Anyone who has listened to Lady Moon & The Eclipse knows that the New York group has an unmistakable cosmic flair, with interstellar lyrical themes to go with their flowing grooves and tight arrangements. With the release of their latest album Journey to the Cosmic Soul, the group also shows that amid their lofty themes, their music stays grounded through accessible writing, irresistible beats, and superb musicianship. Over the double-LP’s 16 songs, Lady Moon & The Eclipse deliver an enjoyably eclectic sound that stretches through the cosmos while staying grounded in earthly sonic goodness.
The six-piece band’s ability to mix otherworldly elements and earthly, human experiences is on display from the opening two tracks from the project. The first, “Le Petit Prince, Pt. 1” features a fuzzy production aesthetic and psychedelic riffs that establish a fantastical vibe as lead singer Ngonda Badila, A.K.A. Lady Moon, welcomes listeners to the band’s unique musical world with the lines, “We want to thank you for joining our space ship / we’re gonna take you on a ride that you never heard before.” The slow, alluring groove is inescapable and helps the listener drift off into faraway galaxies. The LP’s second song, by contrast, brings things to the here and now with an upbeat, syncopated groove and heartwarming lyrics about a special someone. Between the two tracks, the band navigates seamlessly between edgy, more esoteric material in the first and the uplifting, bubbly sound on the second, showcasing their effortless versatility.
Other standout tracks from Journey to the Cosmic Soul include the driving “Relationship,” which explores the LP’s dichotomous overarching themes through the lens of interpersonal relations, and “Vibration,” which features dualistic music as it fluctuates between a pulsing, ethereal beat and more energetic sections accompanied by a change in the time feel that elevates the energy. Toward the end of the set, the group brings things back to earthly reality with the hard-hitting track “Global Warning.” As the title implies, the band explores issues surrounding an alarmingly evolving planet with funk-dripped bite.
At the heart of the LP, though, is arguably the album’s standout track “Star Gazing.” With its soul groove and heavenly vocal harmonies, the song encapsulates the aesthetic of the band’s sound as well as that of the LP with the spoken words in the introduction, “We are never too old for new worlds to align / life is not a race, but a moment to embrace the journey.”
Over the course of Journey to the Cosmic Soul, the band traverses the universe with their lyrics with a wide array of original, globally-minded musical styles that give extra weight and energy to their thoughtful themes. With the exceptional musical talent on display throughout and a unique, engrossing style, this album should help Lady Moon & The Eclipse expand their reach on this planet and the celestial bodies beyond.
Journey to the Cosmic Soul is available to stream or download here.
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