Hit and Fun Puffy AmiYumi (CD)

The Japanese duo of Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura, otherwise known as Puffy AmiYumi, have released compilation album Hit and Fun for the summer. The 20-track high-energy album more than lives up to its name.

With 14 years and 10 albums behind them, it's no surprise the group reached No 9 on Japan's Oricon music charts with Hit and Fun's mostly catchy lines and fast beats.

Opener Tokyo I'm On My Way grooves along but the repetitive lyrics may eventually bore.

There are four English tracks on the disc, all performed with a thick Japanese accent; the singers' voices are remarkably similar in both languages, so it can be hard to tell them apart.

Hi Hi, the rocking theme song from the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi Show is a worthy addition to the album, while Hataraku Otoko stands out for its group chant followed by a guitar riff that gradually slows down to ease you into the dreamy vocals.

The lyrics of Sign of Love have a romantic bent but wait until after the fade-out - the ending may surprise.