La Luz / News of the Universe
Album: News of the Universe   Collection:A-File
Artist:La Luz   Added:Sep 2024
Label:Sub Pop Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2024-09-30 Pull Date: 2024-12-02
Week Ending: Nov 17 Nov 10 Nov 3 Oct 27 Oct 20 Oct 13 Oct 6
Airplays: 1 2 2 3 2 5 3

Recent Airplay
1. Nov 15, 2024: KZSU Time Traveler
Stange World
4. Nov 01, 2024: KZSU Time Traveler
Stange World
2. Nov 08, 2024: KZSU Time Traveler
Stange World
5. Oct 30, 2024: Duck, Duck, Nooch!
Stange World
3. Nov 07, 2024: Oh Messy Life
Always in Love
6. Oct 26, 2024: Landau Roof
Good Luck With Your Secret

Album Review
Wallace Brontoon
Reviewed 2024-09-30
La Luz's 2024 release has more of their signature sound (spooky, surfy, beautiful fem vox harmonies); this release has more cosmic overtones, and features some heavier influences: the band has been through some roster changes, and frontwoman Shana Cleveland has been recovering from a cancer diagnosis soon after having a kid (she's now cancer-free, fwiw); great, great stuff as always

1. (00:53) ***** Brief trio harmonizing, not really a song, but haunting and optimistic, sunrise-y
2. (4:14) ***** Nasty doomy guitar riffs repeating to start, very mod into vox, so cool "in a strange world"
3. (3:27) ****** Spacey and more lonesome pipey vox; stabby guitars, into more hopeful chorus "I'll be there with you so soon..."; lovely clapping
4. (3:32) ****** Forelorn sing-songy; lovely chattery doot-doot-doot chorus, spooky and lush
5. (3:15) ***** Spooky but hopeful sound, lovely lush chorus, sounds like emerging from cave; funky organ solo
6. (3:24) *** Sideways faux-atonal vox verse; fuller chorus
7. (3:51) *** Funky intro, mostly instrumental "la la la" chorus, simple but atmospheric
8. (3:04) ***** Doomy intro, into lush, slow doo-wop sugar-sweet dirge... "yep yep yep yep yep"
9. (3:13) *** Slinkier synthier 80s organ intro, oblique vox, ends up in echoey soup
10. (2:40) **** Torrid drum intro... spacey, fast, reedy, plucked deadpan vox "change is the only law..."
11. (2:00) *** Instrumental; squonky synth plunking intro, simple and repeating
12. (1:32) **** Very sweet short strummy acoustic ballad, very nice, if not the classic La Luz sound

Track Listing
1. Reaching up to the Sun (0:53)   7. Close Your Eyes (3:51)
2. Stange World (4:15)   8. I'll Go With You (3:04)
3. Dandelines (3:28)   9. Blue Moth Cloud Shadow (3:14)
4. Poppies (3:32)   10. News of the Universe (2:41)
5. Good Luck With Your Secret (3:16)   11. Moon in Reverse (2:01)
6. Always in Love (3:25)   12. Blue Jay (1:32)