PLAYGROUND BOSTON

Since forming in the Summer of 2005, the Boston-based Britrock quintet The Luxury didn’t take long to make an impact on the local scene.  Now, following up their 2007 debut This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things with their newest, catchier and more mature release In The Wake Of What Won’t Change, they have once again dropped a bombshell on Boston.

The new album is seamlessly crafted from beginning to end, exploring every element a pop rock band would want to showcase – and then some! The album starts with a short intro track that flows into a whirl of crunchy/punchy guitar and bass, fluid synths, on-point drums… even horns and an opera singer. Furthermore, the complexity and diversity of the album is finalized and sincerely complimented by lead singer Jason Dunn’s soothing vocal harmonies.

The record touches on wide variety of musical ideas, from the brass-driven “Straightjacket” to the punchy guitar-led “Take It Back”.  Songs like these set this album apart from others in the genre by showcasing the bands experimental and progressive nature. It gives the listener a sense that ‘Yes, this is pop, this is rock, but it’s not just cotton candy and gumballs.’

Photo by Seth Drury

“Take It Back” stands out as their most progressive track, prefaced by a minute long intro, then led in by punchy drums, bass and squealing guitar. Just when you think it’s gotten too heavy for pop, the musical wave crashes and bursts into a verse/chorus/verse structure filled with harmony-laden vocals, offering you the option to (as Dunn croons) ‘Take it back, think it over slow.’ Several tracks later “Next In Line” displays the bands ability to create a song that could hop right up the charts, having a catchy mass-appeal sound without compromising the integrity of the album.

The coherence of the record is a welcome change from an average pop rock disc. You tend to find yourself not skipping track to track but allowing the album to play itself all the way through, curious to see where it goes next. It’s comforting, surprising and engaging all at once. Also, the production quality is excellent, benefiting from the expertise of Jason Dunn (vocals/guitar) and Stephen Foster (Drums), both qualified audio engineers, overseeing the full production of the album. In fact, the band had this entire album near completion at Dunn’s Mad Science Studios prior to winning the 2009 WBCN Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble, from which they were awarded studio time at several of the best facilities Boston has to offer. In light of this, the band re-recorded the entire record, making for even better production quality across the board that catapults this release up to one of the best of the year by any Boston band.

Photo by BIlly Korecki - www.calmovita.com

With its depth and mass appeal, In The Wake Of What Won’t Change has the ability to raise The Luxury to a new level- if it falls in the right hands. In a music scene where pop rock can be categorized as ‘all the same,’ it is refreshing to hear something that sounds new and different, yet somehow familiar at the same time. It’s a treat, hell, some might even call it a luxury nowadays.

The Luxury’s “Next in Line” off In The Wake of What Won’t Change was selected as the PGB Track of the Week #5 prior to the album release – check it out here.

The Luxury