Lucius return with an album that trades their previous glossy sheen for something more intimate - though perhaps a touch too buttoned-up. Where 2022's 'Second Nature' embraced 80s maximalism and bombast, their self-titled fourth outing pulls back the curtain on rawer territory.
'Final Days' opens proceedings with disarming folk simplicity before unleashing sharp-angled guitar work that Annie Clark would approve of. It's a promising gambit that suggests new teeth behind those pristine harmonies Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe have perfected over the years.
Lead single 'Gold Rush' flirts with similar experimentation but never quite follows through on its initial daring. This hesitation becomes something of a pattern - for each creative leap forward, tracks like 'Mad Love' retreat to safer ground.
The record finds its stride in collaboration. 'Old Tape' shines with The War on Drugs' Adam Granduciel lending his distinctive guitar flourishes, while Madison Cunningham brings fresh dimensions to 'Impressions'.
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