Asobi Seksu Issue #38

Hush (Polyvinyl)

By Noreen Sobczyk
Published: December 1st, 2008 | 12:00am

Guitarist-vocalist James Hanna and Yuki Chikudate (keyboard, vocals) have teamed again with producer Chris Zane (Les Savy Fav), who was behind the band’s 2006 smash, Citrus. It’s tempting to lump Asobi Seksu into the shoegaze genre — the band is no stranger to My Bloody Valentine comparisons — but this duo has somehow managed to add pop into the melancholy mix, without taking the mainstream route.

Singer Chikudate sticks mainly to English on this release, but sings in Japanese on “Mehnomae,” while Hanna shares vocal duties on the downbeat “I Can’t See.” The appropriately named “Layers” piles on the vocal technique; “Gliss” uses a theramin to punctuate its otherworldly vibe; “Sing Tomorrow’s Praise” is glorious and celebratory — together, the drums and vocals create an alternative bell chime; and “Sunshower” sounds bright and bold like its namesake, but mixes this mood with lyrics like “Someday is coming / But we’re still asleep tonight” and “Spare me all our day dreams.”

“Glacially” is as close as the band comes to a traditional song structure, and that’s by no means a bad thing. Nor is this record inaccessible. In fact — in a just world — Hush would be the album that brings Asobi Seksu a wider audience without isolating their established fan base.

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