Rob's Album Of The Week: Lucius' Wildewoman

By Rob Duguay

Rarely do you get to experience the genuine pleasure of seeing a band live even before they release their debut album, but with Brooklyn indie-pop act Lucius I can safely say that I have. I got to see them a The Solid Sound Festival at The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, MA this past June and The Boston Calling Music Festival right in the heart of Beantown in City Hall Plaza last month. Both times they were spellbounding and I've been a huge fan ever since.. Making waves around the United States after blazing through the festival circuit this past Summer, Lucius have released their highly anticipated debut album Wildewoman and it's simply a pleasure to listen to. I'm very picky when it comes to music stemming from the pop realm, and most of the time I try to avoid it like it's the plague. Lucius' Wildewoman is more than your usual indie-pop album with a stripped down sound and a wonderful melding of Jess Wolfe's and Holly Laessig's voice to create a beacon of musical brilliance.

Ranging from folk-rock, new wave and even at points going for a wrecking ball of a power ballad, Lucius' new album is shockingly original to the extent that you can't pin down what exactly you're listening too. I love when music is so good that it reaches beyond the comprehension of standard genre classification, and Wildewoman is a perfect example of that from front to back. The groovy rhythms on the album make you want to dance with a little bit of flair, simple beat structures flowing exquisitely throughout each track give a sheen of artistic beauty that is rare when it comes to new music nowadays. There is a certain orchestral quality as well that provides a sense of elegance, one of many reasons why Wildewoman sets itself apart from the rest.

The sky is getting more gray and it's colder inside my apartment than it is outside, as you can tell we're right in the thick of the Fall season here in Providence. Before you know it your friends will be complaining about how frigid the weather is at this time of year the same way they complain about how hot it is during the summer. One thing you can't complain about are my top tracks off of my Album Of The Week, regardless of how quickly the temperatures drop or how rapid they rise. Maybe you can complain about that corny segue, but I'll leave it up to you. Anyways and as always, here goes something:

One of my picks for Top Ten Songs of 2013 has to be "Tempest", exuding a huge Tegan & Sara influence with steady drums and intoxicating synth makes this track an instant classic. A bona fide hip shaker in "Turn It Around" has those beats and grooves I mentioned earlier, this song will make you cut a rug in no time. The heartbreak ballad  "Go Home" is the most emotional number off of Wildewoman, the emphasis coming from Wolfe's and Laessig's vocals are bound to impress. Starting off with a flurry of distortion and then into an array of rhythms, "Nothing Ordinary" is another gem that guarantees to shine through your eardrums. Just for a taste of how fantastic Lucius' debut is, I can only name a few. Don't let that fool you, from start to finish Wildewoman is a near masterpiece.

Starting tomorrow at The Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C., Lucius will be embarking on a tour of North America and Europe in support of Wildewoman's release. For us in the New England region we have three chances to see Lucius: Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA on December 3rd, the following night at Empire in Portland, ME and at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA on December 5th. I'm definitely going to head to at least one of the shows and if you're in the area you should do the same. Until Lucius hits up your friendly neighborhood music venue, you better get your hands on their debut album Wildewoman. It's a piece of music I guarantee you'll fall in love with.