Lucky Star begins with an atmospheric cyclone that sucks you down into its world, and before long, the tone for the rest of the journey is set. Desire Path is poised and ready to give you a healthy dose of angst and organized chaos with this release. The melancholic guitar and sadly sweet female vocals will pull at your heart strings, while the rest of the band hits progressive changes that constantly keep you wondering what will come next. And the best part? Everything that comes next is awesome.
Desire Path fires on all cylinders with this release. From the frantic leaps in rhythm on “Avenue” and “Echoes”, to the steadier but still pointed grooves of “Viaduct” and “Cursive”, this album delivers on many levels. The guitars casually throw out cool, simple riffs, while daring you to overthink them as the overdrive kicks in. The drums light off constant sparks to keep the fires burning all the way through, bringing a fun and upbeat balance to the rest of the presentation. The multilayered female vocals paint a slightly broken joyousness across the dark wall of sound from the music underneath. Altogether, Desire Path is a force to be reckoned with, no doubt.
All in all, Lucky Star brings a fun twist to the somber world of shoegaze. Desire Path has clearly locked in on the art of “Loud, quiet, loud,” and they nail the landing every time. They bring a cohesive vibe that will pull feelings out of you that you didn’t even know were there. This album puts you in a corner by yourself at a house party and makes you think about your sad life as you try to cope with that last drag you took off the joint your friends were passing around.
Written by Rob Rinaldi
