La Luz - "Floating Features"

California via Seattle Surf Rockers La Luz came onto the scene in 2013 with a sound that I instantly caught on to.  Now, it may just be me having an absolutely ridiculous love of Surf Rock, but right from the opening notes on their 2013 album "It's Alive", I needed to hear more.  These ladies took the modern Dream Pop and Indie Rock sound, and really encapsulated the 1960's Surf Rock sound alongside it.  The result was a series of incredibly nostalgic performances with some spot-on harmonies that really hit the spot for me.  Now, personally, I feel like they could have taken their sound even further, and for my money, I liked hearing them at a more upbeat pace.  However, there was a certain Noire vibe to this that I couldn't say no to and I was absolutely hooked.  La Luz returned with "Weirdo Shrine" in 2015, and it seemed to me like they had indeed gone all out with their sound.  The harmonies were sweeter, the atmospheres were sunnier, and La Luz, in general, was writing even more concrete songs.  Tracks like "With Davey" and I "Wanna Be Alone (With You)"was unbelievably catchy, and the fun never seemed to die down even on instrumental tracks like "Hey Papi".  So it's been a few years, and I'm actually really impressed with the La Luz's sound on these opening tracks.  Like, their sound is so much fuller than I'm used to hearing, but they haven't thrown away their sound completely.  Let's chat about this, shall we!

This album starts off with its title track.  And yes, it’s a very sweet, retro instrumental.  It shows the ladies playing with a little more technique than usual which is great to hear.  There’s a huge focus on the synths which is a BIG plus in my book.  Not only does it hone in on the sort of Noir vibe of this album, it’s slightly goofy, yet incredibly cool.  It’s a determined, airy intro that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.  But it’s also oddly triumphant and works great at ushering in this album.  Then we have “Cicada”, which in a way remains a little campy, a little b-list sounding.  But it’s that factor that I love so much about their sound.  The ladies’ harmonies are at an all-time high, they’ve never sounded nearly this smooth and ethereal.  And while this isn’t as upbeat as I like to hear these ladies, I actually think this is a perfect single for their sound.  It’s ear-grabbing, it has an awesome guitar solo which has only gotten better over the years, and it all just seems so obvious.  La Luz has gotten their sound down to a science, and it sounds great.  “Loose Teeth” on the other hand has the ladies playing with a little bit more force.  The result is certainly a little crunchier at first and certainly demanding.  But it leads to the airiest and upbeat track yet.  It’s just so much fun, this is the kind of track that you hear and instantly look up to see if La Luz is playing anywhere near you.  Structure-wise, this one is a little messy, plopping back and forth between ethereal vocals and some more determined playing.  But the ladies continue to make this incredibly likable with silky smooth vocals and fun atmospheres. Then we have “Mean Dream”, which is a really interesting turn for the ladies.  Here, they strip down their sound even further, for their take on an acoustic ballad.  It still has a lot of their signature sound, incorporating plenty of the same sweet vocals.  But this one doesn’t really hit me as much as it could have.  In an album filled with Surf Rock anthems, this sounds like it could have been by an Indie Band.  If they incorporated some more of their usual sound this could have been so much more interesting.  But I couldn’t tell you this was a La Luz track if my life depended on it.

On the other hand, “California Finally” is to a T exactly where I want to hear La Luz.  This may not be the flashiest or most fun tune here, but it’s a wonderful one.  It’s a little more patient than other track, building up these very short verses completely to the chorus.  There are some exciting vocal snippets thrown in, and as far as that vintage Pop sound goes, this is the best they’ve done with it this entire album.  We get another memorable guitar solo, and while this may not be the most exciting tune here, La Luz sound incredibly confident.  On the other hand, La Luz with “The Creature” go for a very charming ballad once again.  But this time, they knock it out of the park.  I’ve always thought there was a sort of B-List Horror element to their music, mostly with these very campy synthesizers.  And would you believe it, it comes out wonderfully on “The Creature”, with a genuinely bizarre yet completely sweet and adorable tune.  It’s still much more stripped down, but there are enough elements of their usual style for me to instantly be able to tell you this was a La Luz track.  I love the synths, the pacing is wonderful, and it’s so warm and inviting.  This album continues to spiral into a very mysterious haze with “My Golden One”.  But La Luz continue to be totally in control.  This one almost has some Dream Pop elements to it.  And between the pacing, and the very soft and mysterious instrumentals, this one has some incredible aesthetic let me tell you. It’s charming, and the vocals are just as lush and sweet.  But there continues to be a whole lot more going on behind the scenes of the these sunny atmospheres.  It’s a real darkness, and I do certainly love it.  It’s beautiful, but La Luz absolutely know how to continue to reel you in for more.  On the other hand, this is much lighter, sweet and diving headfirst into a much poppier direction.  It’s been a few tracks, so I completely forgot just how much I love hearing these ladies in an upbeat fashion, and these harmonies sound better than ever.  These sort of Vintage Pop roots though are just so good at reeling you in again and refusing to let you go.  La Luz on this album are doing what I’ve been begging them to do for years, and that’s go all out with their sound.  More harmonies, more Surf Rock, more everything.  And it’s pretty damn nice. 

“Greed Machine” is up next, and I’ll be honest this one just really doesn’t sound like my cup of tea.  These slower tunes, the ladies really need to be careful with.  Once again, we’re slowing things down and stripping things down.  And the pacing is on point, and the harmonies are incredible.  But everything else here is just so safe.  They’ve proven they can make slower tunes just as compelling.  But we’re right back to sounding faceless, like any Indie Band under the sun that just felt like working with this style.  It’s just not a compelling tune at all.  And sadly, “Walking Into The Sun” isn’t what I was looking for either.  Like, at the very least, this one is sort of charming for a slow dance.  But where did all of those vibes go that actually set La Luz apart from other Indie bands?  This sounds like it could have been recorded by any Indie band with a retro edge.  It’s sweet and all, but once again I couldn’t tell you this was a La Luz track.  But La Luz do end this album off on a fantastic note with “Don’t Leave Me on The Earth”.  This one combines everything that was truly interesting about this album and wraps it up wonderfully.  It’s sweet, nostalgic, sort of campy, and most importantly fun.  The guitars are on point, the harmonies may be some of the best of the album, and La Luz just seem comfortable.  What more can you really ask for?  

Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: “Cicada”, “California Finally”, “The Creature”, “Lonely Dozer”

Least Favorite Track: “Greed Machine”

Genre: Surf Rock / Indie Rock / Dream Pop


Overall Thoughts: La Luz have come through with their most consistent album, that’s for sure.  But I still think there’s some definite room for improvement.  Sure, the harmonies are incredible, and the band encompassing the Surf Rock sound is absolutely to die for.  But some of these slower, stripped-down tunes are so faceless and sound like they could have been written by anyone.  The majority of this album though is packed with Noire, campy synths, and is just plain fun to listen to.  And it’s not like La Luz can’t write a slow tune, they certainly did just fine on a few tracks here.  They just gotta stay focused.