Asobi Seksu - Fluorescence

The fourth album from this New York shoegaze/dream pop band. While previous albums, with there thick guitar noise and soft, dreamy vocals, pushed the shoegaze comparison, this album feels a lot lighter and more pop.The guitar takes less prominence to the keyboard, and the drums really power this record. However, Yuki Chikudate's vocals now appear a lot harsher without the strong feedback accompaniment. With a cleaner melody the band lose what made them special and it's just a little more underwhelming.

The best song is 'Tracks', which has a much more traditional Asobi Seksu sound, although 'Sighs' and 'Leave the Drummer Out' are also highlights. If you've heard the previous albums by Asobi Seksu then you'll probably feel that this album isn't as good as the previous ones. However, if you haven't then hopefully you'll love this album, which you should do, as it's a great listen. Then go out and buy the previous albums, and perhaps come to the same conclusion.