Singles

Asobi Seksu - Walk on the Moon

Bill Cummings 23/05/2007

Rating: 3/5

Asobi Seksu are a new York quartet, led by Asian damsel Yuki, with a band name that's translated as “Playful sex” in Japanese, on first inspection you'd be forgiven for thinking that sound that emanated forth from their boudoir would be “cheesy electro pop” in its construct. But hold on there with your assumptions, this four piece have clearly been doing their homework.

The soundscapes they create are akin to the majestic guitars of My Bloody Valentine lightly fondling the melodic underbelly of Slowdive, lightly kissed by some well placed keyboard notes and sprinkled with the kind of ethereal doe eyed feminine vocals that float all the way back to the early nineties heyday of female British indie.

New single “Walk on the moon” is a case in point, building waves of delicate synth keys ride across a river of shatteringly restrained distortion, Yuki's voice sounds broken hearted: her cowering elegant tone almost wearily reaching out for to touch your ears as she ponders on whether to walk out on someone close (“I saw the photograph/An image of you/But now things don't look the same… “). The wistful references to photograph's of loved ones puts me slightly in mind of The Cure's “Pictures Of You.”

The undulating peaks and troughs of guitars, add to the quiet melodrama at work here, the chorus's building (“Let them all walk away/I'll be left with the shame.”) arpeggios, and heart thumping drum beat briefly threaten to pour out floods of noise on their first appearance, before exploding delightfully into star bursting tears, in the final outré. “Walk on the Moon” isn't quite up their with their best work, but it's a subtle but strong introduction to an assumingly wistful guitar band who you will be hearing more of in the coming months.

If you need any further proof of their potential, then look no further than Bside “Sooner” that's gently creeping melancholia, clicking beat, whirring Catherine wheel of guitar licks builds a mood of gentle unassuming pop beauty.

Released:28/05/2007