Luna - Rendezvous
(Jetset)
Luna's 7th album Rendezvous is a bright, peppy record that breaks no new ground and is remarkable if only because it is so unremarkable. The album's opener, titled "Malibu Love Nest," has the most potential of any song on this record. The bassline is catchy, and the guitars are vaguely Neu!ish, hinting at a slightly more interesting new direction. This optimism is quickly stamped out, however, as Dean Wareham starts to sing about a love nest in Malibu (go figure). Maybe Mr. Wareham should leave songs about Malibu to Courtney Love, or at least write lyrics that are a bit more unique than lines such as "I'll write your name/In Malibu." Bleh.
From here on, Luna strangely tries to replicate other bands sounds and steal their riffs. "Cindy Tastes of Barbeque" is the exact same guitar line (with a different chorus) as that Cornershop song "Brimful of Asha." "Speedbumps" sounds like Luna's take on The Strokes, while "Astronaut" is a perfect imitation of New Order, right down to the tinny lead bassline.
Strangely, on two songs, the vocal duties are handed over to Sean Eden whose voice is nice enough... but distracting because it doesn't sound like Luna when Wareham's not singing. That being said, "Broken Chair," featuring vocals from Eden, is probably the highpoint of the album. Sounding more like Magnolia Electric Company than anything else, this slice of alt-country is actually rather pleasing to the ears. Perhaps if Luna had stuck with this direction, Rendezvous wouldn't have been such a scattered, unfocused affair. As it is, however, this is an album to borrow rather than buy for all but the most ardent Luna fans.
|
