Lux Prima, the full-length collaboration between Karen O and Danger Mouse, is a perfect union of forces.
Pairing Karen O’s enchanting lyrics and vocals with Danger Mouse’s exquisite production touch—which once again proves he has some of the most unassailable taste in the game—each half stays in their lane doing what they do best. Sophisticated, cinematic and constantly captivating, this is the very definition of elegance, with not a single sound out place. Album centerpiece and lead single “Woman” is even more striking in the context of the album, but any track could be your favorite.
Karen O and Danger Mouse both turned 40 in the past two years, and there’s a maturity here, a time-earned mastery of craft on display, that simply can’t be faked. Like the controlled demolition of a building, Lux Prima is a skyscraper that’s been ingeniously rigged with explosives so that, with a single push of a button, the whole thing caves in on itself with devastating precision.
Score: ✨✨✨✨✨/5
Ryan is a writer, editor and vinyl collector currently based in Los Angeles. He started Mini Music Critic in 2017.