I Wish You Way More Than Luck is Lo Moon’s best work yet. The group always radiated confidence on their previous two albums, but on this third release, they celebrate this confidence!

For instance, the fervor of the chorus on the opening—and reminiscent of pre-So Peter Gabriel—track “Borrowed Hills” has a sense of infectious exuberance that’s never been seen before in the band’s music. The ensuing “Waiting A Lifetime” is bright and effervescent, as if Lo Moon have found something profound—like religion—and want the whole world to join in on the celebration.

This enlightenment is not only apparent in Lo Moon’s disposition, but also in their songcraft. On “Day Old News” and “When The Kids Are Gone,” they construct intricate acoustic arrangements; a sort of art-folk music form that appears simple on the surface but has subtle layers (including details like a sax solo that lasts a mere few seconds). They exhibit the naked simplicity of A Modern Life (Luck’s predecessor) with the ornate intricacy of Lo Moon (the group’s debut), if Lo Moon’s arrangements were more acoustic-leaning than electronic.

This nuance-rich, meticulous, folk rock-flavored musical approach dominates this record more than on Lo Moon’s previous releases… and sometimes, it gets dark and intense, resulting in awesomely compelling tracks. For example, “Mary In The Woods” is a moody chamber pop number with beautiful musical accents, sounding like a cross between trip-hop and folk. Or, “Evidence,” a soulful and dreamy but melancholic folk rock song, which, at the halfway point, speeds up its tempo in a prog rock manner with gnarly guitars. And certainly, the beast “Connecticut,” the most haunting, poignant, and dramatic of the bunch, has some of the best percussion work from the band. There is real fire in these numbers, unveiling a whole new, fiercely passionate side of this outfit.

Right from their debut release, Lo Moon have been a mature and well-honed outfit. There was never any need for the band to further sharpen their craft. Hence, the brilliance exhibited on Luck doesn’t signify an evolution in the band’s craft, as much as it showcases the band owning the mastery of their craft with unbridled pride.

Rating: A

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