That'S What Remained

Description

Lucidvox’s new album is vast. A swirling collection of ritualistic missives offered in the hope of better times. Formerly based in Russia, the all-female quartet has added an extra texture (brass, keyboards, strings...) to their exciting and already acclaimed psych-rock on their new album That's What Remained. The first thing that strikes the listener when diving in is the sheer scale and breadth of the sound. Closer inspection reveals a wealth of details and perspectives that surprise. The deliberate turns of a phrase, a synth passage, or guitar notes further add to the emotional backdrop. Due to the fallout from Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, the band, scattered across Europe and the Middle East, did not collectively reunite for over a year, until late summer 2023. Tracks emerged and were rehearsed a handful of times before the band left Moscow, and constructed online for a year. That’s What Remained cannot be anything other than a Lucidvox record - the thumping rhythms and spitting guitar passages are still there. For this album, unusually, the band looked outwards, and enlisted trumpeter Timur Mizinov of Wooden Whales, violinist Dasha Avramova, guitarist Dmitry Chesnov and multi-instrumentalist Ella Bayisbaeva (as a backing vocalist) to contribute, along with a children’s choir.