Bewitched

Released

More of the same, only more so. Bewitched was Luna’s second album, and while there weren’t exactly any revelatory changes in Dean Wareham’s song writing, or the group’s playing, they certainly sound more comfortable with each other. As a song writer, Wareham’s profile is fairly obvious – Velvets, Jonathan Richman, Feelies-esque – but his wry voice means that melodies never quite do what you’d expect. And if the group’s debut, Lunapark, courted the homogenous, Bewitched succeeds, surprisingly, by doubling down on that ever-changing same, but framing it in a hazier, more indistinct light. Sterling Morrison of the Velvet Underground guests on guitar: it’s testament both to the sensitivity of his playing, and the appositeness of Luna’s choice of guest, that he fits in perfectly.

Jon Dale