{$Yumi Yoshimura} and {$Ami Onuki}, the savvy entrepreneurs behind the Japanese girl {\pop} duo {$Puffy AmiYumi}, return with {^Spike}, their fourth full-length collection of new material and their first under a shiny new moniker. (The artists, formerly known only as {$Puffy}, were legally blindsided and robbed of their six-year-old stage name by {$Sean "Puffy" Combs} -- aka {$Puff Daddy}, aka {$P. Diddy} -- who apparently didn't think the world was big enough for two Puffys. [Rumors that he will take out a copyright on the letter P could not be confirmed at press time.]) Like 1999's {^Fever*Fever}, {^Spike} is an ultracute, polished piece of work that draws heavily on the duo's Western influences, from {$Brian Setzer} and {$Brian Wilson} to {$the Go-Go's} and {$the Ramones}. {&"Boogie Woogie No. 5"} is a competent stab at {\big-band} {\rockabilly}, complete with {\jazz} guitars and a rollicking horn section; {&"Shut Your Mouth, Honey"} is an infectious bit of retro {\power pop} that's eerily reminiscent of {$the Brady Bunch}'s {&"Keep On"}; and {&"Sui Sui"} sounds like an inspired hybrid of {$Shonen Knife} and {$the Beach Boys}. Indeed, {^Spike} is a mixed bag of musical styles, with {$Yoshimura} and {$Onuki} showing off their diverse talents on each track. The result is 57 minutes of pure joy, the kind of hook-driven {\pop} that will surely win them a solid fan base in America. ~ Rossiter Drake, All Music Guide