Luster (album)
| Luster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Maria Somerville | ||||
| Released | 25 April 2025 | |||
| Studio | Connemara, Ireland | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:20 | |||
| Label | 4AD | |||
| Maria Somerville chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Luster | ||||
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Luster is the second studio album by Irish musician Maria Somerville. It was released on 25 April 2025 by 4AD in vinyl, CD and digital formats.[3]
Background
[edit]Succeeding Somerville's 2019 debut project, All My People, Luster consists of twelve songs with a total runtime of thirty-eight minutes and twenty seconds. The album incorporates elements of shoegaze, post-punk, and ambient music, and centers on the theme of homecoming. Somerville wrote and recorded the album in Connemara.[2]
"Projections" was released as the album's first single on 30 September 2024.[4] It was followed by the release of the second single, "Garden", on 19 February 2025.[5] The third single, "Spring", was released on 23 April 2025.[6]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Guardian | [1] |
| New Noise | [7] |
| Hot Press | [8] |
| The Skinny | [9] |
Paul Simpson of AllMusic described the album as "an accomplished, affecting work that finds strength and clarity through introspection and forgiveness."[3] Shaad D'Souza of the Guardian wrote in his review of Luster, "these songs reveal themselves to be unusually swollen with texture and detail: harps twinkle like broken glass and baggy breakbeats reverberate widely, seemingly recorded through a bedroom wall."[1]
Pitchfork rated the album 8.5 out of ten and stated, "The Irish musician's gossamer dream pop is both mythic and real, a wild and ancient landscape in which her own figure is just barely perceptible."[2] New Noise remarked, "Luster's strength lies in its ability to explain the unexplainable; to emphasize a feeling only one's heart is able to comprehend—without words and without regret", and rated the album four out of five.[7]
Hot Press assigned the album a rating of eight out of ten, calling it "a terrific album from an artist of genuine substance."[8] The Skinny gave Luster a rating of four stars out of five, noting that "On her 4AD debut, Maria Somerville redefines dreampop, goth, shoegaze and more, stitching colour into a tapestry of blacks, whites and greys."[9]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Réalt" | 1:52 |
| 2. | "Projections" | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Garden" | 4:03 |
| 4. | "Corrib" | 2:01 |
| 5. | "Halo" | 3:49 |
| 6. | "Spring" | 3:34 |
| 7. | "Stonefly" | 3:37 |
| 8. | "Flutter" | 1:30 |
| 9. | "Trip" | 2:46 |
| 10. | "Violet" | 3:43 |
| 11. | "Up" | 3:58 |
| 12. | "October Moon" | 3:47 |
| Total length: | 38:20 | |
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[10] | 35 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[11] | 36 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[12] | 31 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c D'Souza, Shaad (25 April 2025). "Maria Somerville: Luster review – a vivid and vital entry in the shoegaze revival". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Garvey, Meaghan (25 April 2025). "Maria Somerville: Luster". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Simpson, Paul. "Luster – Maria Somerville". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (30 September 2024). "Maria Somerville Shares New Song "Projections": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Jones, Abby (19 February 2025). "Maria Somerville Shares "Garden" From New Album Luster: Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Kelly, Tyler (23 April 2025). "Maria Somerville unveils final album preview, "Spring"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b Ortega, Oscar (25 April 2025). "Album Review: Maria Somerville – Luster". New Noise. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b Russell, Will (25 April 2025). "Album Review: Maria Somerville, Luster". Hot Press. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b Inglis, Tony (21 April 2025). "Maria Somerville album review: Luster". The Skinny. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2025.