Asobi Seksu – Fluorescence

It may seem a trite observation applicable to any band, but Asobi Seksu are at their best when they sound like themselves. Often, the Seksu listening experience can be sullied by astute ears playing the 'sounds a bit like...' game. Fourth album Fluorescence suffers from this at times too, but they seem to be keeping their influences in better check these days.

As an example, second track Trails immediately blusters in like a My Bloody Valentine remix of the Cocteau Twins, but after a two minute deluge it evaporates into a bright power-pop rainbow of a tune. It's a trick they re-use, meaning repeated listens are strictly beneficial. Overall, Fluorescence is a reliable addition to their canon, light and anthemic in the right places, a tad anodyne in others maybe, but with the assurance of a band happier in their own sound. Can't say fairer than that. [Darren Carle]