A note from the Tomita Lab website cheekily describes 7+ as “urban pop”; in this case (almost definitely) not in reference to the American radio classification but to city pop, the semantically-confusing but aesthetically-evocative term recently trendy among audiences domestic and international. Drawing a comparison while marking an update on “city”, the album lays claim to a new sound that it achieves through meticulously composed, playfully twisted songs. These songs pull on classical choir, hip hop beats, noise play and pop fluff, some jumping categories halfway through. “HOPE for US” calls to mind classic ‘70s city pop before swapping pianos for synths and a harmonic duet for rap, while others, like “Yogisha”, show off all sounds at once in a dexterous weave. “Saa Hanasou”, a track from last year, makes an appearance, but it’s been (artfully) slowed and reverbed, like a self-effacing joke so good that it beckons no sympathy. 7+ finds Keiichi Tomita’s project in its 20th year impressively unburdened, soaring with a fresh sense of optimism.

  Listen to “2021 + MONEY GON” below.