I love when an anticipated album delivers. I love the first two albums from Lo Moon, and their third offering has proven itself to be a beautiful continuation of their story. The album is called I Wish You Way More Than Luck, and it released on April 5th.
I found Lo Moon by a recommendation from my brother, actually—yes, the one who wrote the Scott Stapp review recently. I was hooked by their colorful and youthful self-titled debut in 2018, and then they really delivered with the more indie and melodic hyper focused A Modern Life, which proved to be wistful and powerful in the lyrical department for me. So, I’ve been looking forward to this new one. The current lineup still includes Matt Lowell on vocals and guitars, Sam Stewart on guitars, Crisanta Baker on bass, keys, and samples, and Sterlin Laws on drums.
I love this band’s sound. I would call them art pop. They have some rocking moments, especially due to Sterlin’s fantastic drumming, but most of their music centers upon strong hooks, spacious sonic bliss, and lots of bass and keyboard vigor that brings the music to life. Matt’s vocals are melancholy but precisely and gorgeously performed.
For this record, I feel like their sound has shifted slightly again. The first album had lots of effects and colors, and the second album was stark and even raw at times. This album has a slightly more pastoral mood, making it feel golden and nostalgic and lamentful. There’s almost this sense of life passing by and people making choices or having dreams, and the album is something of a celebration of that, I feel. It’s like, whatever road you take, I wish you luck. It makes me tearful sometimes, almost like all of this is something beautiful yet sad, too.
I love this album, and just like the previous one, it took a few listens. Lo Moon’s music grows in exquisite ways, I find, as I connect with the lyrics, appreciate the masterful atmosphere, and absorb the ambience and flair. Their music is smooth, relaxing, and tonally hypnotic. It’s for people who appreciate the intersection of subtlety and emotion with flair and atmosphere.
There isn’t a weak track here. The opener “Borrowed Hills” is a favorite as it leans heavily into the spacious percussion vibe that the band does so well, and the chorus is instantly memorable. “Waiting a Lifetime” comes next, and is just as good. I really like the lyrics on this one, though I revisit it because of the driving, colorful, almost explosive bass and synth that sound so good. “Connecticut” is another terrific track, this one slowburning its way into a wonderful drum-laden climax with arresting groove.
The rest of the first half continues like this with songs like the hopeful and dreamy “When the Kids Are Gone” with its simple and effective melody, and the single “Water”. This tune took some time for me, but it’s happy rhythm is infectious, and it’s basically the title track as this is where the titular lyrics appear.
I love the second half so much. “Day Old News” shuffles along with some rock guitar accents, but it ultimately feels very British, though the band hails from Los Angeles. The subtle sax that flirts with the song makes it feels slightly jazzy, much not too much. “Mary in the Woods” is an interesting piece. It is slower and features some of Matt’s most expressive vocals. Even as it gets busier near the end, the song is reserved and layered with subtle keyboard beauty and light.
One of my favorite three-track stints on the album comes next. The single “Evidence”, which released last year and was on my favorite tracks list for 2023, just never gets old. I love the reserved verses and rhythmic warmth of the tune, and the ambient sort of interlude in the second half is so beautiful and welcome. I would love to hear more songs like this from the band. “The Chapel” is only about a minute long, but there’s something about it I love. It isn’t a song; it’s the ambience of The Chapel, so to speak, and I assume it was recorded while they made the album. You can hear an organ in the background, and I just really like it. It leads into the closer “Honest”, which has become one of my favorites. It is a direct and expressive ballad that is mostly just Matt’s vocals and violin, and it is so beautiful. On top of that, it feels vulnerable and yet somehow confident, and it ends the album in hushed, perfect fashion.
I love this album. Lo Moon came out of nowhere over the last couple years to become a band I listen to constantly. Their albums just never get old to me. They have such a sense of melody and musicality that makes me feel like a burden is falling from my shoulders, even though the lyrics are often melancholy and honest. There is a certain level of relatability I feel to what they make and communicate, and they are quickly becoming a favorite band.
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