I stumbled across Lusine’s debut album working late Saturday night. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. An album released in 2013 that was unbelievable all the way through. Lusine’s album The Waiting Room is the best album so far of the year.
Lusine is Jeff McIlwain, originally from Texas but has lived in Seattle since 2002. Jeff has been a driving force on the Ghostly International roster and has toured playing at electronic venues around the world, most recently Berlin’s Watergate.
The Waiting Room is such a unique experience. On first listen I felt myself immediately hooked. Panorama, the first track on the album pulses in an energetic electronic push. With Get the Message Jeff’s wife Sarah McIlwain sings, “I don’t know where to begin, living in sin. How can we talk, look where you’ve been.” It’s a thoughtful mix of experimental pop and slow house beats. My favorite track on the album is By This Sound, where Sarah’s vocals lead a melodic anthem through a forest of synth and emotion, it’s like Phantogram, Enya, Bibio, and SBTRKT all composed it together. I’m sorry for throwing out sentences like that, but as you can see I’m just really moved by this album.
Lusine is slotted to play in Denver, Seattle, Osaka, and Tokyo this year, go see him. I will be bold and say that he is going to be beyond huge. Thank you Jeff for making one of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time.
My favorite track:
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Listen to the entire album here:
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and buy the album here: LUSINE – THE WAITING ROOM
