As I was sitting at my desk listening to Asobi Seksu’s forthcoming album, it sort of dawned on me that this was indeed their fourth album since 2004. Just sort of amazing to think that time has gone by so quickly, as it feels as if I just discovered them yesterday.

Anyways, yes, Fluorescence is the the new album which is due out on Valentine’s Day in the UK, followed by a US release the next day. While the group has never really been able to shake that Shoegaze stigma that has followed them since day one, listening to the majority of the new record that things have not changed and that is perfectly fine. It’s one of those instances where that old saying comes into play, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While it would be great to see the group branch out a little bit more, there are occasions where a band ultimately becomes defined by their sound, and if they happen to deviate from that even in the slightest, it can come as more of a hindrance than anything else.