THE LUYAS at the Horseshoe, Thursday, June 16. NXNE. Rating: NNN
Freshly landed on the Polaris Prize long list for their Too Beautiful To Work album, Montreal’s the Luyas turned out an engaging showcase despite their early time slot.
Grinning non-stop, bandleader Jessie Stein hopped between electric guitar and the odd-looking Moodswinger, all the while delivering fragile, quirky vocals that sometimes evoked Wayne Coyne.
Propulsive drumming and cascading layers of synth kept the impressionistic tunes dense and watery in a way that made them difficult to latch onto or remember. Best were the soft, mournful melodies coming from Pietro Amato’s French horn.
