Album Review: When Birds Fly West by Lu Lagoon
Lu Lagoon’s sophomore album, When Birds Fly West, is out now! Speaking on the nature of their album, Lu Lagoon says that “you don’t have to know how to dance in ⅞…you just have to listen and connect”. The record is available via Catapult Recordings on digital, CD, and cassette. You can connect with the band here.
Beginning with a single guitar and opening vocals “they used to say all the world’s a stage / but now it’s burned down”, “Blood Moon” eventually swells into a full band effort complete with mesmerizing viola, cello, and piano to fully flesh out the soundscape. Singer Lauren Black (she/they) says this folk song was written “originally as a climate change songwriting assignment”.
The folk vibes continue with “Sky Valley” as Black brings us to their family ranch where they lived as a child. An interesting bass line and beautiful harmonies eventually fade out and take us into “Soulless Body”. It’s a bit more reserved than the songs that came before it and for good reason. Black uses this song to demonstrate the feelings of experiencing a traumatic friendship. What really sells me on this song is the haunting sadness of Black’s vocal delivery.
“Strong Hearts” kicks things back into gear with its distorted guitars and quick pace. Bucking the trend of the previous songs, “Strong Hearts” leans more towards a fusion of classic rock and punk. Black says “Strong Hearts” is a tribute to the band’s transgender guitarist, Madison Madeira (she/they/it), and is used to describe “dissatisfaction with the government’s treatment of society’s youth.”
The sound of a harp carries us into “Lullaby”, a beautiful song about the excitement one finds when they’re newly in love. Much like the album’s opener, “Lullaby” is full of different elements that create a rich soundscape for the listener to lose themself in.
A brief moment of reflection is afforded with the instrumental track “Morning Comes’ which features bagpipes played by Jack Whalen.
Lu Lagoon next tackles the juxtaposition of longing for community and having apathy for community in “Dorothy Moon.” This song is a smooth listen and features one of my favorite bass lines from the album.
Next up is “Fortune Teller”, a beautiful indie folk that plays around with mixed meter and experimental lyrics (single review here). The final chord of “Fortune Teller” rings out and rolls into the soft opening of “Birds Fly West” where Lauren sings alongside the accompaniment of held out chords.
“Birds Fly West” is likely the most dynamic song of the album. The band effortlessly transitions between a contemplative intro, upbeat verses, and ethereal bridges. The lyrics of “Birds Fly West” specifically Black’s fresh view of the world now that she’s sharing it with someone who cares for her. My favorite lyrics of the album come from this song: “I’ll get out my needles, for the stitches we can sew.” I interpret this line as love driving the desire to create something to be shared with the world.
This album comes to a close with a subtle nod to the family-oriented lyrics of “Sky Valley.” “Muffin Man” is a cover performed by Black and her dad while her mom plays cards in the background.
When Birds Fly West is a beautifully diverse album that “embraces the listener’s interpretation” and I truly think there’s something here for everyone who joins the band in this exploration of themselves and the world.
Lu Lagoon is Lauren Black (voice), Madison Madeira (guitar), Kyle Waggoner (bass), and Justin Given (drums). Photo by Chloe Barkley.
