Second Nature＜Pink Vinyl/限定盤＞

Not counting Nudes, a 2018 set of covers and acoustic reworkings, Second Nature represents the first studio album from Lucius in an eventful six years. During that time, dual vocalists and co-songwriters Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig spent over a year touring stadiums as backing singers for Roger Waters, lent vocals to albums by the likes of Waters, Sheryl Crow, Harry Styles, Ozzy Osbourne, the War on Drugs, and Brandi Carlile, and between the two of them experienced life events including divorce and motherhood -- not to mention a pandemic. It was during lockdown together in Los Angeles that Wolfe and Laessig conceived the songs for Second Nature, a mix of 80s-infused disco-pop and power ballads showcasing the singers in-demand blended, emotive vocals. What takes the album to the next level, though, are songs that seek out composure following heartbreak. Second Nature opens with a sleek pair of melancholy dance-pop songs, the title track and funkier "Next to Normal," which delivers lines such as "When everyones the same, its time to separate yourself" in a robotic unison before their voices gradually separate into harmony and countermelody. Having established Second Natures persistently active or underlying dance beats, they finally dig into meatier, full-range vocals on third song "24," a ballad that sets the stage for the rest of the album ("Its been 24 days since I knew your name/24 hours til I get on this plane/And 24 words I could rearrange to try and explain what Im going through"). They return to full-fledged, sparkling dance-pop on "Dance Around It," a song that features the aforementioned Crow and Carlile, the latter of whom co-produced Second Nature with Dave Cobb. A standout among a sturdy set is centerpiece "The Man I’ll Never Find," a piano ballad (with drums and strings) that wants what it cant have, featuring vocal performances on the verge of tears. Lucius quickly recover with yearning yet confident songs about things like broken promises, white lies, and "Tears in Reverse" ("turn into love"). While previous albums saw Lucius shift from a mix of melodic indie pop and folk to a sassy alt-pop, Second Nature steps firmly into a more mature adult alternative realm befitting the subject matter, without abandoning playfulness or high-contrast dynamics (or bandmates Dan Molad and Peter Lalish, who appear here) in the process. ~ Marcy Donelson