La Luz in English roughly translates to “the light” from Spanish, and La Luz is definitely bringing the light with their new self-titled album. The Seattle outfit headed by guitarist and vocalist Shana Cleveland, has combined with the great minds of her ensemble yet again to deliver what La luz and indie fans haven’t been able to get enough of since their debut in 2012. A sweet blend of modern alternative sounds, psychedelia, engaging rhythm and blues and a surf/west coast influence that would make The Beach Boys proud blanket this LP. Producer Adrian Younge, a musician with an acoustic sound just as diverse as the band’s helps carefully curate this mixture, even performing on multiple tracks. With their energized but laidback vibes, and their live shows that are nothing less than a religious experience, La Luz has created a fun but introspective time at the beach for their devoted fans to enjoy.
The opener to our show, “In The Country” is just as advertised. If you ever wondered what it might feel like to be a cowboy on the coast, the old west twang of Clevland’s voice and rhythm guitar in this song might give you a glimpse into such a strange yet endearing combination. Yet again, “The Pines” transports you exactly where you think it’s going to, this time lyrically, with the vivid writing and imagery carried to fruition by carefully crafted harmonies. A sweet guitar solo and fondness for childhood innocence is the motif for “Watching Cartoons”, the first feature of Younge on the album. Younge’s feel for the surf guitar fills that La Luz is known for only elevated the songs he is featured on. The R&B chops of La Luz are tested with the next song, aptly titled “Oh, Blue”, and the girls hold their own, with an elegiac melancholy attempt that still somehow helps you find a smile on your face. “Goodbye Ghost” tests the skills of the talented bassist Lena Simon, with some beautiful bass lines that will make anyone who has ever overlooked the instrument think twice. Up next is the track “Metal Man”, lyrically based on the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, has a lot of heart, unlike its inspiration. The chromaticisms found in the writing and the following harmonies are the perfect blend of sweet and salty. With the choral vocals by the band on full display in this track, something that I am a massive sucker for, this song has found itself to be my favorite of the project. The next song in line, “Lazy Eyes and Dune”, pulls more from the psychedelic side of the band’s sound by combining the timbre of the true violin and expressive synth beats, producing a neat, and loveable weirdness on the track. Our ears are greeted once again with classic instrumentation in “Down the Street”, with a tasty acoustic guitar intro followed by the pure California sound of the vox organ, due no doubt to this song being Younge’s second feature. The track “Here on Earth” must also be mentioned for the ever-present evocative lyrics that take you on a ride through a science fiction-like dream, something I wasn’t quite prepared to find on this album. The final song on this album is the fully instrumental “Spider House”. Most of the time, instrumental tracks can feel disjointed and almost randomly placed in the track listing, and this song is no exception. However, the actual substance musically is enough to dismiss the haphazard placement of this track.
Overall, La Luz doesn’t deviate very much from the sound that they’re known for, but that is this album’s biggest strength. The bandmembers do what they do best, and the feature of their producer Adrian Younge only boosts the star power and helps bring a little bit of freshness. Everything La Luz fans love is here on this album, with a little bit of extra instrumentation as a reward for those devoted followers. If you’re not already a fan after listening to this LP though, going to one of their live concerts may just be what you need to indoctrinate you (Seriously, they crowd surf all the time. It’s nuts!).
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