Luxuriant, ethereal, dramatic and passionate experimental and chamber dream pop by the American singer-songwriter and cellist, with their second LP, seven years since 2019 debut Blood, with guests including Sampha, Kamasi Washington, Kim Gordon, and co-producer Jack Antonoff. A lengthy and ambitious project, on themes of relationships, spiritualism, religion and identity, recorded in multiple countries and studios over several years (in between also writing soundtracks for the Bafta-winning Earth Mama and the Netflix documentary feature Daughters), it is also accompanied by short film, a mini-drama portraying a tempestuous relationship. With influences that audibly include Kate Bush, Lu is also clearly a perfectionist, obsessed with studio conditions as well as sound, taking several days, for example, at one location in Rome, to first get the lighting right before beginning recording. The presence of Washington’s ambling, subtle saxophone and Gordon’s rich, dark atmospheric guitar provides extra textures to Lu’s rich voice layering, typified by the opener Reaper, which begins as a rippling piano pop (“When I left you I threw all your bags away / I lit a match to watch it burn but the pain still stayed”) but in the second half takes a stranger turn as her guests’ input moves this song onto sonic experimental instrumental plains. The entire album is slow to medium in pace, but that doesn’t make it lack variety. Th evocative Portrait of A Lady On Fire, Lu’s voice reminiscent of Kate Bush in some of her lower register and Joanna Newsom in the higher, is accompanied by warm washes of chamber strings. What Can I Do is a stripped back acoustic guitar number, exposing Lu’s particularly beautiful, resonant held notes, while Running To Pain is soaring singalong pop, backed orchestral strings and beats, while another co-written with Antonoff, Comfort, is more rippling and ethereal. American Sonnet beautifully and starkly sets a Wanda Coleman poem to passionate cello and slow piano with subtle bursts of electronic organ. 852 has muffled distant rumble like thunder. Last but not least Cutting The Head Of A Ghost is a powerful pop ballad with a rich mix of sounds with an arresting opening lines: “I like you more when I'm wasted / 'Cause I can remember you better / Knew you wouldn't last once I met you / So I had to let you go” then … “Like weeds in the field / We yearn a connection / But deafening divide / Leaves me unprotected. Powerful, otherworldly, intricately emotional and passionate, it’s a compelling and beautiful release. Out on Dirty Hit.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...
Feel free to recommend more new songs and albums and comment below. You can also use the contact page, or find more on social media: Song Bar X, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube, and Song Bar Instagram. Please subscribe, follow and share.
Song Bar is non-profit and is simply about sharing great music. We don’t do clickbait or advertisements. Please make any donation to help keep the Bar running: