Asobi Seksu , 'Hush' (Polyvinyl)

'Loveless' children mature into ultracool geeks, natch.

This Brooklyn group's previous albums established them as shoegaze confectioners, molding candy swirls out of Yuki Chikudate's soaring, translucent voice and guitarist James Hanna's Kevin Shields–worshiping production. But here, Asobi Seksu do something My Bloody Valentine can't -- leave Shields behind. "Sing Tomorrow's Praise" and "Me & Mary" evoke iciness over icing, with more expansive cool than insidious sweetness. And the duo's seasick guitars ("Layers"), ethereal synths ("Gliss"), and Japanese lyricism ("Mehnomae") still provide plenty of geeky studio epiphanies.

Listen: Asobi Seksu, "Me & Mary"

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