“Blood Moon” is the 2nd record by Luna waves, brainchild of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Rob Muir. After releasing his well-received debut “Seafoam Dream (Part 1)” Muir spent sometime working on Part 2 till he dropped the project and started working on “Blood Moon” which he solely recorded, produced and wrote/played everything in it which is honestly MINDBLOWING. Muir described the record’s title as “named to reflect the theme of the record – specifically the global darkness of the past few years and the shifting times we find ourselves in. Often it feels like we are facing an apocalypse, staring up at an eclipse, underneath a blood moon and waiting for the world the end or begin again.”
“Blood Moon” was mixed & mastered by Chris Corney (The Ravines, The Quireboys, Luke Tuchscherer) at his studio in Shropshire, UK and will be followed by a collection of B-Sides that didn’t make it to the final mix called “B(lood) Sides”
The record starts with the ambient hypnotizing intro of “Dawn Choral”, a simple tune with lovely cool beat and guitar melody then the keys make a dramatic change in dynamics while keeping the groove going leading to the fading outro. “Dayglow” picks the groove with its interesting bassline and percussions; the soothing vocal and guitar melodies makes it a perfect morning tune for your morning coffee or early drives. Things start to get heavier with “Mind Low”, a dynamic track with lots of movements and melodies, its jazzy drumming and groovy bass kept things interesting while the fuzzy guitar riffs and synth added an extra psychedelic layer to the mix. “Sunny Side Down” is a dreamy tune with feel good vibes, the fluid vocal melody works perfectly with the verse’s guitar chords, synths are keeping the melody through the whole song while the bass and drums are having a smooth conversation in perfect layering. If you are looking for something more upbeat then “Honey Daggers” will satisfy your needs. It has some of the album’s best rocking riffs, tight and on point synths and effects, shredding solo and cool game changer keys interlude that made it even more interesting. “White Lotus” is a playful tune with interesting structure, funky guitars and cool vocal melody and of course, the significant Luna Waves groove. Their 80s influences are super clear in “Cosmic Dust”, it’s a celestial-spacey tune with dreamy vocal melody and chilling flow that leads you slowly to next song “Chasing Ruins”. “Chasing Ruins” has bigger sound than any song on the record, it has a dramatic theatrical intro and the whole song sounds like a movie score with well-crafted synths and perfect guitar solo. “Dream Inn” comes next to prove that “Blood Moon” is nothing but an interesting ride full of ups and downs, a beautiful flow of groove and melodies in perfect harmony. It felt like taking a nap under the sun smiling. The groove continues with “Time Capsule” that has some cool interludes but, the melodies felt a little bit repetitive from my humble POV. The title track “Blood Moon” feels like a summary of the record’s spirit and feeling, it has some of the coolest basslines and keyboards on the record, the keys are having a smooth cool conversation with fuzzy guitars while the vocal melody is fluid and entertaining. The record takes another turn towards the end with “Beach Bum” and “Cool as Ice Cream”, both are two mellow tunes with smooth melodies and chilling vibes. “Starcrossed” is one of my favorites off “Blood Moon” with its mellow groovy mood and cool keys melody, reminded me of the 1st song “Dawn Choral” a little bit. “Sundial” ends the record on a high note. A proggy, psychedelic trip with stoner, desert vibes that felt like Elder meeting Pink Floyd! definitely my favorite song off the record.
“Blood Moon” is a various and interesting sonic experience. It has a lot of sounds, changes and dynamics that takes you up and down for a whole 1 hour and 8 minutes. The fuzzy guitars, fluid melodies, smooth keyboards and well layered effects gave it lots of depth and the exceptional drums and bass lines kept it groovy and interesting from the beginning till the end. The songs are well written, arranged and produced to give the most fitting mood for each song making everyone of them special. Great record from Luna Waves that I would totally recommend for any music lover and specially for my fellow psychedelic/stoner fans. Looking forward for more, cheers!
