Luna - Bewitched - 1994

Luna's second album drops the superfluous superscript (added to the band name on their first album for contractual reasons) and adds a second guitarist, Sean Eden. New producer Victor Van Vugt, who had previously done good work with Redd Kross and Kirsty MacColl, among others, strips away the reverb-happy haze that Fred Maher had coated 1992's Lunapark with, bringing Dean Wareham's vocals to the fore while (rather unfortunately) de-emphasizing Justin Harwood's bass and Stanley Demeski's drums. This makes Bewitched sound less unique than Lunapark, but happily, Wareham's songwriting is significantly sharper on this outing, with more direct lyrics and more memorable melodies. The witty breakup song "California (All the Way)" opens the album on a high point, and that quality level is maintained throughout the album. The addition of Eden does a lot to open up Luna's arrangements, since Wareham is an extremely distinctive guitarist who tends to get locked in the same sounds and patterns. Having a foil to play off of enlivens Wareham's playing, and instrumental passages like the extended codas of "Friendly Advice" and "Sleeping Pill" are much more interesting than similar bits on Lunapark. -AMG

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