Dusty Lucite is an art-pop indie band from Portland, OR, and their new album Schmaltz is a spunky yet effortlessly cool collection of songs that keep you on your toes. The project is the brainchild of H.L. Stratton-Kuhta, who began releasing music under the moniker in 2016. What started as a solo effort soon evolved into a two-piece live band, eventually joined by a slew of collaborators on previous releases. On Schmaltz, Stratton-Kuhta is joined by husband N. Kuhta and son E.A. Kuhta.
The album opens with “Heroic Dose,” a bouncy track about social anxiety. “The Gloss of Unshed Tears (In Paul Giamatti’s Eyes)” is a meandering and melodic track that feels like a sonic daydream. The band describes their inspiration behind the song as “fan fiction that ruminates on how our emotions shape our memories,” drawing inspiration from Paul Giamatti’s performance in the Eulogy episode of Black Mirror.
Stratton-Kuhta was given a piece of advice from a collaborator: “When in doubt, just make up rhymes about love.” That guidance may have come to fruition in “All Your Love’n,” a song about loving to the maximum and giving it your all. “Wooden Pins” shows the flip side of that feeling, using poetic language and metaphor to capture the feeling of longing for someone who is perpetually out of reach.
“All I Need” is about accepting the past and seeking sanctuary with someone you love. The title track “Schmaltz” is a more heartfelt song about two imperfect people trying to survive their inner storms together. The next track “Butternut Squash” was co-written with Stratton-Kuhta’s son and inspired by Stevie Wonder, as heard in the funky organ driving the track.
“Doesn’t Matter” is an angsty number about living in a world that’s unraveling and deciding that the way to stay sane is to let go of the illusion of control, ultimately following the mantra “it doesn’t matter.” The closing track “A Piece of My Mind” comes in with the swagger of a heavy guitar riff, with final thoughts on keeping someone close even when everything feels like it is falling apart.
H.L. Stratton-Kuhta shares that Schmaltz is an exploration in all kinds of love, and the album delivers on that promise with a blend of vulnerability, wit, and sonic playfulness. Across its nine tracks, Dusty Lucite moves between tenderness, turmoil, humor, and heartache. Schmaltz is a record that invites you into the mess that love can bring, but ultimately reminds you that it is worth holding onto.
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