As we close out this crazy year, it’s refreshing to take a moment to sit back and breathe. Fortunately, Alex Maas from The Black Angels has given us the perfect soundtrack to do just that with the debut of his first solo album Luca from earlier this month. Informally dedicated to his son with the same name, the project has been in the works for a couple of years and includes contributions from members of The Black Angels, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Widespread Panic, and Eels. Despite the many collaborators, the songs don’t feel cluttered and work well to build a reverb drenched psychedelic atmosphere. Luca tears down the fuzzed out wall of sound that surrounds much of The Black Angels’ material and centers on more stripped-down, introspective arrangements featuring hypnotic drums and airy acoustic guitars. Definitely worth a listen to help cap off the year.
Listen if you like: The Black Angels (of course), Spindrift, Brian Jonestown Massacre
Review by Sarah Ronan