Asobi Seksu, Hush
Featured Album
Asobi Seksu make themselves at home on shoegaze's astral plane
Shoegaze is a nice place to visit, but few bands have found the genre a suitable address to establish permanent residence. Even the first-wave U.K. groups in the late '80s/early '90s (Ride, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine) were relatively short-lived as standard-bearers of the swirling, effects-laden guitar-pop sound. Asobi Seksu, the New York City band led by guitarist/singer James Hanna and singer/keyboardist Yuki Chikudate, tested the parameters of shoegaze with 2004's self-titled debut and 2006's Citrus; with Hush, the pair focuses on delicate and nuanced dream pop that makes the ladies of Lush seem positively butch. The album begins with "Layers," which sounds like a kabuki lullaby sung by Twin Peaks chanteuse Julee Cruise, but don't expect Hush to disappear in the ether. Despite track titles such as "Gliss" and "Glacially" (the latter is actually a spry pop song with Kevin Shields-esque pitch-bending guitars), there's a firm commitment to dynamic songwriting. As if balancing the scales between Arcade Fire and the Cocteau Twins, Asobi Seksu portions out wave-crashing cymbals and galloping drums along with Chikudate's airy, often incomprehensible vocals. It all comes together most effectively on the wiry, upbeat fuzz-rocker "Me And Mary," whose chugging crescendo provides a much-needed release. Though a generation apart, it's not far-fetched to compare Asobi Seksu's trajectory to that of Blonde Redhead, another NYC group of classically trained music-school refugees with a Japanese frontwoman; each band has arrived at gossamer-pop ends through a transitional album (in Blonde Redhead's case, 2000's Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons). Given the plush sonic scenery on display here, it would seem that Asobi Seksu has found its own vapor trail to follow.
