Asobi Seksu

Despite its winking name, Asobi Seksu (which translates to “playful sex”), is actually a pretty straightforward shoegaze band—though it would be turning a lot more heads had it stuck with its original moniker, Sportfuck. Regardless, when it comes to producing dreamy, reflective music seemingly tailored to serve as a soundtrack for the climax of an ’80s coming-of-age teen comedy, few best New York quartet Asobi Seksu. Fronted by Yuki Chikudate, the band plays ethereal noise-pop, using reverb-drenched guitars and airy organs to counter Chikudate’s light, pleasant vocals. The band stripped down to acoustic arrangements for 2009’s Rewolf, and 2010’s Fluorescence finds it all the better for that departure. Where 2009’s Hush threatened to disappear into itself without establishing much of an identity, the band sounds wide-awake on stirring numbers like “Trails” and “Sighs,” led by explosive rhythms, starker dynamics, and Chikudate’s mesmerizing voice pushed to the forefront.

Updated 01/31/2012