Sherbets

Rock chameleon Kenichi Asai and co. return with two albums and a tour

Kenichi Nakata, Kenichi Asai, Qumico Fucci, Kimitoshi Sotomura

As the ’80s drew to a close, Kenichi Asai was reportedly trying to decide whether to carry on with his motorcycle gang or start a rock band. If he’d chosen the former, the gang would have held onto one of the coolest dudes in the country, but rock ‘n’ roll would have lost out on one of its more inventive characters.

Relocating to Tokyo from Aichi Prefecture, Asai went on to become a rock icon, founding a series of influential bands starting with garage rockers Blankey Jet City in 1990. From the beginning, Asai has shown an unmatched gift for storytelling, evoking in his songs a motley crew of memorable characters ranging from greasy rockers to sinewy lovers to, in a song on his latest album, a “Hippy Junky Surfer.”

Asai uses different bands as vehicles for his differing visions. After Blankey Jet City broke up in 2000, he’s been part of off-and-on projects Ajico, Sherbets, and Jude (pronounced “yuh-dah”). An all-star unit with singer UA, Ajico were perhaps the most commercial of the three, while the four-piece Sherbets are of a more psychedelic bent, and Jude hew closer to the tattoos ‘n’ leather rock trio format of Blankey Jet City.

After a three-year break, the Sherbets returned this spring with their fourth album, Natural, following it up with a tour and a best-of album out this week. Asai releases his copious stream of material on Sexy Stones, the independent label he created in the wake of the demise of Blankey Jet City.

A more laid-back affair than previous Sherbets outings, Natural sets the tone with the abstract love song “Fukurou,” only picking up the pace toward the middle of the album with the sing-along choruses of “Baby Revolution.” “Light Blue” is perhaps the strongest track, bringing together Asai’s persuasive songwriting with the instrumental talents of keyboardist Qumico Fucci, bassist Kenichi Nakata and drummer Kimitoshi Sotomura on a song that is carefully calibrated, yet somehow dreamy and unforced.

Anyone seeking an introduction to the Sherbets should also check out Siberian Madness, which chronicles the band’s journey from their 1999 debut, Siberia, through their second album, Aurora, and on to their most recent and definitive outing, Vietnam 1964. Siberian Madness shows Asai in some of his many incarnations, and includes perhaps the Sherbet’s catchiest song, “Black Jenny,” as well as a new number, “Brixton Madness Party Generation.”

Although his slick, rocker poses seem pretentious at times, and though his reedy vibrato is an acquired taste, Asai’s bottomless bag of tricks and inventive songwriting guarantee he’ll be around long after the latest prefab teen rock group has returned to obscurity.

Liquidroom, Dec 1, and Shibuya-AX, Jan 6. See concert listings (popular) for details.

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