11. Honorable Mention: Kinoko Teikoku – 愛のゆくえ

Kinoko Teikoku has been one of Japanese indie’s biggest exports over the past four years. In that time they have made their way from alt-rock to shoegaze to pop-rock, before finally landing on a uniquly Kinoko brand of dream pop with last years 猫とアレルギー. With 愛のゆくえ, it looks like they’ve finally settled down for a moment (minus the tinges of Dub influence). The sound, a more refined version of that occasionally shoegazey and harsh brand of dream-pop, is incredibly forlorn, and lost-in-the-clouds, with crashing-to-the-ground change ups as guitars often come bursting into the mix. It’s not nearly as experimental, or scene-defining as their first few albums, but immensly rewarding in its own, more refined way. And the first of their major label efforts to provide an entirely satisfying experience from front to back. The time to sit back and refine on a singular sound has apparently done them well, as the album’s short 9 tracks feel honed, and absolutely necessary as a singular unit, managing to capture both Kinoko’s pop sensibility and experimental tendencies together in harmony.

Similar to: Beach House, My Bloody Valentine, and Asobi Seksu