We here at Vanyaland always boast about bringing the news of “Boston and beyond,” which admittedly covers a lot of territory. Well, La Luz take that a few steps further, delivering News of the Universe to the masses this spring via Sub Pop. The Seattle band led by Shana Cleveland delivered a sterling new album back in May, its title and credo adapted from science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, and now take it out on the road for a fall tour that arrives tonight (October 10) at Allston’s Brighton Music Hall.
The record is led by a stirring new single in “Strange World” that feels like one of the early year’s finest new entries.
“It’s been a strange and difficult few years, and at moments, I have found myself rushing to move forward in time, to leave the present and escape to whatever is next,” says Cleveland. “The best advice a friend gave me during a time when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed and battling consecutive panic attacks was to go outside, take my shoes off, and sit with my feet on the earth. This seemed to slow the universe down in a way that made it feel easier to handle. So this chorus is something of a mantra to myself ‘we’ll be fine, just take your time.’”
We need that advice, no matter what part of the universe in which we reside.
LA LUZ + MIA JOY :: Thursday, October 10 at Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave. in Allston, MA :: 7 p.m., 18-plus, $22 :: Event info :: Advance tickets