A dreamscape that falls short

On their new studio album, Media, North Carolina post-punk outfit Cor de Lux continues to create a dreamscape world but falls short of truly growing. With almost no risks taken throughout the record, Media falls into a repetitive state that is inescapable.

Starting with a flanger guitar riff, “Idol Season” is a gentle opener that starts to grow as soon as the drums enter. As the two dueling guitars harmonize, vocalists Dawn Moraga and Dana Quinn croon overtop. This simplicity can easily describe most of Cor de Lux’s new album.

Compared to their 2020 release Dream Life, the sound is notably softer and more polished but this change causes every song to sound almost the same. Therefore, listening to the album becomes more like trudging through a sonic bog than floating from cloud to cloud. “Futures” is an excellent example of the album’s similarity as the dueling guitars become the focus but the single note riff versus the more distorted riff starts to get old fast.

While the album may be sonic drag, several positive aspects stand out. Dana Quinn’s drum control is outstanding but he is often pushed into the background. Although Quinn doesn’t come in until halfway through “The Grey,” his furious impact is immediately known, taking center stage with rippling tom hits and small cymbal flourishes that provide a good jolt of complexity. 

Without Quinn’s burst of energy, “The Grey” falls to the same fate that most of the album does. The group’s lyrics are incredibly complex and informative but they get muddled throughout the album, leaving just the instrumental to fall on when most of the time, it’s not enough.  

However, the best song on the record is one of its lead singles, “Syncopated.” With Quinn taking the drums’ reign, the guitars must adjust to his rhythm and do so very well. Moraga starts to croon about losing oneself and how society is the enemy in that war. The instrumental starts to swell to the lyrics and creates a sense of urgency, an emotion that this record never touched until halfway through: “Plastic toys/ For the lost man.”

Overall, Media is a dreamscape album where the dream isn’t always clear and that lack of instrumental direction leads to its downfall.