De Lux Generation

On their 2013 debut album Voyage, L.A. duo De Lux introduced their
singular sound, a fusion of post-punk, disco, funk and synth wizardry.
Fun though Voyage was, described by The Guardian as “intricate,
witty, inventive, dazzling” and by DJ Mag as “fresh, immediate”, for
their follow-up, De Lux felt compelled to add an element of social
commentary to the mix.
Inspired by the infamously uncensored lyrics of punk performance
artist Karen Finley, as well as the likes of David Byrne, ESG and Can,
Generation is a darker album than Voyage, heavy on urban anxiety
and audaciously candid. Over its eleven songs, De Lux charts the
distance between childhood and adulthood, nostalgia and aspiration,
and dream and reality, all with unflinching autobiographical detail. The
result is entirely unfiltered and fearlessly contemporary.
From “Center of L.U.B”, a roller-skate jam that examines one utility
company employee’s ennui, to the satirical and harrowing “Oh Man
The Future”, Generation is never one-note, an album about high
highs, low lows and the vast space in between. Stylistically, De Lux
has advanced, too, folding styles as varied as krautrock, punk and
Italo disco into their template. It may be a step forward for the band,
but Generation isn’t a departure. This is De Lux going deeper, not
farther away, and the result is electrifying.