Album Review: Maria Somerville, Luster

Luster is Maria Somerville’s second album – and her first on the iconic 4AD label. At times, it’s reminiscent of dream pop heavy hitters Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil, who defined the London label in the 1980s.

Couple that with a strong dose of Debussy-esque symbolism, evoking the mysterious and beautiful landscape of Connemara, and you have a record that’s a more than worthy addition to the 4AD canon.

Opening track ‘Réalt’ breezes in amidst birdsong and waving synth. There are rousing images of weather fronts coming off the Atlantic, crashing against the Twelve Bens, creating a wash of colour and shade, unique to that marvellous portion of Co. Galway, west of Lough Corrib.

Somerville is a native of the area, which fans will have deduced from her self-released debut LP, All My People: it is rubberstamped on Luster with an almighty thump.

With a deftness of touch and imaginative vision to the fore, Somerville creates a sonic version of Connemara Blues poet, John O'Donohue's work, which was steeped in Celtic spirituality.

Across the record she transports the listener into her atmospheric world, which is well worth the visit.

This record will be something of a golden fleece for long-term listeners to Somerville’s Early Bird Show on London’s NTS Radio (if you haven’t already, tuning in is highly recommended), where the Galwegian spins ambient, shoegaze and traditional Irish folk to glorious effect.

If RTÉ is looking to bolster its musical output, they know who to call...

Luster is something of a distillation of that intoxicating radio cocktail, across song titles that are as evocative as they sound – ‘October Moon’, ‘Flutter’ which features violinist Margie Jean Lewis, and ‘Violet’ whose haunting uillean pipe drones are supplied by Lankum’s Ian Lynch and more.

A terrific album from an artist of genuine substance.

8/10

Out now