Death has always been a subject of great importance to the world of music. Countless albums have been written about the mystery that surrounds death and that is exactly what The Luyas have done with their latest record Animator .

The Luyas are a Canadian indie rock band that consists of Jessie Stein (vocals/guitar/moodswinger), Pietra Amato (French horn/keys/bells), Mathieu Charbonneau (Wurlitzer) and Mark “Bucky” Wheaton (drums). They have become known for their lush and rich instrumentation and Animator definitely follows the same path.

This record does see The Luyas experimenting with even more instruments than usual, incorporating the use of a string section to help bring some life to this record. The Luyas do a good job of creating atmosphere to their songs, but the best tracks always keep the song grounded by strong drumming and infectious bass lines. On tracks such as “Face” or “Traces” the rhythm section holds down the track with an outstanding performance which allows for the rest of the instruments to run wild and help create a very free and open sound.

The tracks gain an entirely new identity when singer Jessie Stein’s voice skips along the tracks. She helps to bring about the ethereal atmosphere that permeates this record. The ethereal atmosphere is best displayed on the opening track “Montuno.” The track opens with an intro with strings and wurlitzer until the tension rises and the bass creeps into the track and the song begins to take form. As the track moves on the drums and vocals come in and initiate a beautiful verse that segues perfectly into a fantastic chorus that features some beautiful strings. The song then ends with all the instruments kind of fizzling out, which might be done to represent the idea of death, which matches up with the backstory of this record.

The Luyas have really improved their sound on their newest LP Animator. The rich instrumentation is used almost perfectly to set an ethereal mood that portrays the ideas of life and death that are found throughout the record. The rhythm section is tight and gives the tracks the stability that is needed for the rest of the instruments to run wild the way they do. The production is also crisp and sharp and helps to push The Luyas to a new height. The Luyas have really proven themselves with this record and their future looks brighter than ever.