Described by label Cherub Dream Records as “a roadtrip mixtape for the long highway stretches that sprawl over the great state of California,” Lucky Three is a new split release from Natasha Sandworms (San Jose), Christina’s Trip (Oakland) and Mox (Merced). Each of the trio add two songs each, making for a release that is understandably varied yet united by the same scrappy spirit. A brand of alt/indie rock that’s slighty fuzzy, often weighty and always authentic, each of the bands searching for bright moments of catharsis within an otherwise difficult present.
A pair of tracks from Mox bookend the album, an act we’ve described previously as “follow[ing] in the lineage of Alex G, combining boundless creativity with tangible emotion.” Opener ‘Scared’ sets the tone, displaying combination of bruising heft and emotional tenderness, while closer ‘Leaving’ is more restrained and slow building, allowing the warmth of the project more room to shine.
The offerings from Christina’s Trip opt for a more shoegaze-adjacent style, though again the interplay between heaviness and light is an important element. Take ‘F.B.A.T.’ with its mix of shimmer and scuzz and no small amount of energy. Or the squally ‘Sweep Me’, which embraces the chaos of its sound to culminate in a mood almost buoyant.
The songs from Natasha Sandworms are cleaner in style yet just as infectious, be it the retro indie pop bounce of ‘Bird of My Life’ or gradual unfurling of ‘Perfect Feeling’. There’s a wistfulness to both songs, though rather than being stuck looking backwards in self-reflection, they manage to chart a course forward, however uncertain or bittersweet the awaiting future might prove to be.
Lucky Three is out now via Cherub Dream Records and available from Bandcamp.
