This has been a long time coming. I’ve been trying to cover Lucida Dark for the better part of Slime & Grime’s life, but it hasn’t quite worked out. Luckily, they just put out this gorgeous EP, giving me the perfect opportunity to talk about them.
Lucida Dark is a Post-Rock, Atmospheric, Instrumental band from Omaha which was molded into existence around 2017 with clay, stones and branches by a mourning God desperate for companionship in an empty world. Well, maybe their inception wasn’t that dramatic, but it certainly matches the vibes. They birthed their first few singles, “They Never Come Back,” and, “...We Shall Meet and Part No More,” in 2020, and followed them up with their first full-length album Of Death, Of Love.
Of Death, Of Love. was a super well produced record with sadboi vibes that provided those good old lamentation tingles which console the saddest of sads. While the band is purely instrumental, Of Death, Of Love does something special giving light suggestions as to what tracks are about with their titles, which when paired with their music cause listeners to really think philosophically about their suggested subjects, especially with tracks like “Taken by Sorrow,” “Scarcity,” and the title track. (“Something sad is happening here, I can feel it.” - quote by me when I listen to Lucida Dark.) I really truly enjoyed the record and frequently listen to it while working, but I had not gotten around to reviewing it due to time constraints. 4.9/5 good sadboi stuff, needs a bit more heavy.
Ordiri feels very much like a continuation of Of Death, Of Love, and very well could fit in right alongside the other tracks on the album. Of course, that would probably make the album a bit too long, so I’m kind of grateful they packaged it as an EP, especially since the title track is 10+ minutes long. Ordiri is however just 2 tracks long, meaning this review is going to be a little short.
Both tracks are just as well produced as Of Death, with a gorgeous mix, giving just the right amount of sonic space to everything, keeping the atmospheric synths up front and center without overpowering the other instruments. Drums are just the right amount of punchy to punch through the synths, and guitars and bass are kept just slightly under them giving everything a unique sound. It’s so much in the right spot that I feel that if you were to change the mix in the slightest, the EP would sound completely different. I like it. It gives everything a sort of ghostly texture. I think that future releases could be interesting though, especially if the band were to play around with the mix.
I also really enjoy the performance on the tracks. Drums really drive everything to its intended destination and prevent the band from slipping into purely atmospheric territory. Also, the guitars and bass aren’t overplayed. It feels very much like each musician fully understands their roles in creating the whole that is Lucida Dark, and the band feel very much like a cohesive unit working towards one cohesive vision, all the while each having little moments to shine, which is often hard to achieve in the rock world.
“Ordiri” as a track is a little heavier than a lot of the tracks off of Of Death, and has some groovy basslines, and heavy riffs peeking through atmospheric fog. This gives the track a bit more distinction from Of Death, and it’s run time makes it feel like an epic, telling a story through sonic images. The cover art helps too.
This is some of the cleanest and sickest artwork I’ve seen on a project like this. Most atmospheric metal/rock bands tend to stick with artistic photo stills with a blurry character on the cover or bold lettering on gradient backgrounds, but this stands out. I like that Lucida chooses to pick artwork that tells a story and sparks the imagination. Ordiri is no exception to that rule, with a hooded figure half submerged in choppy waters under the Blood Red Moon on the cover. The detail and sharp contrast with the red and blue is just gorgeous. Lucida, whoever oversees the branding, give them a raise!
The second track on this entry is a remix of “On That Dark Immortal Shore…” remixed by Ryan Osterman of Holy Fawn, another atmospheric band that leans towards a heavier blackened shoegaze sound based out of Arizona, heavily rooted in Black-Metal, Sludge, and Electronica. Osterman’s contribution makes a ton of sense, as the original track has minor electronica and hip hop elements that Osterman is able to bring to the forefront. It feels very much like Osterman took two of his favorite elements in the track and bumped them up to a 6 or 7 which makes the track feel much more like a grandiose industrial lullaby. (Special thanks to Lucida for introducing me to my new favorite Deafheaven replacement band.)
I’m honestly baffled that Lucida was able to put out this EP so close to the release of their full length, especially with how polished it is, although I’m sure Osterman had a huge part in that. This was a good time if you like sadboi atmospheric stuff, and I’m excited to see where Lucida takes us next.
Go cry about it, whatever “it” is, in your room with the blacklight on and your headphones all the way up at Lucida’s Linktree. You’ll feel better and more emotionally fulfilled when you’re done.