Lightbulbs came out in September 2008 and sits right in the sweet spot of Fujiya & Miyagi's run - it's their third album, following the breakthrough of Transparent Things, and it shows a band who've really settled into their sound and are having a lot of fun with it. By this point the Brighton lot had a clear identity, and Lightbulbs is them leaning into it with real confidence. It didn't set the charts alight, but it built on their reputation as one of the more singular acts knocking around the British indie scene at the time.

The sound is hypnotic, groove-heavy stuff - think motorik beats, wiry guitars, deep basslines, and vocals delivered in this cool, deadpan style that somehow never gets boring. Krautrock is the obvious reference point - there's a definite Can and Neu! influence running through the whole thing - but it's been filtered through something more dancefloor-friendly, so it never feels like a history lesson. The tracks are mostly short and locked-in, keeping things lean and propulsive without ever feeling rushed. It's the kind of album that rewards repeat listens because you keep noticing little details you missed before.

UH is probably the standout - it got picked up by Breaking Bad and Misfits, which makes total sense because it has this brilliant, slightly unsettling energy that just gets under your skin. Knickerbocker is a great opener, all coiled tension and repetition, and Pussyfooting and Hundreds & thousands both have this lovely late-night quality that keeps the second half of the record feeling fresh. What makes Lightbulbs so worth coming back to is how effortlessly listenable it is - it doesn't ask much of you, but it gives a lot back. Put it on in the background and it works perfectly, but actually sit with it and you'll find there's real craft in there.