Three albums into
La Luz's career as a leading member of the surf-meets-garage rock community, the group was ready for some changes, especially after losing a drummer and moving to different cities. To wit,
Shana Cleveland wrote a batch of songs that deviated from the norm in subtle ways, experimenting gently with form and delving deeper into personal feelings. The band then teamed with producer
Adrian Younge, known for his work with R&B vocalists and the creator of challenging hip hop-based solo albums, for a sonic upgrade. On
La Luz, the remaining threesome, plus drummer Riley Geare, calmly back away from their trademark sound a little. Where past albums had the pleasing feel of a group knocking out their songs in joyfully loose fashion, this time there is a more precise and measured approach that adds in chamber pop and moody psychedelia.
Cleveland's guitar is more prone to jangle than ride the waves,
Alice Sandahl plays a wider range of keyboards than she has before, and in a very positive development, the vocal harmonies are brought to the fore.
Cleveland still lets loose with some crackerjack guitar playing from time to time, but here it's folded into the songs, whereas it sometimes seemed to be the other way around in the past. Check the richly arranged album opener "In the Country" for a brilliant example of the new focus on dynamics and production the band and
Younge bring to the table this time. Really, though, any track could be spotlighted for extra attention. Moody folk-rocker "The Pines" gives
Sandahl a chance to play with a goofy Mellotron and allows the band to weave in some vocal harmonies that
the Bangles at their best would find impressive. "Metal Man" wraps some ripping garage rock in futuristic sound effects and thunderous drumming, and gives
Cleveland's guitar some room to roam. "Watching Cartoons" explores new territory for the band, cutting the tempo to a stately waltz, adding harpsichord and sitar, and relying on mood more than performance. The song is a departure to be sure, but not one that tramples over
La Luz's established identity in the pursuit of something shiny and new. It's an organic progression that builds on the strengths of the group and allows them to grow in interesting ways. Whether it's delivering songs twice as poppy as anything they've done in the past, like the calmly sunny "Down the Street," or melding their surf rock sound with doomy soundtrack music on "Yuba Rot,"
La Luz is the sound of a really good band crossing over to greatness. Thanks to their renewed focus, their willingness to embrace new ideas,
Cleveland's songs, and the symbiotic relationship between the group and
Younge, this feels like a fresh start for the band and some of the best psychedelic rock around in the early 2020s. ~ Tim Sendra