Pop-rock duo Yorushika always approaches music conceptually. The pair’s earliest albums told a slow-burning narrative set to uptempo piano-assisted rock. For 2020’s Plagiarism, it shared a self-contained story questioning the intrinsic value of art, complete with a supplementary novella for those wanting to go deeper. With 2023’s Magic Lantern, producer N-buna and vocalist Suis wanted to try releasing their music in a new format, so they issued the record as an interactive picture book whose songs could only be unlocked and played using a smartphone app. The tracks within—some of which the group shared separately online—explore themes from various literary works. Similar-minded J-pop groups such as YOASOBI have turned short stories into musical hits since 2020. On Magic Lantern, Yorushika draws inspiration from famous texts both Japanese and Western. The duo nods to author Ernest Hemingway on the midtempo guitar chug of “The Old Man and the Sea” and poet Kenji Miyazawa on the fast-paced “Matasaburo.” The pair uses these celebrated works of fiction as jumping-off points for numbers exploring similar themes, allowing Yorushika to add his own perspective. The duo also refines its playing across Magic Lantern, delivering tight pop-rock marked by Suis’ dynamic vocals. Yorushika provides chill city-pop mutations on the breezy “Bremen” and displays its softer side with the melancholy, piano-backed cut “Algernon.” The group even allows producer N-buna to take the microphone for the first time on the rumbling “451,” adding a new texture to Yorushika’s sound.