Luxury

Item: Luxury
Author: Alex Klages

(1999)

Reviewed by Alex Klages

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Bulletproof MusicThe Phantom Tollbooth1999

alternative rock britpop indie rock post-punk

Sometimes taking a break for a while is a very good thing. Shortly after The Latest and The Greatest was released, Luxury announced that it had broken up. The breakup didn't last long, as less than 2 years later, Luxury had signed a new deal with Bulletproof and set about making this record.

There's a definite musical growth and maturity on this new project. Instead of trying to find a voice, as the previous album seemed to indicate, there's a voice projected throughout this album--a voice of faith among cynicism, of open-eyed reality, of a new-found depth of conviction in hard times.

As befitting the album cover (a Frank Lloyd Wright building) and the release date (late 1999) there's an apocalyptic mood to the opening song, which sounds to be equal parts Mercury-era Prayer Chain and Radiohead. This sort of sonic texture continues throughout, but shifts more towards the Radiohead style rather quickly.

The greatest strength of this album, however, is its lyrics. Every track seems to have lyrics and music well-married. The opening track, "When Those That Are Not Do Become Those That Are" includes the following lines:

When those that are not do become those that are
G-string on an old man for the young sweet guitar
And well read Christians will become double-crossed whores
When those that are not do become those that are

Lyrics like this are aimed solidly to those in the church, as a wake-up call from the all-too-Laodicean slumber of lukewarmness.

The lyrics also revisit the consistent theme of America and American society needing revival from its spiritual deadness, as the opening lines from "Euphrates With the Golden Hands" indicate:

People love America
Love the way their future is a guarantee
Satiate and gratify
Name and claim your way out of obscurity
And if the world should hate us
Who? Who are they? Who are they to ignore
Euphrates Golden Hands

The song goes on to attack modern definitions of God (People love their modern God/Love the way she tolerates most everything) and the over-fascination with sexuality (People love their sexy ways.../Wielding tanks and miniskirts/For their crotch they'll pray).

The album is not entirely flavored with this sort of bitter sarcasm, however. "Mincemeat" is an expression of fear and reverence toward God as expressed by man, with a fitting string section accompaniment. "Sweet God" reminds us that nothing can separate us from the "Coming of Sweet God/To Save My Skin." "Robed In Light" and "To You Who Gave Me Hope and Were My Light" are, respectively, reflections on the future glory of eternity with Christ and on the sufferings of this world, seemingly touching on the death of Chris Foley's mother, Margo, in whose memory the album is dedicated.

In the final analysis, this album is a clever mix of Radiohead/Beatles styled rock music, with the clever lyrical edge one should expect from any band that tries to fit into that mold.

5 tocks