The latest album from Lucius, Good Grief, is a shinier, poppier, bigger version of the Lucius many of us fell in love with on Wildewoman. If Wildewoman was the soundtrack to an indie-mumblecore-rom-com, then Good Grief is the soundtrack to the blockbuster version starring Jennifer Aniston. Not saying that's a bad thing, but if you are looking for the quirky, delicate to swooping vocal harmonies and minimalist instrumentation, you'll find fewer moments on the new album. Good Grief is an album of power ballads, poppy R&B and a dash of Dusty Springfield-esque singing for balance.

The aural and visual appeal of Lucius go hand-in-hand, so, with the new album, the mod bob is out and a finely coifed pompadour is in for singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig. To shine up the music, the band is working with some heavy hitters known for taking indie bands and giving them a coat of gloss: Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, Weezer, Har Mar Superstar) is back engineering and producing, with a little help from Joe Visciano (Adele, Chairlift, and the latest David Bowie). This album sees Lucius ready for the next level.

If you aren't sure you're ready for the more pop side of Lucius, there are some songs on Good Grief to ease you in. The ending track, "Dusty Trail," could have been a B-side to Wildewoman with gentle guitar, floating strings, slow building drums and a focus on the harmonious vocals of Jess and Holly crafting a folky tale. Then, maybe check out "What We Have (To Change)," which sounds like a classic Dusty Springfield song of yearning and regret. Ease into "My Heart Got Caught on Your Sleeve" — it's pop in the vein of newer Tegan and Sara. And the catchy earworm, "Born Again Teen," can get you ready for the rest of the album.

Should you be looking for a continuation of Wildewoman, you may just have to dust off your old copy and listen to it again, because Lucius have moved on to bigger, brighter and bouncier songs.

Related

• Lucius perform at Rock the Garden 2015
• The Current's Guitar Collection: Peter Lalish of Lucius
• Lucius perform live in The Forum
• Lucius perform live in The Current's studios
• Lucius perform in The Current studio
• Lucius - official site
• Lucius, 'Good Grief' (Amazon - CD)
• Lucius, 'Good Grief' (Amazon - Vinyl)