With their ambient indie sound, The Luna Laval’s bringing a sense of freshness to the New Jersey music scene. Their recent project, Horoscopes EP, is nearly 14 minutes long but features some incredibly emotional lyrics that dig deep. As a pleasant surprise, vocalist Jakub Szczepaniak cites The Smiths as an influence and his vocal style reflects that but with an American twang to it. Together, Luna Laval’s Horoscopes blends together The Promise Ring, Minus The Bear, a hint of U.K. indie rock from the ‘80s along with their signature Jersey sound.
The disc opens with “Speaking Freely.” Though the drum beat is light and up-tempo, it is much louder than the deep and jazzy bass groove and the dreamy guitar tones. Despite that, the cut provides an energetic start to the band’s sophomore release. What kept on impressing me throughout the collection was how Szczepaniak’s heavy voice contrasted against the bright guitars. The following cut, “Cachet,” has a post-rock feel to it mixed in with an ambient twist to shake things up a bit. The start of the track has a beachy sound to it, meaning it’s very relaxing and calm, though it picks up spunk as it continues on. The final number on Horoscopes was the most moving track. The overall vibe of “Presence” is dark and the lyrics alone provide a creepy feeling. There is a mini drum solo at the end of the piece that was a bit of a shocker.
The only disappointment that The Luna Laval’s, Horoscopes, provided was that it was too short. The release is a flow of energy and by the time “Presence” ends, the play button is looking to be pressed again.
In A Word: Enjoyable
