Alba Lua World Premiere “Valley of Abra” via ‘SUP Magazine
Words by Nik Mercer / Re-hosted via ‘SUPmag for Hype Machine circulation purposes!
Pop music, it seems, tends to operate on a loose “rule of 20″: after a couple decades pass, the current generation of musicians tend to look back on their fathers’ record collections for inspiration. The early 2000s were all about a 80s post-punk revival, and now, in the second decade of the 21st century, we find ourselves buried under a pile of bands that espouse dream pop like its 1993 all over again.
Alba Lua is one such group. The Bordeaux-based trio represents a refreshing turn within France’s otherwise mutilated house music-focused scene―tranquil, elastic guitar strums replace face-melting distorted and compressed synths; soothing, airy female vocals stand in lieu of vocoder-filtered lyrics; and uplifting wall-of-sound bass gushes reside where spastic, warbley percussion riffs normally would.
At times, the band’s Ballad of Joseph Merrick EP sounds like an even gentler Spaceman 3 or more innocent and blissed-out rendering of Galaxie 500. The vocals add to the mystique of the trio: their childish timbre evokes memories of 90s Japanese artists like Kahimi Karie and could just as well be fronting a jazz combo playing through a bossa nova tune. This is the soundtrack for those lazy, overcast Sundays you spend sprawled out on your neighborhood green with a joint in one hand and a 40 ounce in the other.
Alba Lua’s Ballad of Joseph Merrick is set for release on June 28th via Satellite of Love Records. Right click the arrow on player to download the exclusive premiere of “Valley of Abra.”