Lux Prima

Lux Prima
Studio album by
Karen O and Danger Mouse
ReleasedMarch 15, 2019 (2019-03-15)
Genre
Length40:42
LabelBMG
ProducerDanger Mouse
Karen O chronology
Crush Songs
(2014) 		Lux Prima
(2019)
Danger Mouse chronology
After the Disco
(2014) 		Lux Prima
(2019) 		Cheat Codes
(2022)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.5/10[1]
Metacritic79/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Clash7/10[4]
ConsequenceB+[5]
Crack4/10[6]
DIY[7]
The Guardian[8]
The Irish Times[9]
musicOMH[10]
Pitchfork7.3/10[11]
Rolling Stone[12]

Lux Prima is a collaborative studio album by American singer-songwriter Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Danger Mouse. It was released in March 2019 under BMG Records.

Composition

With Lux Prima, the duo craft "sprawling, soulful [and] cinematic" psych rock.[13] 1960s orchestral pop and the "packed and dusty" sound of 1990s trip hop are also worked in.[14][11] Other styles featured include disco, funk, soul,[5] and lounge-pop.[8]

Reception

Lux Prima was well received by critics upon release. The Guardian called it "complex and lingering," praising Karen O's songwriting in particular.[15] Pitchfork also praised the album, recognising Karen O and Danger Mouse had "concocted a lush, vivid world on their dreamy and poignant collaboration." Pitchfork did criticize the choruses on the record, saying "Lux Prima works better as a journey than a destination"..."that never sounds better when going nowhere fast." They awarded the album a score of 7.3.[16]

Track listing

All music produced by Danger Mouse.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lux Prima"
9:02
2."Ministry"
5:06
3."Turn the Light"
  • Orzolek
  • Burton
  • Cohen
3:19
4."Woman"
  • Orzolek
  • Burton
2:54
5."Redeemer"
  • Orzolek
  • Burton
3:49
6."Drown"
  • Orzolek
  • Burton
3:26
7."Leopard's Tongue"
  • Orzolek
  • Burton
  • Cohen
  • David Christian
3:13
8."Reveries"
  • Orzolek
  • Burton
3:44
9."Nox Lumina"
  • Orzolek
  • Burton
6:09
Total length:40:42

Personnel

Sourced from AllMusic.[3]

Karen O & Danger Mouse

  • Karen Orzolek - lead & background vocals (all tracks), synthesizers (tracks 4, 6), electric guitar (track 6), acoustic guitar (tracks 8, 9); string arrangements
  • Brian Burton - background vocals (tracks 2, 6), synth bass (tracks 1, 2), Wurlitzer (tracks 1, 2, 7), synthesizers (tracks 1, 3-5, 7-9), percussion (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 9), drum programming (tracks 2, 3), electric guitar (tracks 2, 3), acoustic guitar (tracks 2, 3, 9), bass (tracks 2, 4, 8, 9), drums (track 4), strings (track 6), organ (track 7), Mellotron (track 8), programming (track 8); horn & string arrangements

Additional musicians

  • Sam Cohen - bass (tracks 1-4, 6-8), electric guitar (tracks 1-3, 5-7), synthesizer (tracks 1, 3), drums (track 2)
  • David Christian - drums (tracks 1 [parts I and IV], 4-7)
  • Héctor Delgado - drum programming (tracks 2, 3)
  • Jared Samuel - piano (track 4), Wurlitzer (track 5), Rhodes (track 6)
  • Nick Zinner - electric guitars (tracks 4, 8)
  • Daniele Luppi - string arrangements, string conductor
    • Mei Chang, Sharon Jackson, Marina Manukian, Cameron Patrick, Benjamin Powell, Kathleen Robertson, Erika Walczak - violin
    • Adriana Zoppo - viola
    • Stefanie Fife - cello
  • Chris Tedesco - music contractor, trombone & trumpet (tracks 1, 5, 6)

Charts

Chart performance for Lux Prima
Chart (2019) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[17] 28
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 104
French Albums (SNEP)[19] 173
Scottish Albums (OCC)[20] 17
UK Albums (OCC)[21] 35
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[22] 1

References

  1. ^ "Lux Prima by Karen O & Danger Mouse reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  2. ^ "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "allmusic". Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
  4. ^ Rogerson, Johnny (March 13, 2019). "Karen O & Danger Mouse - Lux Prima". Clash. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Graves, Wren (March 15, 2019). "Album of the Week: Karen O and Danger Mouse Radiate Warmth and Mystery on the Vibrant Lux Prima". Consequence. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Mallon, Steve. "Karen O & Danger Mouse - 'Lux Prima' review". Crack. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  7. ^ Wright, Lisa. "Album Review". DIY. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (March 15, 2019). "Karen O & Danger Mouse: Lux Prima Review - complex and lingering". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  9. ^ Kane, Siobhan (March 15, 2019). "Karen O & Danger Mouse: Lux Prima review – Constructive anger". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Horton, Ross (March 19, 2019). "Karen O & Danger Mouse - Lux Prima | Album Review | musicOMH". musicOMH. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Cardew, Ben (March 18, 2019). "Karen O/Danger Mouse: Lux Prima Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  12. ^ Spanos, Brittany. "Review: Karen O, Danger Mouse Have an Excellent Adventure on 'Lux Prima'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  13. ^ Ganz, Caryn (March 6, 2019). "Karen O and Danger Mouse Made an Album. It Only Took 11 Years". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  14. ^ Ashad, Jem (March 15, 2019). "Album Review: Karen O & Danger Mouse's 'Lux Prima'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  15. ^ "Karen O & Danger Mouse: Lux Prima review – complex and lingering". The Guardian. 2019-03-15. Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  16. ^ "Lux Prima". Pitchfork. Pitchfork. 2019-03-18. Archived from the original on 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  17. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. March 25, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Karen O & Danger Mouse – Lux Prima" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  19. ^ "Lescharts.com – Karen O & Danger Mouse – Lux Prima". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  20. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  21. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  22. ^ "Karen O Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2019.


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