Los Angeles-based indie artist Mia Loucks‘ latest EP, Light It Can Blind You, is a stunningly intimate exploration of vulnerability, resilience, and self-reflection. The three-track collection reflects the raw, lo-fi ethos that Loucks has honed since her early days in the music scene, while deepening the emotional scope of her sound. Written and recorded entirely in her bedroom during a challenging summer marked by personal health struggles, the EP channels a DIY aesthetic that mirrors the introspective themes woven throughout the record.
Opening with the title track, Light It Can Blind You, Loucks immediately draws us into a dreamlike atmosphere with syncopated acoustic guitar and haunting vocals. There’s a strong emotional current running through this track, which feels deeply authentic and unfiltered. The song’s atmospheric qualities, enhanced by subtle sound design elements – such as ghostly piano flourishes and distant, ethereal frequencies – help to create a mood that is both meditative and otherworldly. Loucks’ layered harmonies are particularly striking, adding depth to the metaphorical prose that explores the impermanence of happiness and the acceptance of life’s inevitable cycles of light and darkness. There’s an unmistakable Elliott Smith influence here, especially in the delicate guitar work and hushed, melancholic vocal delivery. The track reads like a meditative surrender, laced with an emotional vulnerability that resonates on a personal and universal level.
The second track, Alive, shifts the energy with a more driving, strummed guitar rhythm reminiscent of Smith’s Needle in the Hay. The song builds with an insistent momentum, as textured drums and brooding vocals carry us into a more existential realm. Loucks’ layered vocals are a highlight once again, creating an eerie, almost choral effect as the song explores themes of being trapped in a fragile existence. The lyrics probe into life’s deeper questions, blurring the line between personal turmoil and collective angst. As the song progresses, it builds dramatically, reaching a cathartic peak before slowly tapering off into a more subdued, contemplative close. This ebb and flow of intensity mirrors the emotional rollercoaster of the song’s existential core, providing a powerful sonic counterpart to the lyrical themes.
The EP closes with Ricochet, a track that immediately stands out for its poignant use of religious imagery and thought-provoking societal critique. Loucks shares her lived experience and wisdom through evocative prose, backed by a gorgeous string arrangement that adds an emotive weight to the song’s introspective lyrics. The slow, deliberate pacing of the song provides space for listeners to fully absorb the depth of its message, as Loucks delves into ideas about personal agency and societal expectations. Towards the end, the song picks up pace, creating a dynamic shift that injects energy and urgency into the track’s final moments. This tempo change not only keeps us engaged but also underscores the thematic complexity of the song, making Ricochet a standout moment on the record.
Across the three tracks, Loucks offers a cohesive narrative – one that feels both intensely personal and universally resonant. Her introspective lyrics and delicate soundscapes invite listeners into a space where they, too, can reflect on life’s contradictions: the simultaneous desire for control and surrender, the search for meaning amidst uncertainty, and the acceptance of both pain and joy as inevitable parts of the human experience.
Drawing on influences like Elliott Smith, Leonard Cohen, and PJ Harvey, Mia Loucks crafts a sonic world that is raw yet meticulously layered, brimming with emotional depth. The subtle production choices – the astral frequencies, the dreamy layered vocals, the emotive strings – enhance the intimacy of the EP, making it feel as though the listener is right there in the room with her. Her choice to record these songs from the comfort of her bed during a time of physical hardship only heightens the sense of intimacy, giving the record an almost confessional quality.
In a live setting, this EP would undoubtedly be a sublime experience, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the emotive weight of each song. Whether experienced through headphones or in a live performance, Light It Can Blind You is a hauntingly beautiful testament to Mia Loucks‘ ability to turn personal pain into something profoundly relatable and artistically transcendent.
With this release, Mia Loucks further cements her place in the indie music scene, continuing to carve out her unique space with an emotionally honest and deeply introspective sound. Light It Can Blind You is not just an EP; it’s a journey through the delicate balance of surrender and resilience, a sonic meditation on the beauty and pain of being alive. We have added Light It Can Blind You to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist!