SPIN **** (4 stars): “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."
MOJO **** (4 stars): “Cavernous, post-shoegazing pop from Brooklyn”
NEW YORK TIMES: "What was once called shoegazer-rock -- shimmering, multilayered guitars enfolding confessions of longing and ambiguity -- is back in Asobi Seksu, a New York band that wraps its guitars and keyboard around well-made pop melodies and the girlish ache of Yuki Chikudate's voice."
PITCHFORK: "Yes, the guitar overload, massive reverb, and deceptively sweet vocals are all there, but this New York quartet is anything but a My Bloody Valentine retread. Frontwoman Yuki Chikudate gives the band a charismatic focus, and her vocals range from a soulful croon to a delicate wisp. Whether she's singing in Japanese or English (she does both in about equal measure), she always keeps it catchy, and that squishing sound you hear when she sings "put your tongue up to my battery" on "Nefi+Girly" is indie boys melting across the country."
