As is the case with so much music of this ilk, you get wistful and dreamy songs lost in a haze of feedback and tinkling melodies (Thursday), or you get affirmative romps (New Years, Red Sea).
As is the case with so much music of this ilk, you get wistful and dreamy songs lost in a haze of feedback and tinkling melodies (Thursday), or you get affirmative romps (New Years, Red Sea).
Asobi Seksu – Citrus
www.bertus.com www.indian.co.uk www.asobiseksu.com
Ahh, you just can’t beat lush, noisy, melodic avant-garde rock. Done well, and with the correct sensibility, it gets me every time. Asobi Seksu’s release Citrus is a case in point. There are influences aplenty; Chameleons, MBV, 4AD bands… it’s all there for those who wish to point it out. As for myself, I’m more interested in the way the band have taken these ideas and thrown it all together to create a beautiful dreamscape for the singer to emote some incredibly sensual sounding melodies to. It truly does sound like a repertoire of little girl playground songs – albeit with some thumping electrical backup.
As is the case with so much music of this ilk, you get wistful and dreamy songs lost in a haze of feedback and tinkling melodies (Thursday), or you get affirmative romps (New Years, Red Sea). Highlights for me are the lovely melodic "la-la-la" song Strings (which can definitely be placed in the wistful camp) and the Nefi + Girly (which leans more towards affirmative romping and doesn’t half remind me of the Stone Roses at times).
Only once are vocal duties switched; a male voice regales us on the MBV-esque Pink Cloud Tracing Paper; providing an effective counterpoint as to what goes on around it. It’s so effective a ploy I’d like to see the band do this more often as this thirteen track guitar LP can get a tad too blessed-out, emotionally.
But that’s a minor quibble. Seek this LP out, it’s a belter.
Words: Richard Foster.