Since Lucius re-emerged from a creative hibernation of sorts around the time of the release of their self-titled EP (give or take the couple months they had been winning crowds over with their less folk-inspired sound), they've managed to channel the spirit of old school rock & roll and girl pop glam in a way that was less about being derivative and more about honoring their influences and own musical tastes than mere imitation. It was a sound that galvanized some of the group's catchiest tracks atop of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig's powerhouse laser-precise vocals even as Lucius grew into their current five person setup. While the road to their break out full length Wildewoman seemed like a sort of endurance test, Lucius have, along with trading their digs from Brooklyn to LA, taken years work of hard work refining their sound to heart with the development of their new record Good Grief.
"Born Again Teen" is all wide-eyed exuberance - recalling the vibrant sounds and colors of the 1950s without exactly placing itself purely in that era. "It's a feeling like a born again teen/got a heartbeat like we're only sixteen", the ladies croon before there's a blast of shout vocals that jump-start the track's lilting verse/boisterous chorus combo. Laessig and Wolfe's vocals lead the dance - circling casually before taking the lead and rising to climactic highs. "Can somebody help me, please?/I don't think it's just me, I'm dying" embodies the melodrama of lovesickness and yet the band who all enter in harmonies aren't coquettish about it. It's real, it's sincere. There's nothing cute about this feeling and appropriately after reaching such a dramatic climax, the only response is a swing back to their introduction as if it (and it does) explain it all.
Good Grief isn't out until next March but "Born Again Teen" shows that Lucius aren't pulling any punches with their pop domination. "Born Again Teen" is Lucius at their catchiest but also their most self-aware, balancing teenage drama with the knowledge that they're mature enough to know better. It's going to be a long wait until March but "Born Again Teen" posits that it just might be worth the wait.
Lucius' upcoming album Good Grief is out March 11th. Preorder in available now and features a bunch of cool options like the making of documentary Days in One Place, and limited edition translucent 12" vinyl.
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