“What makes Luster more than just perfectly executed homage are the canny updates Somerville makes to the inspirations and references she draws on, like stitching colour into this tapestry of blacks, whites and greys.”
– The Skinny ****
“With Luster Somerville manages to bring something new to the past. She creates difference rather than repetition.”
– NARC ****
“A soulful take on post-punk, built out of austere guitar strums, ambient atmosphere and understated vocals that feel as if they could get lost in the breeze.”
– Crack Magazine
“Maria Somerville makes music that channels nature’s elements – folk, drones and post-punk coalesce.”
– Music Week
Irish musician Maria Somerville will share her second album and debut project on 4AD, Luster, this Friday April 25. Ahead of the release, Somerville has now shared one final single off the record, “Spring” — a whirring and atmospheric dreamgaze track, full yet fleeting with distorted acoustic strumming, ghostly siren calls, commanding head-bobbing percussion, and a surprising autotuned outro.
+ Listen to ‘Spring’ on all streaming platforms +
Over the last few months, Somerville has further introduced Luster’s haunting tranquility and lush sonic backdrop with three other singles: “Stonefly” (a slinky ambient waltz accompanied by an atmospheric music video directed by Daniel Swan); “Garden” (an all-consuming merger of soaring feedback, airy percussion, and nostalgic guitar chords produced by Diego Herrera, aka Suzanne Kraft); and “Projections” (a wistful and romantic shoegaze track drenched in longing via fuzzed-out bass and strummed guitar). Together, these tracks shape her otherworldly yet grounded debut 4AD record, which channels her experiences on the bank of the Corrib in her native Connemara, Ireland and pays homage to the sonic tapestry woven by nostalgic 4AD artists such as This Mortal Coil.
+ Pre-order from 4AD on limited clear LP with bonus 7″ and CD here +
+ Pre-order very limited white label pressing on Bandcamp here +
+ Pre-order and pre-save on all platforms here +
+ Tickets and information on Maria’s tour +
April
22nd – White Hotel, Manchester, UK
23rd – Headrow House, Leeds, UK
24th – Strange Brew, Bristol, UK
25th – Green Store Door, Brighton, UK
26th – Point Éphémère, Paris, FR
29th – Botanique, Brussels, BE
30th – Cinetol, Amsterdam, NL
May
2nd – Bergain Kantine, Berlin, DE
4th – Alice, Copenhagen, DK
6th – Voxhall, Aarhus, DK
7th – MS Stubnitz, Hamburg, DE
10th – ICA, London, UK
16th – The Thing in the Spring, Keene, NH
17th – Public Records, New York, NY
20th – Sunset, Seattle, WA
23rd – Gray Area, San Francisco, CA
24th – Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA
June
5th – Primavera Sound, Barcelona, ES
31st – All Together Now, Portlaw, IRE