At first glance, this album could seem more like an arduous scholarly challenge than a new pop record by an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Broken into 4 distinct sections and sung in 13 tongues, this is a breathtaking symphonic work that delves into female mystique, spiritual transcendence, and physical transformation, often through the perspective of various saintly figures. The dissolution of a relationship—a topic handled with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward here, buoyed by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from an award-winning songwriter within an extensive roll call of collaborators. Its sheer audacity by itself makes the work of contemporary artists seem quite small.
Transcending Academic Exercise
The fact that Lux succeeds in avoid overly academic chin-stroking feels nearly miraculous, with complete credit belonging to the artist. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize the past and modern styles, its scale are far higher here, with the tightrope walk more dramatic. The element that really raises this fourth album, outside of its complex tunes, rich compositions, and engrained theatricality, proves to be a core spirit of joy. Similar to the legendary Björk at her peak, you find a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls you up in its whirlwind. When she's breaking hearts apart, you nevertheless desire to be alongside her for the journey.
A Signature Moment of Joy
That exuberant energy shines brightly during a stunning piano-led ballad about Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched melancholy over more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything falls away, to reveal there's a gleeful laugh followed by a declaration before a comically over-the-top orchestral surge crashes down with comedic force. The song immediately shifts into the wild track driven by galloping orchestration, a powerful choral group, and a surprise appearance from none other than Björk.
"The magic with Lux lies in the listener never quite know—nor want to know—what you will go next."
Nearly each track finishes at a totally different place than how it began. One moment examines the transient nature of celebrity over a delicate orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a song echoing her earlier rhythmic style starts off moody and brooding, featuring menacing beats, until sudden flamenco rhythms and a heavenly choir enter to soften its rough edges.
The Bridge Between Art and Accessibility
Another crucial achievement on the album is navigating the gap of radical experimentation and mainstream appeal. It is little surprise that it has achieved her first work to break into the upper reaches of key markets: at its core a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track sung primarily in the English language swells on a chorus that feels to collect increasingly nagging melodies while it spins skyward. That feat is repeated by a different powerful ballad that grows and contracts, intertwining layered tunes like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song charms with its playful, theatrical drama and an anthemic hook.
- Lyrically, it aligns the pop culture honesty of other heartbreak songs, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "emotional bully".
- Across the album, the singing carry a painted-on edge, akin to a storybook character hiding a blade: "Top prize in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Banquet for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, an ambitious grasp for high Art amid of impending artificial blankness. It rejects solipsism for glorious transcendence, creating an over-the-top drama that skillfully controls its own inherent ridiculousness. This is a deep well of buried gems that requires patience to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. While some major releases of the year seemed like a meager scraps, Lux is a lavish banquet where the guests around the table, perhaps intoxicated on sacred drink, flit from conversations about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and shared gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day musical from music's truly restlessly inventive visionary.