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ARTIST
TITLE
We Are
FORMAT
CD
LABEL
CATALOG #
GB 099CD
GB 099CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
10/30/2020
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Firmly established as an influential voice in the burgeoning Russian DIY rock scene, Lucidvox's incendiary mixture of atmospheric psych-rock, heavy riffs, and Russian folk mystery has already gained them both critical attention and audience loyalty outside of their hometown of Moscow. We Are (мы есть) is their first international album release and the next element in their rapid rise. Bands in which all or most of the members learn how to play their instruments just to be in the band are something of a special category in the history of popular music. British avant-gardists Wire and American roots hit-makers Creedence Clearwater Revival come to mind, as do, in varying degrees, post-punk legends like The Raincoats and The Slits. The individual player's inexperience becomes an asset -- they are free to create without the burden of past prejudices -- and the sound attains a mysterious balance. Formed in 2013, Lucidvox comprises four women based in Moscow: Alina (vocals/flute), Nadezhda (drums), Galla (guitar), and Anna (bass). The band's original repertoire consisted of cover versions of songs by Sonic Youth, Pixies, White Stripes, and Warpaint. Being in a "girl band" was, from the beginning, an essential and empowering concept. Lucidvox quickly became a tight circle that encouraged musical experimentation, emotional honesty, and future plans. After a year or so of playing covers, the band began to assemble original material, which had its own sonic footprint. And like everything else in Lucidvox, the songwriting process was highly democratic from the start. Unlike the majority of bands, this process allows all of them to contribute lyrics. The lyrics for the most part revolve around intense personal experiences. While Galla notes that the overall sound of the new album is "more powerful, more rock," the band's trademark post-Siouxsie and the Banshees squall is now more nuanced than ever. There is more depth and space, and more sense of the majestic rumble that the band conjures up in a live setting -- an experience in which the ensemble lays down an interlocked, almost krautrock-like groove. Even as their international reputation has grown, they have never considered singing songs in English, and in the band's sonic explorations, there has always been a subtle nod to Russian traditional music and folklore. Lucidvox is at the front of this growing wave, along with Moscow's Glintshake and the fast-rising St Petersburg band Shortparis.
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