Search - Claire Voyant :: Lustre

Must Have Female Vox, Guitar Laden Dream Pop

M. Mierzwa | Davis, CA USA | 10/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"About the Band:

Claire Voyant is a Sacramento based dream pop / heavenly voices band, fronted by Victoria Lloyd. Victoria is no stranger to the darkwave genre, most notably having worked with Daniel Myer in H.M.B. and also started as the quest vocalist in other albums including cut.rate.box's Dataseed. Her amazing voice is the focal point of the highly danceable and uplifting songs backed by Chris Ross's keyboards, Ben Fargen's guitars, and new member Garin Casaleggio's drum work. Fans of 80s music and darkwave / neo-romantic music will quickly fall in love with Claire Voyant.



About the Album:

Lustre is the fourth original album, fifth major release, following their successful 2002 Love Is Blind. For those of you just now discovering Claire Voyant, I highly recommend their previous albums. For those of you who are familiar with Claire Voyant, rediscover them and fall in love again. Victoria, Chris, and Ben have continued to grow, offering even richer songs than before, while staying true to the dreamy quality that I like most about their music.



While I really feel Claire Voyant has a sound of their own, elements of some of their tracks are remotely similar to other bands. In particular, the second track "Shine" reminded me at times of the Birthday Massacre's Violet. Other tracks, blended a few different styles. For example, "Another Day" started with a dreamy guitar work, that quickly faded to late 80s / early 90s romantic pop. Think Duran Duran (The Wedding Album) fronted by a female vocalist, with a heavier guitar influence. The track "Mercurial" starts with slip / fading, which thankfully does not overpower guest musician Erica Mulkey's lovely cello work. (Actually I'd love to hear more cello in future songs.)



Fans of older Claire Voyant will like "Painted Gold" which reminds me of Iolite from their second album "Time and the Maiden". The 80s equivalent might be the Psychedelic Furs "Love My Way". Near the end of the track it takes a much harsher turn as Ben and Chris jam. "Broadcast" is another track that throws back to the earlier era Claire Voyant, though the later half of the track drifts to a much more aggressive sound (this is a good thing - the song takes a more profound journey based on this change).



My favorite track is the faster paced, uplifting "Flicker". Imagine mixing Victoria's vocals with the atmospheric guitar work of the late 80s band the Church (Starfish era).



Overall, I love this album and found that I like listening to it start to finish instead of picking just a few select tracks. I've listed a few tracks you can sample (though I like them all). Claire Voyant's website also has samples worth checking out, but I'm confident that if you (or a friend) enjoys 80s, darkwave, or dream pop that this is a must have album.



Recommended Tracks:

- Flicker

- Another Day (the Subtle Thief Of Youth)

- Painted Gold

- Mercurial



Similar Artists:

- Lunascape

- Birthday Massacre

- Hungry Lucy

- Sophya

- Bitcrush

- The Church

"

A slice of heaven

E. Anderson | 09/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Believe it or not LUSTRE is the very first album by Claire Voyant I have bought. I have heard their music over the internet but never got around to buying their albums...until now. After hearing samples of LUSTRE on both youtube and myspace, I immediately knew I had to buy the long awaited release. I was not disappointed in what I heard. LUSTRE is fifty three minutes of dreamy electropop. The blend of Victoria Lloyd's polished vocals with the swirling, dreamy melodies is pure bliss to my ears. I am particularly fond of "Another Day (The Subtle Thief of Youth)". Victoria's vocals automatically made me think of Chrissie Hyndes of The Pretenders and the swirling guitar riffs of Cocteau Twins and other great shoegazer bands from the '90s that I grew up on as a teenager. The same can be said about "Mercurial", another favorite track off the album. I personally enjoyed every single song on the album. LUSTRE will definitely be on my best of 2009 list."

This one brings it all together

mick williams | Hampton, VA United States | 10/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At first, this sounds like more of the dreamy, melancholy stuff the band is known for. But imagine "Time and the Maiden"---which had only the superb Elysium as a standout---punched up with moody and memorable hooks. "Love is Blind" had catchy tunes as well, with a rock-oriented feel reminiscent of Switchblade Symphony. Maybe it was no coincidence the cover featured a doll with a safety pin through the eyes.

The most evocative track for me is PAINTED GOLD, with a mean backbeat calling to mind a walk along cold, windy streets. WASHAWAY is a gorgeous bit of electronica. FLICKER and LOST gallop along with Victoria's voice meandering through. MERCURIAL is a pretty, waltzing ballad. Rolling base and staccato drumming make SHINE a power ballad anchored by Victoria's romantic touch.

Try it as a random play to keep it fresh. After all, we tend to wait awhile between Claire Voyants (not too long 'til the next one, hopefully)."