Whisperin' & Hollerin' have only recently started to get excited about Moscow's excellent post-rockers Silence Kit and already we've got another terrific, seductive proposition from the Russian capital.
LUMENY, then, are a different kettle of sturgeon entirely, though they're equally magnificent. As far as this writer's aware, this self-released 8-track CD is their debut release, although as their website (www.lumeny.teehonya.ru ) is - I think - only online in Russian, he needs a little further information.
Whatever, Lumeny number four. They are Alya (vocals), Pavel (keyboards, guitar), Jan (bass) and drummer Sergei, who I think is also currently working behind the traps for Silence Kit after the recent departure of Gregoriy Alexanyan.
"Lumeny" is an engaging, melodic listen, full of texture, details and ideas, with all the tracks standing out in their own right. Alya may sing in Russian, but even if you don't understand her mother tongue, she's still emotional, breathy and attractive, while Lumeny's musical sensurround is superficially poppy and quite cinematic, but conceals hidden depths.
So what's on offer specifically? Well, "Light Walking (Legkaya Pohodka") is a classy opener, with its' plangent vocals, sweetly strummed acoustic guitar and cha-cha rhythm, although the ensuing "Heart", if anything, usurps it, with its' backwards masking on the intro, sampled horns and insistent rhythms. Like most of the tracks, it's a good five minutes or more in duration, with a little sonic post-script tagged on, but then Lumeny's music likes to gently unfurl with possibility so precious little outstays its' welcome.
Digging a little deeper, though, there's "Where Am I (Gde Ya)", which introduces a hypnotic, almost trip-hop(py) feel, with expansive swathes of keyboards and trumpet fanfares cutting through the samples and loops. Evocative stuff and accentuated further by the light'n'airy "MGO" that follows through with bright acoustics, vibes and warped electronica caressing a lovely vocal.
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"Main Path (Glavput)" follows a similar trail, and - while your reviewer initially found it the most inconsequential track - the use of what sounds like Mellotron, choral samples and lovely harmonies turns the tide. The irresistible loops and starbursts of the ensuing "Follow! The Sun (Idem! Za Solntzem)" then maintain the quality control.
"Arithmetic Of The Sky (Arifmetika Neba)", meanwhile, begins with expansive bursts of melody before settling down to become a sublime pop song, interrupted just long enough for the unexpected space-rock guitars to break through and hi-jack it at the close. "Three Summers", though, is even more unashamed full-on pop, with a seriously funky feel, more vibes than a Lionel Hampton convention and some nice, economic soul horns. Somehow, it gets away with it.
"Lumeny" is an impressive hoisting of the flag. Indeed, if both Lumeny and Silence Kit are any indication of the state of play in Moscow, it seems the Western press should be turning east in far greater numbers. Very lovely.
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