The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
16
new
SPILL FEATURE: THE LOOK AND THE SEXUAL CONFIDENCE – A CONVERSATION WITH CAROLE POPE
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: GOLIATHAN – “ALBION”
SPILL FEATURE: FAREWELL TO THE EINSTEINS OF CONSCIOUSNESS – A CONVERSATION WITH TORONTO’S UBIQUITOUS SYNERGY SEEKER
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REGNVM ANIMALE – IGNIS SACER
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: GRIEVOUS ANGELS – “CHILD OF GOD”
SPILL FEATURE: TOMORROW COMES FROM TODAY – A CONVERSATION WITH CHARLIE ANGUS OF GRIEVOUS ANGELS
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RHYE – HOME
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HERE LIES MAN – RITUAL DIVINATION
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: SCOTT KLEIN – “WHAT’S MY NAME”
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: SOUTH OF FRANCE – “SIDEWALK”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: HOT LIPS – “FEMICIDE”
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: KATEY MORLEY – HEARTS & HEADS & THOUGHTS & DEEDS
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: LEAHY – “GOOD WATER”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: BILL JR. JR. (A.K.A. VANCOUVER SINGER-SONGWRITER RUSSELL GENDRON) TO RELEASE ‘HOMEBODY’ ON JANUARY 26 | SINGLE “DEAR NEIGHBOUR” OUT NOW
SPILL NEW MUSIC: CAPE TOWN PUNK-DUO THE SOAPGIRLS RELEASE “HEART IN BLOOM” – A LOCKDOWN TRIBUTE TO HOPE AND LOVE
SPILL NEW MUSIC: STRIPPERS UNION RETURN AFTER 10 YEAR HIATUS WITH NEW DOUBLE-LP ‘THE UNDERTAKING’ VIA THE ORCHARD | FIRST SINGLE “WE ARE THE UNDERWORLD” RELEASED
  • MORE
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • TOTD
  • Books + Movies
  • Scene Unseen
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • TOTD
    • Books + Movies
    • Scene Unseen
    • About
REGISTER
@
LOGIN
Album Reviews
439
previous article
NEW MUSIC: DADDY (JAMES FRANCO + TIM O'KEEFE) REVEAL "LIME GREEN DRESS" VIDEO
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE POOCHES - HEART ATTACK EP

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ST. LUCIA – MATTER

St. Lucia

St. Lucia
Matter
Neon Gold Records
RATING

St. Lucia’s initial success came from his 2013 hit single “Elevate,” an electronic indie-dance piece of pure pop hooks and beaming videogame-like effects. His first record When the Night was consistent in this soundscape for the most part, but lacked many other noteworthy songs that could stand on their own.

With his sophomore release, Matter, Saint Lucia continues his wild exploration of endless sound effects blended through pop melodies. Here, we find the lovechild of OK Go and house music. Trade bass drops for catchy hooks and ‘80s influence and, voila, St. Lucia is formed. Matter presents the kind of self-awareness a sophomore effort should. There’s a niche the artist has found that allows him to work within its limits while still being creative. The album is thankfully far more energetic than its predecessor. At times, this energy comes in the form of Super Mario comparisons, ever present on “Physical,” whose chorus goes full throttle on collecting coins and jumping on Koopa shells. Some may find its excessiveness too noisy, but there’s an appeal here that suits the genre well, and dazzles when it strikes all the right chords. The greatest example of this is the appropriately titled “Game 4 U,” whose strength is found in its Passion Pit-like chorus and backing horn section. Lead single “Home” manages to deliver similar catchiness from its heavily layered production. It is the slow moments on Matter that end up, unsurprisingly, slowing it down (see “Love Somebody”). While most of these moments build into higher energy as they progress, St. Lucia might need to rethink the arrangements on his lower tempo music.

What’s most noteworthy about Matter, though, is its ability to keep the energy up. Sort of like an athlete playing keep-ups, once St. Lucia has the ball in the air, he manages to impressively maintain its off-ground status. And he’s not kicking it the same way every time either – most songs find unique ways of using similar effects. The result is an impressive set of 11 tracks that mostly stand well on their own but also work as a cohesive whole.

