Album Review – Second Nature

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Album Review – Second Nature

This Album Review – Second Nature by Lucius. Lucius, the acclaimed indie-pop outfit that originated in Brooklyn and now calls Los Angeles home is coming fresh out of lockdown with some new music. Produced by Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb, and recorded at the historic RCA Studios in Nashville, Second Nature finds Lucius combining elements of disco and funk with Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe’s soulful lyrics and soaring melodies.

Filled with catchy choruses and groovy beats that will have you bopping along, Second Nature takes us along the upheaval Laessig and Wolfe have gone through in their own lives the past couple of years -motherhood, divorce, and career pauses- and carries with it a message that even in the darkest moments, the best way out of the darkness is put everything on display and dance through it.

With a sound that would have fit right in at Studio 54 in its heyday, Second Nature opens with the title track and is followed by the deliciously funky “Next to Normal”, which will have you reaching for your glitteriest outfit so you can dance until the walls are sweating. Those two tracks set the tone for this album, and if “Next to Normal” isn’t played, played again, and played AGAIN, I’m not sure if you have a pulse.

Not To Be Ignored

Halfway through the ten-track Second Nature is the fourth single, “Dance Around It” (Feat. Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow), which really defines the vibe and feel of the album. Commenting on the “Dance Around It”, Laessig and Wolfe had this to say: “In many ways ‘Dance Around It’ cracked the intention for the entire record; to dance through the darkness. To take what may have been isolating and internal, and instead, make it loud, and put it on display—give it legs to dance. When we brought it to the studio, we asked our dear friends and collaborators (pinch me) Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile to sing with us; they were so present and instrumental during the writing and recording of our record—and hearing them sing on this track felt like dancing through that last part of a dark tunnel.”

Wrapping up Second Nature is the emotionally raw ballad “White Lies”. About this song, Jess Wolfe stated: “‘White Lies’ was the first song we wrote after I got divorced. It’s the laying in bed at night, cycling through the last 10 years of your life, wondering what was, what could be and why it wasn’t. It’s the moment right after you rip the band-aid off and are frantically pedaling backward, trying to hold on to what’s left, if anything at all. ‘I just want to lie with you,’ the double meaning and double-edged sword; if only one last moment together could save you from a broken heart.”

In Closing

Album Review – Second Nature is a wrap. When it comes to a pop album that is going to take you on a melodic and emotional journey, Lucius’ Second Nature is a soaring piece of work that will inspire you to dance and groove your way out of life’s most difficult moments. Lucius is here to show us all that there is no hardship that can’t be overcome… and a good solid beat goes a long way to help us dance our way through it.

Released via Dine Alone Records on April 8^th, Second Nature will be available for streaming on your favorite platforms. Give it a spin, and get ready to get your groove on.

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