Asobi Seksu on Myspace

Contrary to what you may see written about them, Asobi Seksu aren't gazing at their shoes on their second album-- they're looking skyward the whole time. Yes, the guitar overload, massive reverb, and deceptively sweet vocals are all there, but this New York quartet is anything but a My Bloody Valentine retread. Frontwoman Yuki Chikudate gives the band a charismatic focus, and her vocals range from a soulful croon to a delicate wisp. Whether she's singing in Japanese or English (she does both in about equal measure), she always keeps it catchy, and that squishing sound you hear when she sings "put your tongue up to my battery" on "Nefi+Girly" is indie boys melting across the country. This is electric music in every sense of the word-- amplified, processed, and imbued with a neon glow. Comparisons to shoegazers of yore have their uses, as they're clearly influences, but I'd class Asobi Seksu nearer to Mahogany as a band that takes those influences and spins them into something special and unique. Rating: 8.3”