Luminar
Extremely difficult to do something uniquely original, now, given that something of pretty much every shade of human expression has been covered off; especially with music, where an influence and duplication can be spotted from great distance by multiple dispassionate observers.
Hard though, for those dispassionate observers, to assess the new album by EUS as anything but a complete break from influence and repetition.
The ambition and bombast that strike out even from the opening track are immediately divisive. As the accompanying press release states, you’ll find a strong opinion on it within a very short timeframe.
Credit must go to Jose Acuna for clearly looking at the rulebook, assessing it, reading it cover to cover, giving it some thought, then deliberately throwing it out the window and doing what he felt like. I couldn’t stand too close to this one, for fear of getting severe burn or frostbite – not sure which – but the I did notice an extremely well layered production, with booming synth tones, pretty epic stringery and some nice enveloping vocal panning – screams and howls not withstanding.
This is not emotionally neutral music – it’s going to draw a reaction, one way or another. Which is often a function of good art. An act of sheer bravery, in front of a large army carrying bright banners and flags.