There probably wasn't a single soul expecting a radical change of direction from Yuzu, and on Furusato, they don't disappoint, offering another helping of mellow, sunny, heartfelt, and tame guitar pop that is generally labeled "folk-rock" in Japan.

Furusato, just like the band's previous records, consists mainly of midtempo ballads built around major-key guitar strumming and sentimental vocals -- basically, the stuff playing in romantic moments of feel-good movies or anime series; amplified ten times, the songs may show their bluesy roots and come within the range of Bump of Chicken's softest stuff, but no one intends for this to happen: Yuzu are good precisely because they epitomize "soft," and when they do go all out, as on "Zenmai," they do so by piling up more layers of emotion, not groove.

Granted, there's really a bit more dynamics this time around -- see the classical/dance-pop crossover single "Niji," the bouncy "Ichigo," the aforementioned "Zenmai," with its arena-sized bluesy bombast, or "Shish Kebab," which compensates for the silly name with fast beats, lush backing choirs, a brass section, and even some funky bass.

But it's all too evident that these songs are just minor detours done in a slightly dressed-up version of the band's regular style; in the grand scheme of things, these slight changes are unable to hide the main truth about Furusato, which, with its disregard for hooks and fondness for the sweet "all is right with the world" melodies and vocal lines, is an example of ultimate J-pop background music.