The Lunar Effect – Sounds Of Green & Blue

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · January 28, 2025

The Lunar Effect formed in 2016 and are based in London, England. Their sound is a mix of hard bluesy retro rock and grunge. The band members include Jon Jefford on guitar, Daniel Jefford on drums, Brett Halsey on bass, and Josh Neuwford on vocals. They have released 2017’s Strange Lands EP, and 2019’s Calm Before The Calm. Their latest sophomore album was released on April 12th 2024, entitled Sounds Of Green & Blue. It contains nine tracks at forty minutes and was released on Svart Records.

“Ocean Queen” begins with a nice low end bass riff that connects with vintage sounding guitars, a basic click drum beat, and nice retro sounding vocals. The riff plays out and cranks up the distortion and hard hitting percussion. The vocals intensify to a higher register of power and the music is rocking out in full volume. The Lunar Effect has a strong classic seventies sound on this track. The hard driving riffs are met with moments of subdued pauses of vocals and guitar which enhance the song each time it kicks back into the harder rhythm. The guitar leads are compelling and partially tracks the main riff also. “Ocean Queen” is a fantastic opening track and the band keeps the heaviness rolling with the next one too. “Flowers For Teeth” kicks right in with a hard rocking groove enhanced with cool drum fills and soaring vocals from Josh Neuwford. The uptempo song is a straight out rocker and has a great flow throughout.

The third track “Colour My World” has a slower dynamic touch but still manages to keep a rhythmic tone. The guitar leads are emotionally charged and the main melody is simple, yet powerful. “In Grey” has a vibrant blues resonance. Neuwford’s voice is very dynamic and zestful which compliments the music exquisitely. The guitar work from Jon Jefford is exceptional too with beautiful clean tones and electrifying solos. The Lunar Effect really articulates the music gracefully with each song and heightens Neuwford’s vocal range. It creates an immersive musical experience as magnified in “Middle Of The End”. The piano steered track exemplifies this point as does the next track “Pulling Daisies”. Beginning with lavish and clean guitar picking, the song flares up into an active rocking rhythm. It plays out somewhat fleetingly until the riff fades out.

Sounds Of Green & Blue is an ambitious album that ventures into very interesting territory. “I Can’t Say” has an alternative rock vibe to it with a twist of blues but explodes into a throbbing grunge cadence. “Fear Before The Fall” is another mellow number that starts with piano and flows ahead with grace and poise. The song builds up, accentuating Neuwford’s voice with ravishing tones and melodies. The final track “On The Story Goes” captures the beauty and divinity of The Lunar Effect. The arresting musical dynamics are in full bloom with this one and is a suitable ending for the album. It reminds me of Graveyard at times but to be fair, the Sounds Of Green & Blue is it’s own story and entity. The Lunar Effect create a psychedelic experience of musical bliss and enlightenment with this record and it truly requires multiple uninterrupted listens to fully appreciate.