Five years after her debut solo album Crush Songs (2014), Karen O (former frontwoman of the iconic 2000s rock band, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) is back. And this time, she’s not alone.
On March 15, the singer put out Lux Prima, a collaborative album with artist and producer Danger Mouse after teasing it out with dynamic (but starkly contrasting) singles such as “Woman” and “Lux Prima.”
The contrast between these singles meant I didn’t know what to expect upon my first listen. However, as I dove in and began to tangle with the album’s dreamy, spacey soundscape, I realized that the project is reminiscent of ‘70s prog-rock, except accompanied with a modern twist and occasional relapses into Karen O’s old style. Ultimately, the album is a testament to both of the artists’ creativity and deviation from the norm.
The album opens with the title track, an ambitious nine-minute-long piece that seems to change styles every few minutes, but begins and ends with a paralleled vocalless, spacey progression. Similar progressions are sprinkled throughout the album, adding on to the mystique that is prevalent in this collab. Danger Mouse, who is known partly for his time with the Broken Bells and partly for his collaboration with artists such as MF Doom, Gorillaz and Beck, is the party responsible for most of the album’s sonic direction, quirks and unpredictability, as he brings in his versatility across genres. Having experience in hip hop, alternative rock and electronica, he brings in all of his genres of expertise to create something completely different and equally impressive. “Reveries” is the most similar to anything found off Crush Songs, and even then it carries the eerie touch of Danger Mouse. Nonetheless, Karen O’s peculiar combination of sad indie-girl and hard, female punker play surprisingly well with the spacey sounds of the album. There are instances in which this persona is almost unrecognizable, while songs like “Woman” and “Redeemer” are full of Karen O’s characteristically badass vocal vibe that boosted the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to fame. It is this versatility that pushes this album beyond conventions, giving it a sort of futuristic sound.
However, while the leisurely pace works for most of the project, I found a few points in which it was overbearing and boredom-inducing. The title track presents a good exemplification of the album’s unique sound, but stretching it out to nine minutes creates some overkill. Placing this long track at the beginning of the album only heightens this, as it is easy to lose interest in the album based on just the first track. Slow moments can also be heard in “Ministry” and “Drown,” but Karen O’s powerful vocals, combined with the cinematic flavor of the tracks, helps save them.
Because of the unconventional electronica scattered throughout the LP, Karen O and Danger Mouse announced that they will not be doing a tour due to the difficulty of recreating these sounds live. However, they plan to put on an “installation” instead, which will allegedly be “an immersive, communal listening experience soundtracked by the album.” Seeing as the slow yet somehow intense pace of the album is akin to the soundtrack for a thriller movie, nothing seems like a better fit for the two.
Despite having its slow and sleepy moments, Lux Prima tastefully touches on uncharted territory for both of the artists. Overall, it is an impressive testament to the musicians’ creativity, making the album feel more like a journey than a conventional release.
Article by Alice Markman