KEISOUDO by ZUTOMAYO
pop/ rock • 2026
9.0
ZUTOMAYO has not only sharpened their sound, but also found a way to proliferate into quirky and vivacious avenues. the sincere pop-rock album explodes in little ways that not only test the genre boundaries, but also, seemingly, do so simply for the sake of enjoyment. ZUTOMAYO, a band in danger of middling off into sameness, has embraced a great quality often neglected: fun. a choice that has pushed their band into new frame of appreciation.
i still remember ZUTOMAYO’s genesis in 2018. a band compiled of an anonymous coalition of members, who broke into popularity with a unique style of pop-rock. back then it felt like something truly new and fresh. now the industry has caught up a bit. today, the vocalist (ACAne) remains their distinct feature, along with their progressive pop-rock sound. perhaps a bit TOO distinct, i’ve found her voice can hit the upper registers of the sound range a bit too often. within the past handful of years ZUTOMAYO, in voice and style, has begun to feel a bit too samey, stretched over too much time. the novelty of that exciting new sound and ACAne’s voice began to veer into redundancy. such is the way the world works.
seeing their new album on the horizon did not leave me with much feeling, whether positive or negative. now is a terrific chance for me to say that i am surprised and, in turn, delighted with their latest release, KEISOUDO. over the run time i found myself enjoying the work in a number of interconnected ways. the oddball instrument choices, the playful compositions, the joyful attitude throughout and exuberant energy built at the foundations of the work. it reminds me that it’s one thing for a piece of work to exist, born of intense efforts and time, and it’s another completely for that piece of work to feel so effortless and, in turn, delightful. as grumpy as i was going into this album (anticipating a rote effort), i found my lethargy begin to melt in real-time during the album’s first half. a thawing that turned over to jubilation. perhaps its my turn in perception that increased my enjoyment of KEISOUDO, however i find the album stands fully on it’s own. both as a complete creation and as a bold new step in their signature upon the industry.
KEISOUDO feels well considered and wonderfully carefree. i believe art is not created by wanton carelessness. art is created when the rules are recognized and intentionally subverted or ignored. i am impressed. there are songs in this album clearly created with intention from the very foundation. in this execution, so many songs are knocked around and rebuilt with careful abandon. like a masterful architecture made from a child’s toybox of colorful crayons and lincoln logs. in fact, there are more ways than i can dutifully point to that exhibit these qualities across the album.
but i can try. “KUZURI (クズリ念) – Live in Studio_Warm Storage”, has little maracas, cymbals and an orchestral bass drum underlying the songs construction. throughout, ambient introductions of loose concert instrumentation make appearances in the loveliest little ways. meanwhile, ACAne’s powerful performance is underlined so brilliantly by her timidity and sincerity. a fellow sincerity that is matched by the guitar and piano partnership giving the work stability. focus on the singer’s performance or get lost in the minute details, either way a smile might crack your face along the way. “KUZURI” is a collection of small efforts assembled meaningfully into gorgeous production. a mirror to the album itself.
be sure to check out “CREAM” for a disco-rock with some Saturday Night Fever-like violin set along with some joyous trumpets and a little bit of ragtime piano madness. somehow it totally works. “antimony” morphs from synthetic ambience into a furious piano jam. an impressive use water droplet sound effects included to match the drumming digital bass. it’ll catch you wrong footed, then have your feet tapping. “Matane Maboroshi” takes the first real dive away from all “goofing off” into an emotional performance from ACAne. theremins, mouth harps and grand piano all included. whether sincere and slow or upright upbeat jams, KEISOUDO has great variety, with an underlying appropriateness across individual tracks and the album at large.
some parts of the album fall a bit short for me on revisit. i find the first handful of songs hold back the later half of the album. whether an intentional transition from ZUTOMAYO of old to new or not, i find myself ready to skip forth to “Medianoche” then to “CREAM – Disco Re-Edit”. and while i recognize “TAIDADA” as their top-most break out single, a necessary addition to their bottom line, i think it holds the album back from cohesive greatness. it’s a standard pop-forward release meant for mass enjoyment. a little too close to their already established style. as are the other handful of opening songs on the album.
conceptually, i may concede. as mentioned before, a rule must be properly set to be broken. it seems the band intends to establish their pop-rock rule before breaking free from it. to be morphed into exciting new styles and structures. the greatest transformation of KEISOUDO comes from this particular paradigm shift.
i keep coming back to one same feeling, one of being caught off guard. the lethargy i had entering this album, became glossed over by the sheen of layered intricacies. ZUTOMAYO has somehow both maintained their singular identity and evolved their sound meaningfully. to astounding effect. KEISOUDO has a distinct and fun energy underlying its identity in every part. i can hear it in the wide array of instruments performed, i can hear it in the playful ways those instruments have been included, i can hear it in the earnestness of the work, i can hear it in the many minute flourishes across the album. i can even see it in the concept of the work, centered around earth, primordial formations and the ever ethereal soul. that sounds like a lot, but the joy comes in the fact that it doesn’t really feel like that at all. it feels playful, amusing, joyous. a realization made all the more amazing by the fabric of complexity that lies beneath.
ZUTOMAYO’s KEISOUDO will be another meaningful album for the band and the industry for another handful of years to come. it effortlessly communicates its thesis: pop-rock is variable. ambient noise, synth tones, concert ensembles, disco, whatever. why contain a genre to one thing. wierdness doesn’t have to be a decoration, it can be a design.
written by Marcus Landeros- highlights -
Ma Ningen (間人間)
Medianoche (メディアノーチェ)
Warmthaholic (微熱魔)
CREAM (クリームで会いにいけますか) – Disco Re-Edit
Matane Maboroshi (またね幻) – Live in Studio_To You, Across 80 Light Years
Pain Give Form (形)
Learning How Not to Break (不死身の訓練)
antimony (アンチモン)
KUZURI (クズリ念) – Live in Studio_Warm Storage
Truth In Lies (嘘じゃない)
lowmotion algae
track list:
Chikyū Sonzai Shinai Setsu (地球存在しない説)
Almost Human (間人間)
Medianoche (メディアノーチェ)
TAIDADA
Kani Shabu Funk (蟹しゃぶふぁんく)
Warmthaholic (微熱魔)
CREAM (クリームで会いにいけますか) – Disco Re-Edit
Matane Maboroshi (またね幻) – Live in Studio_To You, Across 80 Light Years
SHADE (シェードの埃は延長)
Pain Give Form (形)
ultra soul (ultra魂)
Learning How Not to Break (不死身の訓練)
Hippocampal Pain (海馬成長痛)
antimony (アンチモン)
yomosugara (よもすがら)
KUZURI (クズリ念) – Live in Studio_Warm Storage
Truth In Lies (嘘じゃない)
lowmotion algae
