Luna Carina – “closer baby closer” / “太远的人” Feat. Su San

Luna Carina – “closer baby closer” / “太远的人” Feat. Su San – Singles Review

It was definitely no surprise to me that Luna Carina sounded fantastic right from the drop of pushing play on “closer baby closer” – this collaborative-minded crew exceeded any possible expectations the last time I reviewed them back in 2022, and it was pretty damn clear to me that they’d always be the kind of band to pump out music well worth the time to listen to.  As the rolling bass lines and glossy hooks of “closer baby closer” started to click into gear, I could feel the smile on my face continue to widen with each ticking second that went by.  A lot of y’all are very good at so many of the things you do – but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves and make sure we’re keepin’ it real – not too many out there are doin’ what they do at the level that Luna Carina are doin’ it at, you feel me?  With the addition of singer Su San being featured on both “closer baby closer” and “太远的人,” I’d imagine many of you will come to realize that Luna Carina is capable of keepin’ ya mesmerized if you haven’t already found that out, and they execute flawlessly on that once again in the sparking sound & energy of this track off of their Innerbloom EP.  I try not to expect too much out of anyone when it comes right down to it, but by the same token, it’s extremely nice when you’re a critic and some artist or band lives up to all the praise you heaped on’em.  I knew Luna Carina was something special when I was first introduced to them in 2022, but don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome to have audible confirmation of how right I was in listening to such a single-worthy cut like “closer baby closer.”  All credit where credit is due, Luna Carina DOES sound as amazing and inspired as ever…BUT…you’ll probably be quite pleased that SOMEHOW, their featured guest pretty much steals the show.  That’s a verifiable ACHIEVEMENT y’all…when you consider how seamlessly the UK-based band is playing on “closer baby closer” and how much appeal they’re able to generate through their music alone, hearing Su San manage to be as spellbinding and captivating as she is not only proves she’s got the X-factor, but it makes it crystal clear to anyone out there listening that she was obviously born & destined for the center of the spotlight.  For real…she is outright sensational on “closer baby closer,” and whether it’s the poetic nature of the lyricism in the verses, or finding the perfect gear to get the maximum potential outta the main hooks & backing vocals, I fail to hear how anyone could have possibly gotten more out of this performance than Su San did.  Like, I’d go as far as to say that “closer baby closer” will easily be one of the best singles you’ll hear this year.  At the very least it’ll be one of the most fun…Luna Carina and Su San light up your speakers with this cut.

While it’s probably fair enough to say that “太远的人” likely won’t provide the same level of audible fun for ya as “closer baby closer” did entertainment-wise, it’s still a Luna Carina song y’all – the quality you wanna find still resonates from every pore of your speakers.  Originally entitled “Find The Key” on their 2022 album called Lily, Luna Carina has reimagined this tune with Su San on the vocals, and given this song a solid refresh from start to finish.  The sound itself is noticeably bolder and more vivid, led by the founder of Luna Carina, Jacob Smith’s sublimely smooth bass lines now joined by the ethereal vocals of Su San singing in Mandarin, guitarist Jack Print, and drummer Jack Hall.  I suppose the main question most people would have is whether or not “太远的人,” which I believe translates to “Someone Far Away,” can compete with the original “Find The Key” – and I suspect the answer is that it’ll have no problem finding an audience within the world full of Luna Carina fans.  While I’d never dismiss “Find The Key” or the contributions it made to their album Lily as its final song – I think the update you’ll hear on this new variation of it is quite noticeable and worked out very well in their favor.  For myself personally, I didn’t quite know what to expect, so it was actually interesting to me to discover that the two versions seemed to have more in common than I might have originally thought in terms of its ideas and melody, but by the same token, Luna Carina is now using tools and experience that is roughly two years older & wiser.  The sound of “太远的人” is more robust, it’s brilliantly atmospheric, and for as bold, colorful & defined as it is, you’ll find that with the addition of Su San on the mic, this song becomes a lot more akin to something you might find in the Dream Pop section.  In terms of relevance to what’s happening out there in the scene right now, that’s definitely a good thing – that genre has exploded in popularity over the last couple years, and I’d suspect a lot of people tuning into Luna Carina for the first time by being introduced to this single will certainly wanna stick around to click & listen to what else they might hear.

They’ll be stoked on what they find, I assure you…I really don’t think there’s much Luna Carina could do to sour anyone on their music; they’ve definitely got one of the most inviting & intriguing sounds out there in any corner of the scene today, no matter what category you might find their music in.  A single like “太远的人” really shows the depth of thought and the art that they put into their songs, the skilled craft in which they play them with, and their genuine gift for creating collaborations that bring out the best in all involved.

Find out more about Luna Carina from their official page at Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LunaCarinaMusic

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