Lux
Suichu Spica 「水中スピカ」
release date: 2025
genre: rock/ math rock
written by Marcus Landeros
[review-body]
sometimes an album comes along and reminds me what good music sounds like. by that i mean, the music is attractive and enjoyable, right off the bat. that feeling that comes along that makes you sit up, take notice of the moment, and think to yourself “man, i really like this”. this is how Lux made me feel upon first listen. plain and simple. and i find that particular aspect refreshing. i don’t need to toil and fuss over the small qualities of the album to justify if it is enjoyable, or on what level. i greatly enjoy the experience felt when listening to music that is immediately felt as “good”. it’s a simple but true feeling felt in the stomach. it’s a feeling that is surprisingly sparse, and one i appreciate when it strikes.
through Lux, Suicha Spica has delivered a very strong, and cohesive math rock experience. in a brief, but lean, 36 minute runtime, Lux keeps only what is necessary, only what is important, only what sounds awesome. there is so little fat or fluff in the album that it comes across as purely concise. like a tv show with no filler or manufactured drama, it is only as long as it needs to be. it’s that same feeling of having not wasted my time, that i come to really really like this album. well it’s also the pristine balance of highs, mids and lows. and the sharp, angular instrumentation. and the leveled chemistry between band and the vocalist (Chiai). i appreciate that, on the top level, the album is a crisp experience, if that’s all you want to take it as. but beneath the uppermost veneer is a wonderfully complicated production demonstrating thoughtful production. I’m not saying it’s the best album of all time, but i am pleased to say that it feels refreshing to listen to something so lean and clean. simple and-… ahem.
math rock is one of my favorite, somewhat obscure, genres of music. i really enjoy the zoning-in effect, the concentration, when listening to the rhythmic structure of these instruments. but it can also be a greatly repetitive and burdensome form of music if done poorly. my greatest detractor being that too much of the same pattern and rhythm can be distracting. i mention this because i believe it takes considerable skill with the genre to keep it feeling fresh, vivacious, or alive through the whole thing. the genre can die on the same great benefit it wields. Lux manages to balance these many layers of instrumentation and lyricism to admirable effect. i believe it to be a mark of great competency when i can listen to Suichu Spica’s variety of math rock and not feel fatigue, but electricity. this is my primary accolade of the album. the reason it feels so immediately listen-able. beyond this is little other reason to justify the album, or to criticize it otherwise.
we can still stick around to do a bit more however.
i think it is important to start with the beginning, especially after my claims. “iki” comes in pretty hot and cool. the song is energetic and itching to get started, it has a potential kinetic power waiting to crack off. however it also manages to keep the song chilled and mellow throughout. just like the rest of the album, the deep bass is a sentinel, never letting the wild instrumentation get too far away. “iki” sets the tone for the album to come.
in “Hadou” is a melancholic drift, Chiai comes into frame, perfectly complementing, but never overpowering, the rest of the band. i really enjoy the harmony between the rest of the song and Chiai’s performance. her voice is both a bit haunting but also contains the right amount of strength and resolve. the song has a really sexy and sleek feel, especially in the last third, as it all coalesces into one unified existence.
“beyond me” sounds a lot more like the math rock i am so used to listening to at this point. yet even here the music feels distinct. Chiai’s particular singing frequency serves as a lock on point for the instrumentation, each synergizing off each other. it gives the music a colorful identity. the sadness, the power, the fortitude all meet in this really dynamic and capable sound. once again, i really like what they are doing here. and “MIYAKO” sounds so dark and filthy that it just crushes by the time the rest of the track is finally let loose. in this track, catharsis meets empowerment. an interesting set of crossroads to set music to, especially in the final third when it just rips. both the song and the album find their peak in unison, just to let all the maintained tension loose. it’s such a cool moment to listen to.
Lux is an easy recommend. whether you are a newcomer to the genre, or looking for something to zap your playlists to life, i think the album really makes a place for itself. if anything, the fact that it made me consider how more albums should be “so easy” to listen to, is a massive compliment in itself. Lux succeeds because at it’s topmost layer, it’s a power-drive of accessible listening. yet the farther down you go, the more you will be rewarded with what you might find. the art is tight and it works. after listening to varying qualities of music over the years, i enjoy that this album simply reminds me that music can be cool. i like when music is cool. there are so many styles and kinds of music, but cool music just has a certain factor.
- highlights -
iki
拍動「Hadou」
Spica
beyond me
MIYAKO
track list:
iki
拍動「Hadou」
Fathom
Spica
恐竜も人間も飲む水は同じ 「Kyōryū mo Ningen mo Nomu Mizu wa Onaji」
beyond me
MIYAKO
baton