ARTIST LINKS:

band websitefbTwitter-iconinstagram-icon

Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ST. LUCIA – MATTER

Author

Robert Defina

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
8.8
7.0
Total Spill Rating
8.8
Total Fan Rating
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewsdo you remembergame 4 uhomematterneon gold recordsst.lucia
album reviews, do you remember, game 4 u, home, matter, neon gold records, st.lucia
About the Author
Robert Defina
Avatar
Robert Defina is an avid critic both on paper and in person. He spends more time writing album reviews than he does worrying about his future. He hopes that this sort of procrastination never grows old.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewshomest.lucia
 
7.0
Regnvm Animale
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REGNVM ANIMALE – IGNIS SACER

by Bryan Williston on January 24, 2021
Regnvm Animale Ignis Sacer Deutsche Bulvan Bolag ‘Unchecked growth sees capitalist greed choking democracy, while global temperatures rise at an alarming rate.’ With such a [...]
 
7.0
Rhye

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RHYE – HOME

by Robert Defina on January 22, 2021
Rhye Home Last Gang Records Toronto-born Michael Milosh has been able to cultivate something both unique and engaging with Rhye–a sultry, soothing mix of R&B and indie pop which toes the line [...]
 
9.0
Here Lies Man

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HERE LIES MAN – RITUAL DIVINATION

by Gerrod Harris on January 22, 2021
Here Lies Man Ritual Divination RidingEasy Records Having burst onto the scene in 2017 with their self-titled debut record, LA’s Here Lies Man has only continued to dive deeper into [...]
 
7.0
Azure Ray

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AZURE RAY – AZURE RAY (20th ANNIVERSARY VINYL EDITION)

by Samantha Stevens on January 16, 2021
Azure Ray Azure Ray (20th Anniversary Vinyl Edition) Flower Moon Records To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their self-titled debut album, Azure Ray has some [...]
 
10
Danielle Durack

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DANIELLE DURACK – NO PLACE

by Nathan Pike on January 15, 2021
Danielle Durack No Place Undertow Music “Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re [...]
Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: REGNVM ANIMALE – IGNIS SACER
7.0
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RHYE – HOME
7.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HERE LIES MAN – RITUAL DIVINATION
9.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: AZURE RAY – AZURE RAY (20th ANNIVERSARY V...
7.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DANIELLE DURACK – NO PLACE
10
Latest Live Reviews
View All
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 1 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on January 7, 2021
88
 

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: WARDRUNA – ‘KVITRAVN’ PRESENTATION (ONLINE PERFORMANCE)

by Samantha Wu on December 10, 2020
158
 
Evanescence

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: EVANESCENCE @ ROCK FALCON STUDIO, NASHVILLE (TN)

by Melinda Welsh on December 5, 2020
49
 
Alice In Chains

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: MoPOP PRESENTS: ALICE IN CHAINS @ MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE, SEATTLE (WA)

by Gerrod Harris on December 1, 2020
63
 
Lowest Of The Low

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LOWEST OF THE LOW @ LEE’S PALACE, TORONTO

by John Graham on November 28, 2020
1296
Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Spill Magazine Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PAUL McCARTNEY – McCARTNEY III
543
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY – MECHANICAL SOUL
531
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALTER BRIDGE – WALK THE SKY 2.0
498
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GUIDED BY VOICES – STYLES WE PAID FOR
484
 
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: CHURCH OF TREES FEAT. CAROLE POPE – “WORLD’S A BITCH”
438
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ELTON JOHN – ELTON: JEWEL BOX
329
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SMALL TOWN TITANS – THE RIDE
325
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BRIAN ENO – FILM MUSIC: 1976-2020
311
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS – LIVE IN BOSTON, 1982: THE COMPLETE CONCERT
310
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LOWEST OF THE LOW @ LEE’S PALACE, TORONTO
296
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GWAR – SCUMDOGS OF THE UNIVERSE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION – REMIXED AND REMASTERED)
290
 
SPILL FEATURE: IT’S ALL IN THE NAME (PART 1) – A CONVERSATION WITH HAWKSLEY WORKMAN
251
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE DIRTY NIL – FUCK ART
242
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES