Audio Mixer: Alan Boorman.

Recording information: Church Road Studios, Hove.

Issued in 2008, LIGHTBULBS is Fujiya & Miyagi's follow-up to the U.K. electronica act's lauded '06 outing, TRANSPARENT THINGS. As on the earlier release, the ensemble, founded by Steve Lewis (Fujiya) and David Best (Miyagi), works from the mechanistic Krautrock template with robotic beat and punchy bass lines moving along the minimalist melodies (see the spare, slightly funky "Sore Thumb"). With Best's detached, whispered vocals providing vague narratives and the group's general wistful mood, LIGHTBULBS come across as dance music for those not inclined to leave their bedrooms, as best embodied on the pulsing, Neu!-like "Knickerbocker" and the sleepy, slinky "Pickpocket."

As the first full-length debut of Fujiya & Miyagi (their 2006 release was actually a compilation of songs from previously released EPs), Lightbulbs shows the Brighton Brits attempting to prove themselves as much more than a pseudo-Japanese novelty act. That's not to say that Dave Best and the gang have toned back their deadpan sense of humor. Nonsensical non-sequiturs, scatting onomatopoeias, and tongue twisters still dominate the lyrics, and the wry James Murphy-esque speakeasy delivery is still evident, but now the pep has been downplayed slightly to make for more mellowed grooves. The production has thickened a bit, too, courtesy of a higher concentration of ambient textures. Airy synths and breathy vocals render the songs too dreamy to dance to, and the funky basslines and mechanical beats render them too dancey to dream to. That's the sweet spot of F&M. Call the songs lackadaisical hypno-grooves, if you will, or use the band's label of "whisper-electro" to define the sound, but essentially it's calming, polite, electro-pop that invokes '60s lounge, '70s Krautrock, and '80s synth pop while staying relevant to more modern sounds popularized by Hot Chip, Ladytron, and Air. "Knickerbocker" is an infectious jam with a driving rhythm that pays tribute to Kraftwerk, a hook that subtly rips off the Beach Boys' "Kokomo" ("vanilla, strawberry, knickerbocker glory" mimics "Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take you") and verses that give props to Hans Christian Anderson, Lena Zavaroni, and Dietrich Knickerbocker. If that's not fun, what is? ~ Jason Lymangrover