Say Lou Lou – Lucid Dreaming – 6.5/10
á Deux Records
Say Lou Lou, formerly known as Saint Lou Lou, is ready to release their new album Lucid Dreaming. The twin sister duo from Australia and Switzerland, Miranda and Elektra Jansson, are recognized as the daughters of The Church’s longtime band member Steve Kilbey. Branching out from their fathers roots of alternative rock and new wave, they produced a synth-pop sound with an electronic backdrop. The album name is the term for a phenomenon where one becomes consciously aware while dreaming, a natural psychedelic experience analogous to the style of their songs. “Teen-Dream” best describes this musical expression. Each track can be imagined with a scene of staring deeply into someones eyes, or contemplating ones existence among a desolate suburban sprawl. There’s a playfulness to all the emotional upheaval to be found in tracks like “Games for Girls”, where a hypnotic club beat chimes over bubbly vocals and a high pitched techno sound. This is a rarity and it’s the only creation that resembles an 80’s hair twirl with bubble gum chewing theme, a little out of place. “Angels(Above Me)” begins with, “We can talk about sex, we can talk about love. But all I wanna know is what you’re thinking’ of” and might bring you into melancholy or pensiveness, feelings created by slow piano playing, synchronized vocals, and a guitar synth echo.
There’s an overall sense of being lost and trying to find yourself. “Nothing but a heartbeat” is about heartbreak, being disappointed, and trying figure out why it has to be this way. Their voices reverberate “I got no air in my lungs, I got no bones in my body” – such distress leaves nothing left behind. But there’s hope, and the final song of the album speaks to moving on and not giving up. The duo wants you to know it’s not all about sadness, leaving the listener with the final message of looking forward to something brighter. The album has wonderment similar to M83’s work and edginess like Lana Del Ray. It’s certainly not for everyone. It speaks to an emotionally distraught generation, one built upon broken dreams, escapism, and hope for a better future. The flow of Lucid Dreaming is semi consistent, and odd with it’s direction, like someone was spilling their sentiments uncontrollably. But their voices are hypnotizing and the songs can be strangely beautiful – like looking at a sunset after loosing a loved one and knowing it’s going to be alright.