The Luyas – Too Beautiful To Work
Dead Oceans
February 22, 2011

What It Sounds Like:  Hazy, experimental, electrical, and atmospheric, this dream pop foursome weaves sounds to guide you as you glide in between the stars.

The Luyas are one of those bands that one could really go on and on about if you really loved them.  You could speak on how their sounds take on a physical being of their own, diving into every complex horizon that they encounter; how they float over the cusp of a mountain, skim across the water at its peak and become one with its spirit, only to descend down the other side with ease, grace, and handmade woodwind instruments in tow.

Either that, or you could cut the symbolism out and get straight to the meat and potatoes of it.

Medium rare, here I come.

The Luyas aren’t a great band, but they have their time and place.  It’s another collective playing dream pop with a lot of extra effects and off kilter time signatures to overcompensate for the fact that there isn’t anything overly solid here.  They’re just another Instagram filter on the music world – a halfway decent picture spiced up to resemble something cool because we just laid Amaro over top of it.  Vocalist Jessie Stein embarks on her quest to have a half awake / half asleep delivery that fits in with her band’s musical endeavors so much so that she may actually put us to sleep.  No no, that’s being too harsh; I know it is.

It’s not bad music.  If I was laying out under the stars at 2 A.M. with my significant other on a blanket in the middle of a field, I’d put Too Beautiful To Work on the player, no question.  It’s not depressing music, but it certainly likens itself to be played once the sun has set, the night is over, and everything has come to a standstill.

The likes of Moodslayer and Cold Canada aren’t exactly powerful, but they accomplish their set goals (aka – the filter was well applied).  I Need Mirrors  and Canary (dear me, especially Canary) shouldn’t have even been attempted to be captured in any way, shape or form.  However, as always, I always make two track recommendations at the end of every review, and you can rest assured that those Instagram filters were applied somewhat better than the others.

For me, this is one of those records were the scenario really needs to be spot-on for me to enjoy it, and that said scenario probably isn’t going to come around all that often.

But hey, it’s a niche, and even though it very well may be filled better by another band in the same genre, it certainly isn’t a throwaway.

5/10

If you had to listen to two tracks:  Spherical Mattress / Worth Mentioning