On their fifth album, 2025's
Fata Morgana: Dawn
,
St. Lucia
take a relaxed approach, crafting loose, feel-good anthems that are as inventive as they are hooky. Featuring the duo of singer/multi-instrumentalist
Jean-Philip Grobler
and singer/keyboardist
Patti Beranek
have carved out a distinctive niche with their infectious, danceable brand of '80s-inspired synth pop. Their previous album, 2022's
Utopia
, came out of a challenging period in which the couple gave birth to their first child and relocated from their longtime base of Brooklyn to Germany. Where that album felt like they were reaching for something epic in scope,
feels breezy and even lightly experimental with several short psychedelic instrumentals interspersed throughout. Cuts like "Pie in the Sky" and "Falling Asleep" have a late-'70s/early-'80s disco vibe, very reminiscent of the synthy pop
Electric Light Orchestra
championed during that era. Equally evocative, "Rolling Man" with its chugging, '50s baritone sax hits and the gospel-inflected "Going to Space" bring to mind the way
Paul Weller
and
the Style Council
reinterpreted classic
Motown
and soul with an '80s new wave attitude. Other frothy confections pop up, including the tropical AM pop novelty of "Campari Lips & Soda" (featuring
Aly & AJ
) and the romantic soft-rock anthem "In Your Arms." As always,
Grobler
's highly resonant croon and
Beranek
's warm backing vocals are a perfect fit, and
is another example of
's harmonious pop partnership. ~ Matt Collar