Published on Jan 22, 2004
It’s hard not to lump Luna into the category of mood music.
Their musicianship and attention to strong songwriting can hold up
in most any listening environment. Still, it seems the best way to
listen to Luna’s music is in a friend’s apartment, at around 2:30
in the morning, after many vodka tonics, and preferably in a big
city. It’s the one band that should have been included in the
Lost in Translation soundtrack that wasn’t.
Luna has unfairly been criticized for aping the Velvet
Underground by elitist VU fans with nothing else better to do with
their lives. The band barely made a ripple in the ’90s, but their
mix of bohemian listlessness and songs about excess (be it in love,
material or pharmaceutical goods) perfectly captures the general
mood of those who came of age in the ’90s without the
pretentiousness of grunge. And while it is true, you can’t judge an
album by its cover, the cover of Luna’s album,
Penthouse, sums up the album perfectly: elegant, excessive,
out of focus and the potential of being a flat-out masterpiece.
Dean Wareham’s spacey vocals have a way of working into your
head after one or two listens. In the woozy “23 Minutes in
Brussels,” Wareham’s chorus, “Say a prayer for you and me / say a
prayer / tell me do you miss me?” may not have the complexity of a
Thom Yorke or an Ani DiFranco, but damned if it doesn’t linger
after the track ends. Sean Eden’s guitar work and Stanley
Demenski’s drumming stand out, but when they are complementing each
other, as in the unexpected jam breakout in “Freakin’ and Peakin'”
– they’re absolutely stunning.
Few bands have been able to straddle the line of being playful
and being sinister. Many times, it seems that Wareham and company
are too witty for their own good. Some lyrics are downright silly:
“Nixon’s in a coma / and I hope it’s gonna last” or “You’re out all
night / chasing girlies / you’re late for work / and you go home
earlies.” However, their chemistry is just enough there to make
everything gel effortlessly, even in the cheesy cover of Serge
Gainsbourg’s “Bonnie and Clyde.”
Penthouse is arguably Luna’s finest hour, even though all of
their releases are about the same in terms of quality. The only
edge that
Penthouse has is its front-to-back cohesiveness. It’s one of
those few albums in recent memory that actually justifies the label
“album.” Check into
Penthouse — you’ll find it difficult to check out.