Q.A.S.B.'s FIRST ALBUM (Originally Released in Oct. 2009) The likes of Osaka Monaurail and Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro are well established on the funk scene both in Japan and overseas, and now Q.A.S.B. are the latest Japanese funk band to try to follow in their mighty footsteps. A ten-piece band with a female vocalist, amy-A, Q.A.S.B. have already released a couple of 45s, with The Key getting released on the UK Jazzman label. Their self-titled debut album is now out, though there is no hint as to what the initials of the band's name actually stand for, so it invites imaginative guesses unless, of course, you're already in the know. The album kicks off with The Key, the lead track in more ways than one with some punchy brass that has an almost Speedometer-like sound to it. amy-A belts out the vocals like any self-respecting funk diva should, though there's the age-old problem that generally speaking, non-Americans can't quite achieve the real funk or soul sound when singing. Funk With Me is another dancer, though not quite as instant, but the heavy bass-driven mid-pace groove of Touch is a winner. Closing out the first half of the album is We Need The Funk, a fairly standard funk-by-numbers instrumental. On the second half of the album, with the exception of the funky No! the band explore a more soulful sound, with Eternally a sweet pop-soul tune and All Right, a very catchy tune that is no doubt used late in their live sets. The album closes out with the ballad One Love Song, which allows amy-A to show off her vocal range, but it's not one of the high points of the album. Not as strong as the material released by Osaka Monaurail or Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro, though they show some promise. If I have any criticisms, it's that with just eight tracks the album comes in at just 36 minutes, which is not overly long considering it's priced as a full-length album and half of the tracks have already featured on the singles. Quite a sound beginning, that hopefully hints at better things to come. Out on CD in Japan and on iTunes worldwide.