Luki's Art-Pop Showtunes: Old Feelings EP Review & Best New 2026

Luki's art-pop showtunes in the Old Feelings EP offer a miraculous discovery of timeless and true sound, blending grand melodrama with nuanced emotional character. This review explores the EP's highlights and the week's best new tracks.

Luki: A Unique Voice in Art-Pop

Luki, the collaborative alias of singer/composer Lucy Duncan and producer Niac, crafts off-kilter showtunes performed as baroque art songs. Their music embodies a seemingly contradictory combination of grand melodrama and nuanced emotional character, making them a standout in contemporary pop.

Their debut album Wisps was released by GLARC in 2018, followed by a sporadic string of singles. Now, with the new EP Old Feelings, the project appears to be building towards something more substantial.

The Title Track: A Climactic Ballad

The title track 'Old Feelings' feels like a climactic ballad from a lost, late-period Sondheim musical by way of 90s Celine Dion. Rolling pianos and wry regrets, with synth lines lingering like dry ice, create a rich, theatrical soundscape.

Duncan's voice shares the wisdom and fallibility that the great Mary Margaret O’Hara has in spades. Strong, direct, and rich with character, her vocals anchor the EP's emotional depth.

Other EP Highlights

Luki's take on 'Such a Small Love' imagines Scott Walker remade by Sensual World-era Kate Bush. The eight-minute-long 'I Think I Know' is tricksier, akin to the experimental edges of Tori Amos or Fiona Apple, meandering through sections of spoken word and textural electronics.

Upcoming Album and Collaborations

Old Feelings is both a tantalising taster of a forthcoming album – due to feature collaborations with Robbie Ellen, AKA art-pop songwriter Personnel – and a genuinely remarkable set of songs in its own right.

This Week's Best New Tracks

Beyond Luki, the week brings other notable releases. Dis Fig – 'The Account' (ft the Wind Between) delivers thunderous collab energy, with Felicia Chen singing trip-hop vox and letting off bassy depth charges under the Wind Between's rapped existential screed. Blonde Redhead also features among the week's picks.

Comparison: Luki vs. Other Art-Pop Artists

Key Takeaways from Old Feelings EP

• Luki's EP blends theatrical showtunes with art-pop experimentation.
• The title track is a standout with its Sondheim-esque balladry.
• Collaborations with Robbie Ellen hint at an exciting forthcoming album.
• The EP showcases Duncan's vocal range and emotional depth.
• Recommended for fans of Mary Margaret O’Hara, Tori Amos, and Fiona Apple.

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