A wealth of artistic brilliance may come to mind upon the mention of Sweden—but cool garage punk is probably not the most immediate thought. Lucern Raze, the new project from Luke Reilly (formerly of London’s Sex Beet), changes that. It all began after a hiccup in Reilly’s mental health, resulting in a subsequent move from London to Stockholm in 2014, where he spent twelve days writing and recording his debut LP, Stockholm One, out now on Burger Records.
The record’s newest single, “Stockholm Syndrome”, implies a full embrace of his new life. It’s one of the more completist efforts in garage punk, with everything from a sunny California rock theme to an ultra-heavy chorus to a universal sing-along bridge. Flowing surf riffs bop with minimalistic decay; dancing arpeggios crash into a brazen chorus with blaring attitude. Everyone should move to Sweden.
