Semi-Final

On their second album, School Band mix hard-edged funk rock with a surprisingly wide streak of melody. The musicians had come through a serious rock schooling, and you can hear the discipline as much as the appetite to break it. “Kokoro no Dokoka ni” makes short work of any claim that AOR has to be polite. “Toi Sora no Kaze no Yo” rides a cool, persistent beat; “Dokoka Kara Kita no” turns melodic bossa rock toward a wistful city mood.

Then “The Last Soldier on Raan” takes a vocal approach that recalls Godiego. The fun lies in how readily the band crosses those borders without sanding off its rougher edges.