Album cover for Luke’s New Band’s sophomore album “Luke’s New Album.”
“Luke’s New Album” may be new, but Luke’s New Band is far from a Beginner
On Oct. 7, 2025, Luke’s New Band, a group of student musicians at the University of Oregon, released their second album, “Luke’s New Album.” Containing seven tracks total, “Luke’s New Album” is a fun collection of songs telling tales of regret, love, yearning, and reflection.
“Locked in 4 U” has high-quality production and is a ballad that matches the themes of the record very well. As the opening track, it does a nice job of setting the tone for the entire album. With a strong bass line, this song is somewhat like an indie-rock and jazz fusion. It’s perfectly placed to give the audience a taste of what’s to come for the rest of the album.
“Paper Snowflakes” is when Luke’s New Band showcases their instrumental talents. Leaning into the instruments with only a couple of lyrics, this song perfectly encapsulates the musical style and genre of this group. While the lyrics are scarce in this song, they add a nice touch and round the track out nicely.
“Luke’s New Song” is the closest to a title track on this album. This song has a strong intro that displays the bossa nova-esque influence throughout the album. Along with the other tracks on the record, this song displays strong instrumentals and showcases the talent in the group. The guitar solo in the middle of the section is the highlight of this song, and the lyrics are a nice touch to round out the track.
“Idée Fixe” is a vibe switch from the previous tracks. Softer and with more of a focus on vocals, this song taps into the reflective and yearning nature of the album. Although the instrumentals are slightly simpler on this track, it’s a nice song to have in the middle of the album, and possesses strong production value as well, giving it a dream-like feeling.
The next song on the album, “Drive,” fits very nicely into the energy of this record. The lyrics bring a little bit of humor into the mix - talking about wanting to see someone so much that, even when seemingly impossible, they’ll figure out a way to get there no matter what. Short and simple, this song is a standout on the album for its lyrics, composition, and execution.
The second-to-last song, “Anything Could Happen,” takes a more acoustic approach, unlike the previous songs on the record. Similar to “Idée Fixe,” this song is much calmer than some of the others. As the song progresses, vocals, diverse instrumentals, and layering make it well-rounded and a stand-out in terms of production quality.
The final song on the album, “Man In A Cage,” is a nice way to round out the record. It ties in the indie-jazz fusion seen throughout the previous tracks. The shining quality of this song, however, is the lyrics, which do a lovely job of telling a story and developing a character. The line “He’s locked in a cage/while his face gets up on stage/and the man he was before/sits and watches by the door,” are a testament to how this song utilizes characterization to its fullest extent.
Luke’s New Band will perform at the KWVA station on Nov. 9, 2025, at 4 p.m.. You can tune in to hear songs both old and new on 88.1 FM.