I’m speaking from a place of bliss! I’m speaking from a place of amazement! I’m speaking from a place of LOVE for the new album by LUSTER called Dopamine Loop. Real talk the title of this record could not be any better because after listening to this collection of ShoeGaze Dream POP gems my whole brain becomes an ocean of Dopamine! From the very first moment I heard “Thorn In Yr Kiss,” I got chills and still do to this very day. With this tune, LUSTER has captured the magic of early 90’s Rave Culture and mixed it with the wall of sound of Shoegaze. Damn, “No One To Hold You” slaps so hard and hugs me every time I hear it! Being an L.A. native, I know how hard it can be to survive in that city, but the sonic blissed-out power of songs like Dopamine Loop can take the listener to other states of mind. What I respect about this project is how the band has looked to the past but is also pointing all of us to the future!
What also comes through as I listen to this record is how well-balanced it is between dance culture and the wall of sound. In the 90s, L.A. was home to the sickest underground dance parties, especially in the Latino community, where kids would ditch high school and rave all day. LUSTER captures that energy and flips the script by infusing it with trailer loads of ShoeGaze riffs. I want LUSTER to know that they have created a collection of songs that is going to live with me forever! I know for a fact that Dopamine Loop is going to rank high on our EOTY list. Y’all have manifested a perfect EP, now bless the world with a perfect full-length. Dopamine Loop is out now on the always-on-point Funeral Party Records!
