Lucius- Second Nature
Label: Mom+Pop
Producers: Dave Cobb and Brandi Carlile
Over the past decade or so, Lucius (led by co-founders and harmonic wonders Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig) has quietly risen to become one of the most formidable creative forces outside the mainstream of American music, as well as one of the most in-demand collaborators, appearing on records by everyone from Harry Styles to Nathaniel Rateliff, and seemingly everyone in between. Despite building this massive resume and critical acclaim, they’ve yet to achieve the type of widespread attention that their talents certainly warrant. Second Nature, their fourth album, undoubtedly is worthy of making that a reality, and stands as their most wholly realized release to date. Lucius would be a dazzling act for their other-worldly harmonies alone; they’re positively to die for. The fact that the the sonic landscape they explore on their records runs as vast as those of the artist albums they’ve appeared checks another crucial box. This record spans everything from introspective folk and disco-fried rock to synth-soaked pop and fiery funk, and co-producers Dave Cobb and Brandi Carlile harness into a vibrant, cohesive palate. But what ultimately ties the bow on their entire repertoire is the narrative content and marvelous potency of their songwriting. These tracks pack a wallop sonically, vocally, and topically, and those are the three key ingredients to a great record across the board. It’s difficult to pinpoint precise highlights but I were to select two (Mom, can’t I have more!?), they would arrive on the earthquaking spectacle of “Dance Around It” and the guttural ache of the stripped “The Man I’ll Never Find”. On the former, which finds them joined by Carlile and Sheryl Crow, they mourn the loss of a physical connection in one’s marriage (I’ll just touch myself because I don’t want to f—“). Ouch. The latter is where the true pain of a failed relationship is particularly raw, where the narrator admits that they sunk their relationship by holding her partner to an impossible standard: “And I’m sorry, I was always looking for the man that I’ll never find. I thought I knew it when I looked you dead in the eye. Don’t want it if it’s easy, but I wish it was believe me“. Those cutting moments are emblematic of the musical power and staggering emotion that is across every second of Second Nature, a record that promises to be a zenith in the catalog of one of today’s most captivating bands.
Track Listing:
- “Second Nature” (Holly Laessig, Jess Wolfe)
- “Next to Normal” (Laessig, Wolfe, Trent Dabbs)
- “24” (Laessig, Wolfe, Eli Teplin)
- “Heartbursts” (Laessig, Wolfe, Teplin)
- “Dance Around It” featuring Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow (Laessig, Wolfe, Jenn Decilveo)
- “The Man I’ll Never Find” (Laessig, Wolfe, Dabbs)
- “Promises” (Laessig, Wolfe, Dabbs)
- “LSD” (Laessig, Wolfe, Decilveo)
- “Tears in Reverse” (Laessig, Wolfe, Dabbs, Lori McKenna)
- “White Lies” (Laessig, Wolfe, Decilveo)
The 706 
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