Saucy Dog made its splashy J-rock debut with the uptempo mini-album Country Road. But the project almost didn’t come together. Guitarist and vocalist Shinya Ishihara founded the band while living in Osaka in 2013. Not long after, the other members left, leaving him alone to figure out what Saucy Dog would be. He connected with bassist Kazuki Akizawa and drummer Yuika Seto from the surrounding region to create a new outfit in 2016. Country Road finds the trio experimenting with both energetic rockers bordering on pop-punk and mellower songs nodding to American classic rock and hinting at the intimate direction it would take in the years ahead. Up until Country Road came out, Saucy Dog workshopped its high-energy songs on the road. So the tracks here pulse with energy, starting with opener “Kemuri.” The guitar notes and drum beats zip ahead, and Ishihara even lets loose on vocals, sometimes approaching a shout. The feverish pace of numbers such as “Night Closing” and “Diorama” nods to the anthemic works of Japanese rockers like CreepHyp and KEYTALK. Saucy Dog would find fame with its special brand of upbeat rock and optimistic lyrics. But the more expansive “Itsuka” captures the trio's chiller guitar sound. The extra space allows Ishihara’s singing to come to the forefront as he explores the experience of navigating public parks and traffic lights with a new lover. A similarly intimate approach to songwriting pops up on “Mother Road” and “Wake,” too. Clearly, Country Road was just the first stop for a band on the highway to self-discovery.