Being indie rock's greatest surf band is a distinction to be proud of, but La Luz clearly wanted more, and on 2018's Floating Features and 2021's La Luz, they began exploring psychedelia and expressive pop along with celebrating their love of the Ventures. On the group's fifth album, 2024's News of the Universe, they've waded deeper into more expressive sounds while embracing a greater maturity, some of which was thrust upon the group unexpectedly. Between the time La Luz made Floating Features and La Luz, the group's leader, Shana Cleveland, had a child, and while she was writing the songs for News of the Universe, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so it's no surprise that her music sounds more grown up in the wake of these life events. That said, while News of the Universe reflects a broader emotional range and sounds more contemplative than ever before, Cleveland's love of pop melodicism and the sonic possibilities of guitars and vintage keyboards has changed little, and these tunes are immediately engaging while feeling both playful and mysterious. Cleveland's vocals are unfortunately low in the mix and it's often difficult to make out the lyrics, but approached simply as another instrument in the ensemble, her soft, breathy tone is lovely and enigmatic, and the layers of echoey guitars and '60s-style keyboard sounds blend wonderfully with her vocals. Bassist Lena Simon and drummer Audrey Johnson put just the right kick behind these performances, from the science fiction groove of "Moon in Reverse" to the proto-disco shuffle of "Close Your Eyes," and Alice Sandahl's keys add clouds of atmosphere as Cleveland's guitar revels in twangy bliss, hard rock crunch, and fuzzy garage rock snarl. Producer and engineer Maryam Qudus (who is now La Luz's keyboard player) makes the most of their mysteries and reinforces the dreamlike textures of this music. If La Luz are at their most adult on News of the Universe, that also means they've learned some things with the passage of time, both emotionally and musically, and this album shows being grown-ups suits them very well indeed. ~ Mark Deming