Lo Moon Learn How to Let Go on New Introspective Album “I Wish You Way More Than Luck”

Two years after their sophomore album, A Modern Life, came out in 2022, pop-rock quartet Lo Moon still has much to say about the pandemic and other life-altering experiences on their latest album, I Wish You Way More Than Luck. Capitalizing off a successful run of shows last year in LA and NYC, they will be touring the US for the second half of the year, including an LA date at the El Rey on August 6th, on top of a UK/EU tour in the fall.

Spearheaded by lead singer-songwriter Matt Lowell, Lo Moon, rounded out by Crisanta Baker (bass/keys), Sam Stewart (guitar), and Sterling Laws (drums), look to reconcile with their pasts and accept the difference in where they are compared to where they came from. “All four of us come from very different upbringings,” said Laws. “But this album feels the most relatable to me of any music we’ve ever made. It feels very close to home in an interesting way, which is odd, because it comes from Matt’s experience.”

Across 10 tracks, Lo Moon explores their collective experiences, shared and otherwise, with precision heard in the universal pop-rock sound that gradually expands to new highs with each passing song.

“Waiting A Lifetime,” like the opener “Borrowed Hills,” takes on a calm and collected feel to their steady playing as Lowell sings candidly on being caught in a daze of confusion. Early on, the song establishes the album’s themes of desperation, showcasing their ability to stare back at the void with roaring guitars and drums. While subtle, the gradual increase in intensity creeps up and takes over at the climax, matching the desperate pleas for the world to start making sense, fervently communicated by Lowell.

In “Evidence,” which was previously released as the lead single, the themes of the album are captured on a grand scale, primarily due to the long runtime, which gives them more room to showcase their talents. The defeated chorus speaks to the conflicted emotions at the album’s core, with lines like “Please, forgive me I’m not / Not who I was / Not who you loved” up there with the most relatable material they’ve come out with. By the end, the fast-paced drums take the band to their best, flourishing from the song’s simplicity.

Although Lo Moon is LA-based, Lowell’s upbringing in NYC exposed him early on to sudden shifts in the status quo, with his memories of 9/11 eventually leading him to take up songwriting and bond with the other bandmates through their shared passion. “9-11 really did change my life,” said Lowell. “The record is about that coming of age, realizing what that moment meant for me, and trying desperately to get back there.”

Words: David Sosa

I Wish You Way More Than Luck by Lo Moon is out on streaming services. For more on the new album and tickets to their US tour, including an LA date at the El Rey on August 6, follow them on Instagram, TikTok, and their website.

North American Tour:

07/26 – Valley Bar – Phoenix, AZ
07/29 – The Perplexiplex at Convergence Station @ Meow Wolf – Denver, CO
07/30 – Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
07/31 – Shrine Social Club Basement – Boise, ID
08/02 – Madame Lou’s – Seattle, WA
08/03 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
08/05 – Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA
08/06 – El Rey – Los Angeles, CA
08/08 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
11/17 – 3rd and Lindsley – Nashville, TN
11/18 – The Masquerade – Purgatory – Atlanta, GA
11/19 – Eulogy – Asheville, NC
11/20 – Motorco – Durham, NC
11/23 – Atlantis – Washington, DC
11/24 – The Foundry at the Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA
11/25 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
11/26 – The Sinclair – Boston, MA
11/28 – Garrison – Toronto, ON
11/30 – Sleeping Village – Chicago, IL
12/01 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN