CD of The Week

Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, friends and fellow vocal majors at Berklee College of Music, began writing and making music together as a group in the late 2000s. Now based in Brooklyn, their retro yet modern sound (and coordinating style to match) has evolved to a smoothly layered five-piece outfit with a percussive emphasis. With Wildewoman, their debut release as a quintet, Lucius has brought to the world a collection of expertly crafted pop that draws directly from the classic 60’s girl-group pop of Phil Spector while adding a dose of contemporary, indie rock. Laessig and Wolfe’s voices soar, alternating in unison and bright harmonies, surrounded by the creative and intricate guitar and percussion of their equally talented, male counterparts: Dan Molad, Peter Lalish, Andrew Burri.

The entirety of Wildewoman is filled with solid, well-written tracks lyrically based in Laessig and Wolfe’s life journey thus far that both layer and highlight all of the talents of the skilled group members equally. Tracks like “Tempest” and “How Loud Your Heart Gets” showcase the group’s ability to weave the softness of simplicity with climaxes of emotion and walls of sound, creating a musical experience in its entirety within a song. The power of the pair's finely tuned voices in unison is showcased most notably on the albums slower, more acoustic ballads: “Two of Us on the Run” and “Go Home.” The album’s high point lies in its danceable, up-beat power anthem with a catchy chorus, “Turn It Around,” about a woman whose impatience leads her to start out on her own too soon. The song’s infectious vocal chants mingled with the prominent syncopation of claps, snare drum, and groovy guitar make it the most memorable track on the album.

Wildewoman is a suitably balanced combination of the musically expected and unexpected that manifests itself into cohesive modern music with an essence of the past. Having seen their album release show at their hometown venue, Brooklyn Bowl, and their recent show at World Café Live, I can say confidently that their live show brings their music a whole new sense of vitality and is not one to miss. Lucius clearly still has more great music and a bright future to come.