In the world of electronic indie rock, few labels have been as consistently fantastic as Lujo Records. A small operation, the label has churned out constant releases of well-received yet largely unknown music, providing an outlet for rising bands with a strong sense of songwriting dynamics.
Chicago’s A Lull is one of those under the radar bands that deserve to be plucked out of obscurity and placed into the collections of any indie rock enthusiast. Choosing a different direction than their former records, the band strayed away from their “Wall Of Sound” songwriting into a listen that embraces space and takes on more experimental avenues. While saxophones and flutes are not exactly standard fare in the circles A Lull travel in, they found a home for it here, with stunning results.
Though Meat Mountain was fleshed out in a Midwest winter, the songs here are more suited for a summer day, beaming with warm, playful energy. The music is often intricate, but the wordplay takes a more straightforward approach, touching on friendship, fascination, and love, though it occasionally dips into darker areas of life.
On opening track “Summer Dress,” A Lull sounds a bit more dance oriented than normal, working in a subtle funk spirit with some sax. “Beaches” follows, and not so surprisingly has a very laid back, hazy beach vibe. “Still Got Pull” expands on that notion, building itself around a synth beat with wild percussion with surf-rock undertones amid layered vocals and guitars with a lot of reverb. Toward the end of the EP, the pace slows down, with “Would That I Could” finding the band band displaying ’80s New Wave influences. Meanwhile, the closer “Would That I Could” radiates with an ethereal, hypnotic melody that fades out.
This is an outfit who takes up a lot of experimental ideas in their collision of indie rock meets electro-pop. Though this may only be five tracks, the amount of ideas fleshed out here outnumbers most of their peers’ full length releases. If you like your music predictable and straightforward, then this isn’t for you. Fans of all things unconventional will be enamored, though.
