It's said that while playing shows to support their debut LP It's Alive, La Luz became aware of their music's "ability to whip eager crowds into a frenzy." So when time came to record their upcoming sophomore album, Weirdo Shrine, the goal was to harness that same frenetic energy and let it run loose in the studio. To help them do just that, the quartet snagged Ty Segall as producer, which is a no-brainer considering Segall's reputation for raw and grit. That is not to say the band has fully committed themselves to garage and lo-fi, though.
"You Disappear" is still very much a La Luz song that retains the general tropes of surf rock: sputters of rapidly picked notes, chords and licks hanging in resonance, rambling percussion, and doo-wop harmonies. They're all elements you expect to hear, but it's the little things that steer the single away from being a generic genre imitation.
Hums from Alice Sandahl's organ, for instance, emit an iridescent 70s psychedelic tone. Then there's the sprightly rhythm section of Lena Simon's thumping reggae-ish basslines and Marian Li Po's snappy drum fills that bounce the track in a way that feels like the two are having a hell of a lot of fun.
That doesn't mean guitarist Shana Cleveland is lacking energy. Midway through "You Disappear," Cleveland shreds out a solo with the distortion cranked way up, which -- if you haven't guessed already -- is the direct result of Segall's influence. It's the loudest La Luz has sounded, and it'll have you picturing festival stage dives just as much as beaches and waves.
Here's hoping this won't be the last we hear of the fuzz pedal on Weirdo Shrine.
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