Tokyo's AKAIKO-EN matches shout-along hooks with math-rock twists, creating pop songs that zig and zag. The all-female quartet formed in the late ‘00s and stood out by balancing catchy choruses with the tight start-stop electric guitar playing found in subterranean live venues. “Imasara” features skittery drum patterns and effects-heavy guitars, and the song comes together around a catchy refrain with high-note backing vocals. They turn a sparse ballad guided by piano and violin into something fierce on cuts like “Kikkake”, which quickly shifts its tone from reflective to feedback-drenched.