Lucius - Good Grief

Lucius
Good Grief
2016
Spotify

The indie-pop band fronted by the singing duo of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig are back with their sophomore release Good Grief. This follow up stays in the same vein of dreamy yet synth infused tracks that their debut did, however the band have embraced the night a bit more on this album. The folk undertone is still there, but Good Grief has much more of an 80's sheen, a glossy plastic exterior. "Something About You" typifies this. It is big, brash and unafraid to go where things might get a bit tricky. Much of the album shows the band dealing with a new sense of success as well as a grueling touring schedule that saw them out of their home base Brooklyn for much of the past year. The songs on this record are much better at appealing to a big room rather than getting down to the very personal. There is much more widespread appeal here and the idea of really being on the vanguard of something. The album embodies bands like ABBA where multiple singers come together to create something special, and the two ladies voices from Lucius really are quite special. The moments where the band really lets loose and the two singers are able to belt it out at the same time are where we see the real power that this album has.

"Almost Makes Me Wish For Rain" shows the band taking a stab at those early Prince and other 80s R&B songs, and actually really succeed, they rain storm sound at the end is also a very 80s touch. This album really reflects their flexibility as a band and as singers. They really don't ever feel constrained by genre and so they jump between straight synth-pop into smooth R&B without little issue and more importantly it is never in anyway jarring. You are willing to go with Lucius as they explore. There are times on the record where the band does fall in to a trap of being quite repetitive. Songs like "Almighty Gosh" descend into almost jam band levels of extending the tracks when by the three minute mark you are looking for a way out. Each time this happens though the band re-groups and brings you another banger of a track right around the corner. The deluxe version of the album features some demos as well as an extra track and is available on all the streaming services. Good Grief has some really exciting stuff and is definitely one not to miss.

8.0 out of 10