Wednesday Campanella "Superman" (Warner Music Japan)
Ambition can be one hell of a tightrope to navigate. Electro-pop trio Wednesday Campanella (Suiyoubi no Campanella in the Japanese media) has eyed the upper echelons of J-pop for a few years and has had glimpses of the top thanks to a solid track record of dance-grounded cuts — though charismatic lead singer Kom_I's popularity has played a big part. "Superman," Wednesday Campanella's first full-length release from a major label, continues that delicate walk between on-the-edge indie and TV-friendly pop.
Wednesday Campanella relies on dance music as its main focus, and "Superman" largely draws from the recent U.K. future garage boom for its starting point. Kenmochi Hidefumi and Dir.F handle the sonic side of the group's output, constructing club cuts anchored by radio-ready hooks ("Aladdin") and on-trend vocal samples ("Onyankopon"). However, the group is at its best when pushing into stranger combinations — "Kamehameha the Great" is tropical pop split in half with a big bass drop — building on existing electronic trends but nudging them in different directions.