Lucius – Good Grief

Uncomparable

Indie-pop showstoppers and recent alternate airwave dominators Lucius have released Good Grief, an 11-track buoyant rollercoaster ride.

The more stripped-down first track (in comparison to its counterparts) “Madness,” offers a tentative prelude to the erratically delightful journey that’s to come on Good Grief. It also gives the lyrical themes of love lost (then found, then lost again) on the album a kick start. The understated first verse of “Madness” leads to a booming, anthemic crescendo at the chorus, Wolfe and Laessig languishing about how they’ve been “driven to madness.”

“What We Have (to  Change)” has an almost gospel-esque quality to it, thanks to the the steady, thumping percussion of the chorus, in combination with the repetitive chanting of “Find me a mountain/Or any grand canyon/Just find us an igloo and I’ll freeze with you.” The sheer soul of the track radiates soaring and anthemic spirit.

“Almost Makes Me Wish For Rain” is one moment in Good Grief, when, admittedly, a comparison must be made. The style of the track is strikingly reminiscent to the music of La Roux. But in the case of indie electro-pop, it’s best to implement everyone’s favorite tried and true saying: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It works for La Roux, and it works for Lucius, especially when a track as airy and amorphous as “Almost Makes Me Wish For Rain” helps break up the heavy concentration of lovelorn ballads that precede it on Good Grief. 

Essentially, between emotionally charged tracks a lá “Gone Insane” and “Dusty Trails”, and dance floor boppers such as “Something About You”, Good Grief presents all that Lucius has to offer on a neat and perfectly polished silver platter, including the ever-powerful vocals of frontwomen Wolfe and Laessig, and the poignant lyrical themes of the album. Since the formation of Lucius in 2005, the band has been compared to Haim, Neko Case, Arcade Fire and countless others. But, despite the constant collations drawn between Lucius and their colleagues, it can be said with a firm amount of certainty that Good Grief stands on its own. It is purely, well, Lucius: a fresh and unique sound that renders comparisons irrelevant.