Album Review: Luluc - Sculptor

Most of the time, having a lovely voice just isn't enough to satisfy the listener. With a tone that hovers somewhere between Dusty Springfield and Nico, songwriter and lead vocalist Zoe Randall guides us through her wordy realm of musical serenity for another album under the Luluc moniker. The problem is, most of these heavily lyrical tunes lack the necessary amount of substance to justify their unobtrusive nature.

Lead guitar and other instrumentation from Steve Hassett provide some nice backing to these songs. It's all pleasant and well produced, even if something like the finger-picking on Moon Girl is nicked straight from Fleetwood Mac's Landslide. Sadly, it's in the lyrics and melodies that Sculptor really wastes its sentimental potential. The words certainly conjure up some tender imagery from time to time, but when lyrics come at the expense of a fluid melody, most listeners will tune out.

Whether or not you'll find some enjoyment on Sculptor really depends on how you react to a lyric like, "Marching to no orders/Imagination has no borders". If it's with a sour face and a quiet groan, Luluc won't provide anything that their competition doesn't already have in spades.