Tokyo’s PIZZICATO FIVE turned moody and introspective, even minor-key, on their fourth US album, Playboy & Playgirl. In a departure from the drum-and-bass-influenced stylings of their previous record Happy End Of The World and its companion remix volume, the seminal Shibuya-kei duo of Yasuharu Konishi and Nomiya Maki took inspiration from the soft-rock arrangements of Curt Boettcher and Jimmy Webb (The Fifth Dimension, The Association). Harpsichords, lush orchestrations, and multi-part harmonies are the score for this rich, slightly uneasy record.