News of the Universe by La Luz | Album Review
The all woman psychedelic band returns with an expanded sound and a timeless message.
The last La Luz album of new material dropped in 2021 — they dropped an instrumental version of that album in 2022. Since then, the once described ”surf noir” band has seen a lineup change (the original members still play on this album) and their front woman Shana Cleveland gave birth to her son — and had a personal health challenge. This new album, titled News of the Universe, is all about embracing the changes of life. La Luz already finds themselves on a unique pedestal having a lineup of all women but they doubled down on that for this album. All the mastering, engineering and recording for it was done by women too. Cleveland shared that this allowed her to go to her particularly vulnerable places with her songwriting and feel comfortable throughout it all. That being said, News of the Universe is still filled with the sonically layered music La Luz fans know and love.
Clocking in at 12 tracks, News of the Universe is filled with the go-to techniques of La Luz. Multiple tracks have extended instrumental segments and sonically beautiful harmonies from the band. The latter first appears on the opening track “Reaching Up to the Sun” which lasts just under a minute. The ladies play no instruments on this one but opt for harmonious vocalizations, serving as creative fanfare to usher listeners into the album. On “Close Your Eyes” this technique is expanded on, with an intro that sounds straight out of the band’s surf rock days. Then once the vocalizations come in, ethereal synthesizers and guitars blend to create something that sounds mysterious, grungy and heavenly all at once. Meanwhile, on penultimate track “Moon in Reverse,” there are no vocals at all. This instrumental may seem sparse to some but I found it nostalgically comforting and peaceful.
One of the most sonically interesting tracks on the album is “Blue Moth Cloud Shadow,” which has what sounds like an echoed woodblock in its first portion. Other sounds include vocalizations, warping guitars, keyboard melodies and more. These elements do not become overwhelming but are an amalgamation of psychedelic bliss. The way the song slowly builds and fades away just after reaching its peak is one of my favorite moments on the album. It’s an example of knowing how to not overdo it — but to do enough. This high energy can also be found on “Dandelions” where a bass guitar is just as prominent as the lead guitar — and takes over completely during the second verse.
Amongst the beautiful sonic palettes of News of The Universe, there are equally well written lyrics. One of my favorites was on “Good Luck With Your Secret” with lines like “You can be a mystery if you really want to be” whose hook is accented by harmonies that have a fittingly mysterious atmosphere to them, just like the rest of the song. The organ-like keyboard solo on this enhances this feeling excellently. Another simple but effective line comes on “Poppies” where we hear “I’m not alone, I’ve got the radio on” which encapsulates the somber musings of the track well across slower paced drums and gentle guitars.
On the album’s title track Cleveland sings “Change is the only law” which captures the theme of the album directly. The track’s lyrics have a positive approach to change but the instrumentation shifts tonally in the last minute or so to reflect the uneasy feeling that also can come with change. The album’s first single “Strange World” captures the theme of change too with a hook that says “We’ll be fine / Just take your time.” This track has a positive atmosphere all the way through as space-like noises accent the instrumentation.
On album closer “Blue Jay” Cleveland shares emotionally vulnerable lyrics like “Nothing will be the same” and “I’ll be with you” over an acoustic guitar and nothing more. This track sounds like it’s being sung to her son with the line “You’re brand new but I was made for you” standing out. It’s an appropriate message of reassurance considering the changes she’s shared on the album that stem from her life experiences. Its stripped back instrumentation reflects that once all the excitement and chaos of the world is removed, her bond still remains.
I found News of the Universe to be a very enjoyable listen. The elements of psychedelia have come together well through dynamically layered instrumentation with practically every song having some sort of change up during it. La Luz dedicates time to give multiple moments to instrument solos which are complimented well by the other band members. Their sound has expanded across the years and it appears this new lineup is ready to ascend with this one. I enjoyed the songwriting and thought it combined moments of vulnerability and imagery well. In fact, I’d even say the album is cinematic as each song conveys different emotional atmospheres while keeping the album cohesive. And because of this, when playing the album all the way though, you may find yourself gravitating to a different moment every time you listen.
Favorite Tracks: Strange World, Good Luck With Your Secret, Close Your Eyes, Blue Moth Cloud Shadow, Moon in Reverse
