After an extremely groovy detour with 2022’s disco-leaning Second Nature, Brooklyn indie-pop group Lucius’ self-titled fifth album—their first for the storied record label Fantasy—finds the quartet returning to the pastoral folk-rock sounds that marked their 2018 compilation Nudes as well as their recent countrified collaborations with folks like Brandy Clark, The Killers and Brandi Carlile. The snappy “Gold Rush” is laden with deep-fried guitar licks and swaggering vocals from Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, while Grammy-nominated West Coast folkie Madison Cunningham throws in on the toe-tapping ray of sunshine that is “Impressions”. As Lucius have become pop’s most able collaborators, Lucius similarly casts a big tent of contributors: indie-rockers like Luke Temple and Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith lend a hand with instrumentation, while prior collaborator Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs lends his guitar heroics to the pulse of “Old Tape”. The record is at once a return to what Lucius have done best for the last 15 years and a reflection of their always-surprising journey into new sonic territory.