I once lived in dreary bedsit so small you could hardly breath. The only way to put this right was to open the window for a blast of cold air. Of course back then I didn’t know about Lukestar. It would have saved me the bother of opening the window.
Formed in Norway’s Oslo, a location that suggests they know all about blasts of fresh air, they have produced an album of refreshing, jangly, catchy, melodic pop, delivered with an edge of punk urgency.
Lake Toba is apparently an Indonesian lake with its own volcano near Sumatra. Geography lesson over; it is also the second album from Lukestar that has gone gold back in breezy Norway and even won the band a Norwegian Grammy.
Released on the Flameshovel label in the U.S., the album showcases their ability to write quick bursts of catch laden songs.
Lukestar come at you in short sharp shots. They have a contagiously upbeat and almost 'in your face' enthusiasm that lifts the spirits even on the dullest day. Delivered in the near child-like, surreal playground vocals of Truls Heggero, it still has that rush of punk energy lurking within its make up.
Genre teasing on one hand, it is most definitely within the post-hardcore pop field. Lukestar has arrived like that sudden breeze whilst busily injecting it with some new life and new twists. In truth they arrived back in 2004 with an album called Alpine Unit, a solid start but clearly they have been undergoing some changes.
“White Shade” opens it up and proves as good a place as any to step into the world of Lukestar with Heggero’s voice radiating an infectious optimism. Chiming guitars are echoed by his falsetto vocals.
“Shape Of Light” has his voice double tracked to good effect. “The Shade You Hide” radiates that infectiously gleeful sound, delivered within a jarring riff and a powerful pop hook.
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