SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LUNA SHADOWS – BATHWATER

LUNA SHADOWS
BATHWATER
CEREAL BOX PROD CO.

Calling forth the coven with a Summer Solstice release, LA-based artist and producer Luna Shadows has returned with her bewitching LP bathwater. The 14-track project differs greatly from her debut, Digital Pacific (2021), swapping out the heavier electro-pop for a more subtle indie folk rock vibe, fitting for fans of the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Gracie Abrams.

Bathwater has a dreamy and mesmerising quality, leaving you wanting more. Even with the show-stoppingly tender closer of “apocalypse love song” the emotions that have been brought to the surface linger. Feeling almost like a diary, each track is a new page, exploring different ideas of femininity, the fleeting and constantly evolving nature of relationships, and the inevitable healing that comes with all of it.

The LP opens with the siren song “full moon”, a breathtaking cello instrumental which entices us to immerse ourselves in the world of bathwater. The strong string elements continue in “witches’ brew” and are slowly faded into the background in favour of a more synth-driven sound in title track “bathwater” as well as “tourist” and “heroine”. As we get closer to the end of the album the songs get heavier and more beat-driven which is best demonstrated in “arms length” and “monroe”.

The songs are truly enchanting with acoustic and orchestral elements buried under a surface of synth-driven indie pop which is further complemented by Shadows’ heartfelt vocals, which, although powerful, remain soft and vulnerable throughout the whole LP. Being a classically trained musician, Shadows herself composed the orchestral elements and produced the tracks alongside her long distance co-producer Bradley Hale.

Through the dark, melancholic ballads of bathwater, we are taken on a mesmerising journey of self discovery. Between bathwater and Digital Pacific (2021), Shadows is paving the way for herself as a diverse indie artist and producer.

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