Wanted to take a minute in between Cup games to throw a new log on the fire, the debut from Brooklyn quintet Lucius, Wildewoman. I've been listening to this one for months now and haven't been able to fully shake it; woke up humming a couple tracks from it again this morning, in fact. It's a beguiling mix -- at turns 60s-era girl group pop (the title track and "Hey, Doreen"), at others quiet folk spirituals ("Go Home" and "Two of Us on the Run"). Still others find you falling victim to some strange Santigold-style drive-by (the propulsive "Nothing Ordinary," for example).
What makes them all hang together -- and what makes the album so eminently memorable writ large -- are the impeccable vocal harmonies of lead singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig. No matter the style, the pair's voices wind together so beautifully it's impossible not to enjoy. Guitarists Andrew Burri, Peter Lalish, and drummer Danny Molad lend to the polish and the evocative 60s atmosphere, crafting some likeable hooks and rhythms, but the ultimate draw are Wolfe's and Laessig's voices. It's a thing to behold, and an exciting sign of things to come, hopefully.
The band shows a facility moving between the disparate styles, equally at home with the more stripped down numbers as the quickfire pop blasts, and I'm looking forward to checking them out next month live at Lolla. For me, the band is at its best when it's sampling across the influences, with tracks like "Until we Get There" and "Turn it Around," which shine as amalgamations as varied as the patrons of a DC barroom. My favorite is the album's midpoint, the excellent "Tempest," which dances along on 80s synth, a simple strummed guitar, and the resonant vocals of Wolfe and Laessig. Simple, yet effective. Check it out here:
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