Back in July, Angelina Luzi released her sophomore studio single, ‘No Eyes There.’ The tune is a mystical, soft-spoken effort that occupies an elegantly poppy space with tinges of folk influence. (Heck, it’s even a tad funky.) While the track does struggle to create a fully authentic atmosphere, it is, for the most part, an enjoyable, carefree effort. Let’s dig right into it.
Let’s get the elephant in the room right out of the way. What do I mean when I remark that she struggles to fully realize an authentic persona? I pen a few dozen reviews a week; it’s my profession, and as a result, I’ve honed a sense of music that I’m particularly proud of. That said, I’ve heard three or four Angelina Luzi-like women this week. That singer-songwriter, folk-inspired, poppy female act dominated by soft, serene vocals has become quite the stereotype in the independent scene. If you want to occupy that space, you need to bring something entirely new to the table. In this regard, Luzi recycles those tropes in many ways.
Fortunately, ‘No Eyes There,’ this new tune, does have its moments. In particular, Luzi has infused a big bit of electronic influence with her string-laden folk pop. The strings are very subdued in the mix, but they’re there, and they’re quite excellent. I’d absolutely love to see Luzi bring both elements out to their fullest, exploring the sonic themes of electronic music extensively while wrapping them in folk and pop.
The production quality of the piece is definitely worth noting – It is very well done. Every part of the mix is masterfully produced, though, again, I’d argue the strings should have been brought out a bit further over the electronic sections. Luzi’s vocals are well suited for the instrumentation and sit well within its boundaries. She never oversteps. She doesn’t surprise, either.
‘No Eyes There’ is a perfectly agreeable track; it’s just not anything new, nor anything particularly notable. It is indicative of some massive potential, and I think the elements are in place. Luzi needs to put the pieces together to form a persona that is more original; right now, she’s a shadow of hundreds of performers. She can break out of that once she defines ‘her’ sound.
By Brett Stewart
I’m a professional writer and editor, a journalism major, and I have extensive experience in musical review. I worked for two years as the Editor & Chief of an arts magazine, Strike Magazine, where I worked closely with writers and musicians. Through this, I was able to interact with dozens of acts including Heart, Holly Williams, Robert Cray, John Hiatt, and more. The magazine printed thousands of issues and was even recognized by Rolling Stone’s founder, Jann Wenner.
