LOVE PSYCHEDELICO (yes, they spell the band's name with all caps) is reminiscent of the now-defunct Ciba Matto, a groundbreaking Japanese pop-art duo. Ciba Matto displayed just enough of a loopy experimental bent to stoke the hipster market and thus became a lower east side rave. And from there, anyone in the "know" loved CM. And for good reason: Ciba Matto made fine music and called it quits in the late '90s with a respectable oeuvre to its name.

Along comes LOVE PSYCHEDELICO and comparisons are obvious: a Japanese duo with a perky, upbeat, slightly surrealistic groove ethic underlying their work, one that will play well with the downtown crowd. But here's a difference — LOVE PSYCHEDELICO is really funky pop rock. Its sound is that of highly melodic, infectious, with hard-charging but still-muted guitars. It's an Asian sensibility playing, of all things, rhythm and blues, not something you'll run across every day. LOVE PSYCHEDELICO has a lot going on in its work, which makes it interesting, but the sound never overpowers the music, which makes it listenable. (This may be one of the harder tricks for bands to pull of these days, with so many sonic options available). Avowed band influences are, among other similar artists, The Beatles and Janis Joplin. You'll make the connection once you hear the music. 

This is Love Psychedelico, the group's American debut on HackTone Records, is brilliantly good. And not just because of  Naoki Sato's grunge-drugged guitar work; and not because of Kumi's flowering and literate vocals, alternating charmingly between English and Japanese often in the same phrase — not just because of the parts, but because the whole has an organic feel. They play and sing and undoubtedly perform together like they are, at the very least, best friends, which they are. (Kumi, by the way, sounds like a combination of Sheryl Crow and Kate Pierson of the B-52s.)

Kumi and Sato met in Tokyo and self-released their early work. They put out their first major label disc in 2001. Four others followed to growing local acclaim. Delico, as they are called in Japan, was setting the groundwork for this latest release. It would not seem possible to have a more invigorating and hip-beat American debut than This is Love Psychedelico.

This is Love Psychedelico is one of those discovery records: when you hear it you feel as if you’ve been let in on this large secret that perhaps you should have heard by now ("why didn't I know about this?"), but now that you know it you're gonna claim insider status by telling  as many of your friends as possible that "you gotta hear LOVE PSYCHEDELICO."  

Believe me, you gotta. Then you'll have lots of secrets to tell.