After the success of
My Little Lover's second album, the comparatively upbeat
Presents, only six months passed before the release of
New Adventure later that same year. Perhaps due to the fact that much of the material on
Presents dated back to two years prior to its release, there is nevertheless a noticeable shift in sound apparent on this third album. The first signs of change come within moments of the title track's opening, where it becomes apparent that
My Little Lover are going for a more mature sound, incorporating a trip-hop-influenced sound, with
Akko's vocals eerily reminiscent of
Tracey Thorn on
Massive Attack's "Protection." Elsewhere there are flashes of electronics and dance music, as on the neo-Madchester electronic beats of "Private Eyes." None of this, of course, is to say that Toy's Factory suddenly went mad and allowed one of their best-selling acts to make their own
Kid A or
Dazzle Ships. The dance and trip-hop elements provide an interesting distraction but are never more than window dressing.
New Adventure never for a moment loses sight of the fact that it is a J-pop album of the late '90s, with the songwriting remaining locked into the same melodic vein as both of its predecessors.