ALBUM REVIEW: Luna Mausoleum – Sky Valley Mistress
There is something quite fitting about a rock ‘n’ roll album being released in the first month of a year. People are still in the festive spirit in January usually, and rock ‘n’ roll is meant be one of the more uplifting subgenres within the alternative music realm, so British duo SKY VALLEY MISTRESS picked the best possible time to release a new record. Luna Mausoleum is the second album from the two-piece, and it is packed with the typical rock ‘n’ roll energy that is to be expected, alongside explosive choruses that will thrill both old school rock fans and listeners of newer rock bands.
After a short intro, Luna Mausoleum properly kicks off with opener The Exit List. This track starts with a guitar solo that leads into the synth driven first verse. The chorus on this song is the first glimpse we get of just how catchy some of the hooks on this record are. The second verse is once again really soft compared to the chorus which results in the choruses sounding massive. The bridge here is the only underwhelming part in this track as it does its job in getting us to the final chorus, but the song would have benefitted from another solo, as the bridge sounds bland and unnecessary in this case.
The following track, Too Many Ghosts, is slightly faster and once again has stripped back verses, this time though, the rhythm section is on full display as the bass takes centre stage with the guitars lurking in the background. The chorus on Too Many Ghosts is still huge, but it is not as melodic as what came before it. The bridge however, is one of the best on the album as the guitars face off against the drums making for a very intriguing dynamic between the instruments, and the guitar effect slide into the final chorus works exceptionally well, and makes the ending to this song much more energetic.
House Of The Moon is a deceiver. It starts as if it is a ballad, but it changes into a rhythmic behemoth. As soon as the drums and guitar come in, a guitar solo erupts out of seemingly nowhere. What follows is another ballad like verse, but it gets followed up by the chorus which is simple yet effective, and the vocal layering helps it stand out. The only underwhelming part of this track is the overly long ending. Even though it is a nice touch to have a full on string section on the record, having the strings just by themselves takes the vibe away from the song, and especially when this ending is over a minute long.
White Night is similar to the album opener as the verses are fully stripped back whilst the chorus is full of energy. The melodies here are extremely catchy, and having the solo have more of a blues sound to it is a very nice touch. The bridge includes the best vocal performance on the album, as the passion is fully felt, and once again the transition from bridge to chorus is flawless. The final hook gets repeated which further cements this song as one of the highlights of the record, and the band clearly loves it too.
Blue Desert II is the album closer, and it is nearly nine and a half minutes long. The first three to four minutes of this track are really slow and soft, but at about the halfway point things pick up both in speed and volume. Once again, the vocals and guitar work are highlights throughout this song. After a couple of loud and rapid minutes things get mellow once more. This leads into the climax of this track, a guitar solo with the drum fills accompanying it, and that is how the album ends, very suddenly.
Overall, this is an extremely fun listen, albeit one which is quite inconsistent at times. The choruses are really catchy and the musicianship throughout is top notch. Some songs on here could have benefited from being shorter, as that would have made them more impactful, nonetheless this does not take away the fact that most of the songs are fantastic. With that being said, rock ‘n’ roll is about having fun, and Luna Mausoleum is an extremely fun and catchy album. One which will elevate SKY VALLEY MISTRESS not only to stars and planets other than the moon, but to a bigger, and more mainstream audience.
Rating: 7/10
Lunar Mausoleum is set for release on January 23rd via New Heavy Sounds.
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