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La Luz|News of the Universe

News of the Universe

La Luz
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Being indie rock's greatest surf band is a distinction to be proud of, but La Luz clearly wanted more, and on 2018's Floating Features and 2021's La Luz, they began exploring psychedelia and expressive pop along with celebrating their love of the Ventures. On the group's fifth album, 2024's News of the Universe, they've waded deeper into more expressive sounds while embracing a greater maturity, some of which was thrust upon the group unexpectedly. Between the time La Luz made Floating Features and La Luz, the group's leader, Shana Cleveland, had a child, and while she was writing the songs for News of the Universe, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so it's no surprise that her music sounds more grown up in the wake of these life events. That said, while News of the Universe reflects a broader emotional range and sounds more contemplative than ever before, Cleveland's love of pop melodicism and the sonic possibilities of guitars and vintage keyboards has changed little, and these tunes are immediately engaging while feeling both playful and mysterious. Cleveland's vocals are unfortunately low in the mix and it's often difficult to make out the lyrics, but approached simply as another instrument in the ensemble, her soft, breathy tone is lovely and enigmatic, and the layers of echoey guitars and '60s-style keyboard sounds blend wonderfully with her vocals. Bassist Lena Simon and drummer Audrey Johnson put just the right kick behind these performances, from the science fiction groove of "Moon in Reverse" to the proto-disco shuffle of "Close Your Eyes," and Alice Sandahl's keys add clouds of atmosphere as Cleveland's guitar revels in twangy bliss, hard rock crunch, and fuzzy garage rock snarl. Producer and engineer Maryam Qudus (who is now La Luz's keyboard player) makes the most of their mysteries and reinforces the dreamlike textures of this music. If La Luz are at their most adult on News of the Universe, that also means they've learned some things with the passage of time, both emotionally and musically, and this album shows being grown-ups suits them very well indeed.

© Mark Deming /TiVo

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News of the Universe

La Luz

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1
Reaching Up to the Sun
00:00:53

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

2
Strange World
00:04:14

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

3
Dandelions
00:03:27

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

4
Poppies
00:03:32

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

5
Good Luck With Your Secret
00:03:15

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

6
Always in Love
00:03:24

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

7
Close Your Eyes
00:03:51

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

8
I'll Go With You
00:03:04

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, Engineer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

9
Blue Moth Cloud Shadow
00:03:13

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

10
News of the Universe
00:02:40

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

11
Moon in Reverse
00:02:00

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

12
Blue Jay
00:01:32

La Luz, MainArtist - Shana Cleveland, Composer, Lyricist - Lena Simon, Composer - Alice Sandahl, Composer - Audrey Johnson, Composer - Maryam Qudus, Producer, Mixer, RecordingEngineer

© 2024 Sub Pop Records ℗ 2024 Sub Pop Records

Album review

Being indie rock's greatest surf band is a distinction to be proud of, but La Luz clearly wanted more, and on 2018's Floating Features and 2021's La Luz, they began exploring psychedelia and expressive pop along with celebrating their love of the Ventures. On the group's fifth album, 2024's News of the Universe, they've waded deeper into more expressive sounds while embracing a greater maturity, some of which was thrust upon the group unexpectedly. Between the time La Luz made Floating Features and La Luz, the group's leader, Shana Cleveland, had a child, and while she was writing the songs for News of the Universe, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so it's no surprise that her music sounds more grown up in the wake of these life events. That said, while News of the Universe reflects a broader emotional range and sounds more contemplative than ever before, Cleveland's love of pop melodicism and the sonic possibilities of guitars and vintage keyboards has changed little, and these tunes are immediately engaging while feeling both playful and mysterious. Cleveland's vocals are unfortunately low in the mix and it's often difficult to make out the lyrics, but approached simply as another instrument in the ensemble, her soft, breathy tone is lovely and enigmatic, and the layers of echoey guitars and '60s-style keyboard sounds blend wonderfully with her vocals. Bassist Lena Simon and drummer Audrey Johnson put just the right kick behind these performances, from the science fiction groove of "Moon in Reverse" to the proto-disco shuffle of "Close Your Eyes," and Alice Sandahl's keys add clouds of atmosphere as Cleveland's guitar revels in twangy bliss, hard rock crunch, and fuzzy garage rock snarl. Producer and engineer Maryam Qudus (who is now La Luz's keyboard player) makes the most of their mysteries and reinforces the dreamlike textures of this music. If La Luz are at their most adult on News of the Universe, that also means they've learned some things with the passage of time, both emotionally and musically, and this album shows being grown-ups suits them very well indeed.

© Mark Deming /TiVo

About the album

  • 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
  • Total length: 00:35:05

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