Asobi Seksu - Fluorescence
I was a little worried about this one. I seemed to be the only person in the world that thought their last album Hush was actually a giant leap forward for the band. Personally, I would have loved to see more growth in that direction. However, the band was very self conscious of the reaction to it, so I figured there were a couple possibilities. They could go back to the Citrus sound and push out some straightforward shoegaze or they could try something radical. As it turns out, they did a little of both. Hush was a very consistent and subtle album, which is why I think a lot of people found it boring. This album, much like its cover, bursts with sound and color. Every song is an event. While the songs are much more upbeat, they somehow manage to stay away from retreading old ground. I don't know how they did it, but they managed to make an album that is both distinct and shows even more growth yet will satisfy the fans of their older sound. I am completely satisfied with this album. I have a feeling I will only like it more with repeated listens.