Sunny Day Service is a three-piece guitar band from Japan. Originally formed in 1992 as a punk band, the group consisted of 曽我部恵一 (Keiichi Sokabe), Takashi Tanaka, and other members. They released the EP "Cosmo-Sports" and independent album "Super Disco", and in 1994 the "Hoshizora no doraibu" (Starry Sky Drive) and "Cosmic Hippie" EPs.
Their sound evolved with time, and when Harushige Maruyama joined the band (now a three-piece) they released their first major label mini album,『若者たち』(Wakamonotachi, "Young People"). From their own admission, the album's sound owed much to the Japanese guitar group Flipper's Guitar, of which they were big fans. Their sound was also reminiscent of the folk music revolution, exemplified in the music of late 60s Japanese group はっぴいえんど (Happy End). Sunny Day Service has gained considerable recognition for their acoustic work from this album.
Continuing their success and releasing a number of albums and singles, at the end of their Love Album Tour in 2000, Sunny Day Service announced they would disband. Since disbanding, a best of and b-side compilations have been released, while Keiichi Sokabe has gone on to a successful solo career.
先行カット"苺畑でつかまえて"のメロウネスを全編に漲らせた新アルバム。冒頭から飛び出すシティーなギター・カッティングやファンキーなベースが聴き手の身体を心地良く揺さぶり、"冒険"のソフト・ロックなコーラスや"パンチドランク・ラブソング"のネオアコ的アンサンブルといったポップな要素が華やかな色を添える。ミッドテンポを軸にしたグルーヴからはダフト・パンク"Get Lucky"以降のモードを捉えた視点が窺えるし、日本のインディー・バンドのソウル志向に対する完璧なアンサーとしても機能するだろう。総じてどこまでも軽やかなポップソング集なのだが、夏の輝きと鬱屈した心象とを等価に、美しい筆致で描き出したような詞をそこに乗せるところがこのバンドならでは。リズムボックス使いや密室感のある音像が、スライ&ザ・ファミリー・ストーン〈暴動〉のような不穏さを醸し出す瞬間もあり、その歪さも愛おしい。サニーデイにしか作り得ない、しかし過去作とはまったく違う地平に到達した傑作だ。