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This, Luna's sixth album, is a fine effort, melodic with a strong summer vibe that pervades throughout these 12 love-soaked quirky pop anthems.
'Romantica' is a magnificently crafted guitar pop record. With hardly a lacklustre tune in sight, the band stick strongly to their roots, which in this case means elements of Eels and mainstream Beck. There are also signs of a British musical upbringing here too: opener 'Lovedust' harks back to the jangly pop of The Las whilst you can't help but be reminded of Britpop's heyday on 'Weird and Woozy', a strong tune with a chorus that Damon Albarn would surely have been proud to have penned.
The synthetic guitars on 'Black Postcards' are an ode to glorious summer days in a place where Brian Wilson might meet Babybird. It's followed by the liveliness of 'Black Champagne', an American folk-meets-Britpop number that mixes Neil Young influences with a string-laden backing.
The LP's second half kicks off with 'Mermaid Eyes', which is probably the best tune on offer here. A raw guitar sound starts off a memorable tune that mixes keyboards and a vocal duet and even flirts with electropop production towards the end.
'1995' is a lot more raucous, a pop-punk anthem that boasts both grit and energy, while 'Dizzy' is classic country-tinged pop, acoustic guitars rising above the general jangliness that is only let down by weak lyrics and vocals.
Perhaps a little typically, the album closes with a slow ballad. The title track differs little from the rest of the album in its easy going American folk attitude. The verse is mostly spoken, which soon gives way to a strong chorus. It's one of the album's high points.
'Romantica' is great pop record, if little else. It might not signify a musical rebirth of any kind but its memorable songs have a certain charm and class all of their own.
And while this album doesn't tell you much, it's hard to beat its feelgood factor. Rather than being an album to lift you from the depths of sorrow, this is more of a grower that boasts about love and the beauty of life. Which is a good thing.
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