A phoenix stirs in the Western Isles; hallelujah!

Release Date: 9th August 2024

Label: Sia6 Records

Format: digital

Behind the curve, as aye, it is only with this third single I have caught up with Lusa. Featured, it’s true, more than once in their country’s national press, here, way south that border, it required the clever Facebook bots to alert me, praise be, if better late than never.

Lusa? The brainchild of Innes Strachan, a quarter of the mighty Niteworks, he has been steadily channeling his talents into this new project, giving hope to those, like me, distraught by the pending end of his old band. (And ATB will be at their penultimate show, in London, come November.) Lusa is a place on Skye, close to his childhood home, in the village of Breakish.

His main co-conspirator is the never more Hebridean named Donald Mcdonald, from the evocatively and aptly named band, Donald Macdonald & The Islands, an old chum Strachan has been bouncing ideas off and with for over a decade. Mcdonald is the lyrics man, Strachan the tunes, with additional material from Beth Malcolm, whose powerhouse vocals so enlivened John Riley, on the last Niteworks album, A’ Ghrian. With drums from fellow Niteworker, Ruairidh Graham, his organic touch leavens the otherwise largely synthesised backdrop. Add in strings arranged, and played, by Laura Wilkie, and the palate is set to receive a full set of flavours.

Play Hats is a McDonald composition, with the hats being a reference to the Blue Nile album of that name. Malcolm’s voice soars over the Strachan’s synthscape and the piano of Keir Lorne, with the drums kicking in midway, adding a sense of brooding euphoria to the ambience. Less overtly traditional or folk driven, requiring references away from gaelictronica, it offers a less doomy feel, if still maintaining that big sky(e) sound. Grown up electro-pop. It is gorgeous, and follows two earlier single releases.

The album, a mix of song and instrumental, will follow later in the year. Until then……

Lusa online: Linktree / Facebook / Instagram

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