Asobi Seksu (Japanese slang for "playful sex") released a new album last month (February 17th), but I missed out on reviewing it then. The shoegaze, dream pop labeled, NY based band has been around since 2004, having released their self-titled debut album via Friendly Fire Recordings in May of that year. Citrus came out in May 2006. Both collections demonstrate the multi-layered approach to indie music a band has the capability of turning out if they put in the effort. High-strung playing and pedal slamming on their guitar work and opaque, elaborate musicality for their more mellow jams make Asobi Seksu a place indieface artist.
Their first release off new label Polyvinyl Records, Hush, definitely contains more of a celestial feel to it. The ambient nature of the music and the ethereal sound of vocalist Yuki Chikudate truly place this musically educated group to the forefront of your attention. "Glacially" is a bouncy little diddy that captures the harmonizing nature of Asobi Seksu. "Me & Mary" follows in the tradition of the New York sound, with drum beats in a garage rock-like nature produced in unison with the post-punk swagger known to captivate many a listener. Other standouts are "Gliss" and "Sing Tomorrow's Praise". The whole album is a departure of sorts from previous work, but you can still catch their progression as it has developed naturally. Pick up Hush today!
0 comments:
Post a Comment