Search - Asobi Seksu :: Hush

Asobi Seksu - Hush

Andrew Vice | Plano, TX | 02/21/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before Hush, Asobi Seksu were very much a My Bloody Valentine tribute band, though not in the negative way that such a description denotes. Asobi Seksu is one of the few bands that can effectively recreate the palette of sounds created by Kevin Shields and apply it to excellent pop songcraft, backed by Yuki Chikudate's ethereal vocals. Their self-titled debut was a solid little number, serving more as a sample of what was to come than standing on its own merits as a worthwhile album. It was the kind of disc that belonged in a good shoegaze collection, but wouldn't get spun too often. Citrus, on the other hand, was one of the best shoegaze albums since MBV's landmark Loveless and Slowdive's damn-near-as-good Souvlaki, and it perfectly blended the dark, dreamy gauze of shoegaze with spry pop songwriting.



Not content to simply continue in the same path, Asobi Seksu have taken a step back on Hush, their latest LP, cutting away a lot of the textural components of Citrus and the S/T albums in order to let the songs stand more on their own. Unfortunately, irregardless of the lack of shoegaze on this record, the songs just don't stand up as strongly as those on Citrus. Even the killer songs like Familiar Light feel like they're only living up to part of their potential, as though there is somewhere more these songs should go. I'm glad that Asobi Seksu is continuing to grow, and Hush is a good album that suffers a little from those growing pains, but hardly in a fashion that makes it a bad record. It's no Citrus, but it's worth hearing, enjoying, and owning.



8/10"

Irresistible

Jean Louise Finch | NYC | 11/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This band puts on a great show and their studio work is alive with their lively spirits. Yuki Chikudate is so interesting and beautiful. A could listen to her all day - and I have!"