The Brooklyn pop stylists in Lucius have a lot going for them—strong songwriting, a striking visual and performance sense, a deep love and understanding of 20th-century pop history—but it’s no secret that the band’s mightiest weapon is the powerhouse vocal harmonies of frontwomen Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig. This sophomore set—which largely sidelines the folkier aspects of their 2013 debut in favor of a sharper, fuller, occasionally aggressive big-pop approach—offers plenty of grand, gut-busting hooks. Particularly in the stacked opening run of “What We Have To Change,” stirring piano ballad “My Heart Got Caught On Your Sleeve” and unexpectedly perky synthpop sparkplug “Wish For Rain.”
Excepting “Dusty Trails,” an understated gospel/soul closer worthy of a latter-day Mavis Staples record, the album’s grittier, more rhythmically oriented latter half feels less distinctive and well-formed—though, for a group whose live sets sometimes feature all five members pounding away on simultaneous percussion parts, these tunes should be dynamite in concert.
—K. Ross Ho ffman
