Son Lux - Lanterns

The new record from Son Lux, 'Lanterns', is an energetic and uplifting fabric, a kind of musical weave that envelops the listener and begs to be played again and again.

Complex and thought-provoking, it's a symphony of instruments and voices that helps to drown out any stresses left over from the day, and lull you off to sleep - or help you relax or, contradictorily, help you prepare for a night out by creating a musical buffer between the working day and the evening's festivities.

Whatever you use Lanterns for - even if just to provide a soundtrack to your morning commute or journey to school - you definitely won't be bored by its detailed soundscapes and often haunting refrains, particularly in the case of Easy, which although minimalistic is one of the most sit-up-and-listen tracks on the record.

Click through to our full review below to preview Easy and other tracks from Lanterns.

High Points

Easy (preview it below) is probably my personal favourite track from Lanterns, with a casual rhythm that sets it apart from some of the more energetic tracks on the album.



It's a stylish hint at just what Son Lux are capable of - peaceful overall, but with the introduction of barking instrumentals and hand claps that tie into that 'sit up and listen' theme I mentioned up top.

As is so often the case, my favourite track is also one of the shortest on the album at four minutes flat; others reach up to five minutes and beyond, so while the complete playlist may only consist of nine songs, you're not being short-changed, by any means.



If Easy is the album's least fussy track, then Lost It To Trying is one of the most complex, with an array of different audio elements all overlaid upon one another.

Again, that is no bad thing - and while some parts of Lanterns seem best suited to headphones, I would suggest that this track in particular would sound great blasting out of your car speakers, at a house party, or on a dancefloor well into the night.

The Verdict

Lanterns has plenty to offer for all tastes - the tracks above are just the ones we were able to offer previews for - and the full album deserves a listen in order to decide which songs you think are worth downloading.

Alternatively, just buy the whole thing - it's detailed enough to single-handedly make a playlist that will keep your ears occupied for 40 minutes or so, although you might find it tricky to choose songs from other artists to go alongside Son Lux's masterpieces as part of a longer listening session.

Still, if all else fails, you can just stick it on loop - you can expect to get through plenty of full plays of this album before there's any chance of you getting bored.

Final Score: 86%