Being indie rock's greatest surf band is a distinction to be proud of, but
La Luz
clearly wanted more, and on 2018's
Floating Features
and 2021's
, they began exploring psychedelia and expressive pop along with celebrating their love of
the Ventures
. On the group's fifth album, 2024's
News of the Universe
, they've waded deeper into more expressive sounds while embracing a greater maturity, some of which was thrust upon the group unexpectedly. Between the time
made
and
, the group's leader,
Shana Cleveland
, had a child, and while she was writing the songs for
, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so it's no surprise that her music sounds more grown up in the wake of these life events. That said, while
reflects a broader emotional range and sounds more contemplative than ever before,
Cleveland
's love of pop melodicism and the sonic possibilities of guitars and vintage keyboards has changed little, and these tunes are immediately engaging while feeling both playful and mysterious.
's vocals are unfortunately low in the mix and it's often difficult to make out the lyrics, but approached simply as another instrument in the ensemble, her soft, breathy tone is lovely and enigmatic, and the layers of echoey guitars and '60s-style keyboard sounds blend wonderfully with her vocals. Bassist
Lena Simon
and drummer
Audrey Johnson
put just the right kick behind these performances, from the science fiction groove of "Moon in Reverse" to the proto-disco shuffle of "Close Your Eyes," and
Alice Sandahl
's keys add clouds of atmosphere as
's guitar revels in twangy bliss, hard rock crunch, and fuzzy garage rock snarl. Producer and engineer
Maryam Qudus
(who is now
's keyboard player) makes the most of their mysteries and reinforces the dreamlike textures of this music. If
are at their most adult on
, that also means they've learned some things with the passage of time, both emotionally and musically, and this album shows being grown-ups suits them very well indeed. ~ Mark Deming