By Taylor Long
Is it better to burn out or to fade away? This question has been posed by many, but never totally and definitely answered. It is a question that great bands coming to an end must decide. Do you stop after you reach the top, simply because you know you can’t get any better? Or do you keep going, simply because you’re doing something you love and you don’t want to stop? This is a question that well-respected indie pop group Luna must face with their seventh and supposedly last album, Rendezvous.
Luna has mastered their sound over the years, finding the perfect blend of pop, rock, jazz and folk, because it is not too pop, too rock, too jazz or too folk. The effect is a soothing soundtrack, one you might listen to while on a roadtrip.
With lines such as, “hand in hand on the edge of the sand / we danced / by the light of the moon,” the lyrics are not remotely complex and instead are very simple; which works very harmoniously with the mood that the band tries to create.
Rendezvous has a nice blend of upbeat tunes, beginning off with the poppy and rather cheesy “Malibu Love Nest,” but also songs like the rocking “Astronaut” or the almost twee-pop-like “Speedbumps.”
It’s on the beautiful, slower songs, though, that Rendezvous hits its highest points, which makes sense when you consider that Luna has made a name for themselves in the world of dream pop. The simple ballad “Motel Bambi” and the spacey, dreamy “Broken Chair” are highlights, showcasing the band at its best.
While one or two songs on the record may seem a bit redundant or tiring, they’re not bad by any means-just not up to par with what the band is capable of. Luckily, most of Rendezvous enforces (though not necessarily strengthens) Luna’s long upstanding reputation for making inspiring music.
If we absolutely have to see Luna go, this is a more than decent way for them to say goodbye. However, Luna and their last album, unfortunately, give us no definite answer to the timeless question of whether or not it’s “better to burn out or to fade away.” But, wait, maybe they do-perhaps the answer is neither. Luna seems to have taken the middle road; for though Rendezvous is not Luna’s best album by any means, it’s also not their worst. And maybe that’s been the smartest choice all along.