Over the years, many high-achieving young rock bands have had to figure out what to do for their second act after reaching the upper rungs of fame’s ladder. In the case of Tokyo pop-rock superstars Spitz, the answer was to avoid reinventing the wheel without getting stuck in a rut. The 1995 album Hachimitsu had made Spitz real-deal rock stars in Japan after years of slogging it out, and that album is filled with sparkly electric and acoustic power pop and clear, punchy production. The tunes on 1996’s Indigo Chiheisen that tweak that template include “Nagisa”, whose steady stream of burbling electronics enhances the momentum of the groove, and “Nanaeno Kimochi” and “Niji Wo Koete”. The latter tracks bear an intense rhythmic drive that leans into indie-rock territory without sacrificing any of Spitz’s innate poppiness. There’s also “Houkiboshi”, on which the haunting, moody atmospheres of the verses contrast with ultra-hooky choruses while searing wah-wah lead guitar laces it all together. And “Muffler Man” sports a grittier rock attack than usual for the band, with riffs that offer a quick callback to Spitz’s earlier experiments with grunge tonalities. But the bulk of Indigo Chiheisen is bursting with the kind of sunny vibes, Beatles-informed melodic moves and glittering power-pop riffs that helped make the preceding album such a watershed moment for the band. And listeners whose attention was snared by the tight production on Hachimitsu will find easy entry into the sounds of the follow-up as well. Closing cut “Cherry”—which became a huge hit for the band—ends the album on the brightest conceivable note, with its trampoline beat and open sunroof of a melody seeming to look ahead at Spitz’s bright future.