With their first new music since 2004’s Rendezvous, the master Lou Reed disciples in Luna return to one of their strengths: covers. A Sentimental Education finds the quartet—Dean Wareham, Britta Phillips, Sean Eden and Lee Wall—tackling mostly obscurities by the likes of Yes, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Mercury Rev and Fleetwood Mac. Simultaneously released companion piece A Place Of Greater Safety EP is all-original, however, though the six songs are instrumentals. Luna will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week.
Phillips: Dean played this band for me about a year ago. We thought they were an ’80s group that had recently been reissued, but I just discovered that the Brussels band’s album, Cold Science, is a collection of all the songs they released on their own label between 2011 and 2015, newly released by Le Disques Du Crépuscule, the Factory Records-related Belgian label. My introduction to them was sexy, cold-wave, disco track, “L’arivée.” They play real instruments, and the singer has a funny accent, but she’s super cool. They’re probably my favorite “new” band.
