I am lost in my own home
I am lost
While I don’t consider myself a full-blown music critic, I do like writing about how songs and albums make me feel, and Lucius’ first album, Wildewoman, was an emotional grand slam. Songs like “Two of Us on the Run” and “Go Home” didn’t need a hype machine, they just needed a listener. And while I realize curated playlists are part of the deal these days, really, you were better off finding out about Lucius on your own — accidentally, perhaps.
With Good Grief, we find Lucius moving forward on their own terms.
WHAT WORKS: Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig are, once again, the engine of this record, and it’s their voices that make this effort above average. “My Heart Got Caught on Your Sleeve” and “Dusty Trails,” although not as raw as anything on Wildewoman, provide the honesty that Good Grief absolutely needs — the former has an ending that is incredibly beautiful. And the insane ending of “Gone Insane” is a tick above annoying, which gives the album a welcoming dark touch.
WHAT NEEDS WORK: This is, in large part, a pop record without exciting hooks. For example, “Born Again Teen” and “Something About You” feel recycled, lacking the freshness that Lucius normally provides. I suppose my thoughts might change over time, but pop music is often an immediate hit or miss for me, and thousands of others. There is no “this will grow on me” when it comes to a radio-friendly hit.
GRADE: B-