Seattle-based female quartet La Luz has returned with follow up record Weirdo Shrine, the first since the band’s debut LP It’s Alive was released in October of 2013. Following the debut’s release, the band was involved in a car accident a month later in small town during their tour. Although none of the members were seriously hurt, the band was left shaken and in need of a new van and new gear.
Now only two years removed from the accident which forced the band to cancel a slew of tour dates, the group’s latest release Weirdo Shrine is out via Hardly Art Records and was produced by Ty Segall. If you’re into psychedelic centerfolds with 3D glasses, it’s got that, too. The band channels a focused resilience on this album and pours in it its glass half-full of mystique and dreamy wonder-wop.
“I Can’t Speak” resonates with this and creates a haunting stillness accented by droning organ and paintbrush vocal harmonies. In the thirty or so minutes to choose from, Weirdo Shrine maintains an adventurous, psych aura throughout with tracks like “I Wanna Be Alone (With You)” that sound like The Black Angels with your eyes closed. The band is borderline bewitching on “I’ll Be True” with dark, reverberated guitar that moves like molasses and waning organ returning.
The album concludes marvelously with the tender resolution “True Love Knows.” Whether it’s four-part falsetto harmonies or fantastically phased guitar, the band’s fawning brand of fab, femme rock has you covered.
Recommended If You Like: Ty Segall, Dum Dum Girls, Shannon and the Clams, Mountain Man
Recommended Tracks: 7 (I Wanna Be Alone (With You)), 3 (With Davey), 1 Sleep Til They Die, 11 (True Love Knows)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Harrison Hipp on 09/23/15