by Scott Yohe
Seattle isn’t the first place that comes to somebody's mind when they think of the term surf rock. It is hard to imagine that the surfing culture is strong there and yet, one of the best bands in the genre, La Luz, was born there. On their self-titled album, La Luz show us why they are one the best things surf and psychedelic rock have to offer. Produced by Adrian Younge, La Luz proves that there are still plenty of places to explore in this type of music.
Starting off the record is “In the Country,” opening with a beautiful guitar line that immediately sets the tone of the song, before it pops off into something reminiscent of a band like Stereolab. “The Pines” opens with drums that just pound away until the guitars and vocals come on, all the while the bassline of the song thuds away carrying you into places you really weren’t expecting to visit this early in the album. “Watching Cartoons” slows things down to a pace where you can bob your head along perfectly, all the while the lyrics about watching cartoons by yourself are something I am sure most people that are interested in this type of music can relate to. That feeling of not wanting to deal with reality and instead ignore it is captured perfectly.
La Luz continue on a slower pace with “Oh, Blue,” an absolutely gorgeous song whose vocal harmonies just blow the listener away on every listen, with stunning instrumentals to match. “Goodbye Ghost” is another song where the killer bass playing cannot be ignored, driving the entire song. It is impossible to ignore a song like “Metal Man,” where the guitars are so drenched in fuzz and other effects they create something you barely realize is possible with guitar. Every single track has something interesting going on and to explore with each listen.
La Luz is psychedelic-surf rock at its absolute best. The way they allow you to drift in and out of such fuzzy, dreamy, and mesmerizing music is astounding. Despite being as psychedelically crazy as it is, the album is incredibly relaxing. There are moments where you feel like you are just sitting by the water, watching things bob around, and there are other moments that will bring you to full attention without making you think something is wrong. With La Luz you can come and go as you want, but the full thing will always be the best. The album is such a blissful experience filled with synths, wonderful drums, and thumping basslines. The vocal harmonies always sound so dreamy and never sound over the top.
You can tell how much time and effort went into each of these songs, but all the while sounding so effortless. It goes to show that sounding so nonchalant can take more effort than we even realize. Every song is so carefully crafted and filled with ideas that show why La Luz matters. There is something here for everyone and there is no doubt you’ll find so much more in these songs. The dreamy surf-rock of La Luz is never ending, and I have never been happier about that.