying down a lead guitar part with a slightly different rhythm, is so effective that it hurts. In addition, I really like how the song opens up during its verses, as this is usually something musicians reserve for a chorus. Admittedly, ‘Tasogare Restaurant’ does not really have a chorus in the traditional sense. It does have a part that returns later, but with slightly different rhythms. Is that a complaint though? Of course not! That epilogue rounds out what is without a doubt one of Merry’s most brilliant songs.

1. Fukinko Kinema (Beautiful Freaks, 2011)

Easily the Merry track I play most. To be honest, I am not quite sure what it is about ‘Fukinko Kinema’ that I love so much. With all those chords on the afterbeats, ‘Fukinko Kinema’ is basically a slowed-down ska song, a genre that I do not particularly enjoy. But the laid-back retro vibe, the excellent melodies and that almost cathartic chorus are too good to resist. Structurally, ‘Fukinko Kinema’ is rather interesting as well. There is a break halfway through the second verse, the tension ramps up for the guitar solo after the first chorus only to drop back to the original feel of the song. Naturally, the energetic guitar solo returns after the final chorus, this is Merry we are talking about, after all. All of this contributes to a song that never fails at putting a smile on my face. It should be played at any Merry concert, but it appears that it is played at most of them already!

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