In a year brimming with stellar records featuring a female singer awash in dreamy atmosphere and epic soundscapes (Exitmusic, Cat Power, Beach House, Purity Ring, and numerous others) The Luyas may get somewhat lost in the mix. While the band may share some musical DNA with those artists — the breathy vocals; the analog synths and slowly decaying echoes that envelop the songs — the Montreal quartet is proving just as inventive, crafting some of this year’s most alluring, sad music.
Really loving this video for “Tiny Head” by The Luyas:
I just really dig how simple and clean it is, but still manages to be artful. Based around the singer Jessie Stein, The Luyas are another Montreal-based band with ties to Arcade Fire — former multi-instrumentalist, Pietro Amato, and current violinist, Sarah Neufeld make up two of the band’s four members.
This band’s new album Too Beautiful To Work is coming out soon (Feb. 22) on Dead Oceans, a label that’s part of that Secretly Canadian\Jagjaguwar\Dead Oceans trifecta. Whenever I get something in the mail from one of these three imprint, I know there’s a very good chance I’m going to like whatever record is inside. And for this record, the band enlisted Owen Pallett to compose string arrangements.
Also be sure to listen to their fantastic cover of Radiohead’s “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” which employs low brass in a really excellent way. It’s also got some very solid electronic-inspired poly-rhythmic percussion which helps make this amazing song their own.
