Wednesday, October 1, 2025

The Lunar Effect | Fortune's Always Hiding | Svart Records

 

Release date: 24.10.2025
Formats: CD/LP/Digital
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Heavy Blues
Country: UK

Dragging classic rock through a psychedelic haze and leaving it bleeding in the present, The Lunar Effect were formed in London by brothers Jon and Dan Jefford and later completed by vocalist Josh Neuwford, bassist Brett Halsey, and eventually second guitarist Mark Fuller. Since their arrival on the scene in 2017, they’ve carved out a reputation for crafting music that feels both familiar and original, a modern echo of grunge-soaked ’70s rock, fuzzed-out blues, and melancholic British soul.

Following the underground success of 2019’s “Calm Before The Calm”, the band signed with Svart Records and released the critically praised “Sounds Of Green & Blue” in 2024. After touring the album across the UK and Europe, they set their sights on album three, their most ambitious work to date. “Fortune’s Always Hiding” lands in a brooding journey through loss, memory, and the weight of time. It marks a new era for the band, deeper, stranger, and more soul-baring than ever.


“Fortune’s Always Hiding” runs just over 41 minutes and thrives on contrasts. There’s heaviness that comes like rolling thunder, then quieter passages where fragility takes over. The guitars carry a thick fuzz tone, dripping with that late-night, slightly dangerous atmosphere, while the rhythm section is locked in a groove that pushes forward without hesitation. Josh Neuwford’s voice drifts between a half-whispered vulnerability and soaring cries, bringing a raw human edge that matches the shifting intensity of the music.

Tracks like “Feed The Hand” and “Watchful Eye” lean on fuzz-drenched riffs and hypnotic rhythms, offering an immediate rush. “My Blue Veins” takes a slower, more aching route, pulling things into a more intimate space. “A New Moon Rising” is drenched in atmosphere, a piece that suggests rebirth and shadow at the same time, while “Scotoma” goes darker, almost suffocating in its repetition and low-end weight. The closer “Nailed To The Sky” stretches the band’s sound wide open, letting the haze spiral out until everything dissolves. The production keeps the roughness intact without smothering the music. It’s warm, saturated, and gritty, and it never collapses under its own fuzz. The balance between heaviness and vulnerability is where this album lives, and it manages to hold onto that tension from start to finish.

“Fortune’s Always Hiding” is about immersion, being pulled into its shadows and grooves until time gets slippery. The Lunar Effect sounds like a band fully stepping into their own strange little world, one that grows richer the deeper you let yourself sink in. This one rewards listeners who want their rock with grit, atmosphere, and just enough heartache to keep things human. Next year’s tours will likely give these tracks even more bite, but on album, they already carry a dark, hypnotic pull.

Score: 8.0


https://www.svartrecords.com

https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords

https://www.instagram.com/svartrecords

https://thelunareffect.bandcamp.com

https://www.instagram.com/thelunareffect

https://www.facebook.com/TheLunarEffect

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