“Welcome To Loveland” - Lucifers Beard
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
Lucifers Beard’s Welcome to Loveland is not your average EP. Sure, it’s got fuzzy guitars, infectious grooves, and all the analog charm of a vintage vinyl. But beneath the neon glow of this 70s-inspired psychedelic concept record lies a biting commentary on the emotional rot hidden under corporate cheer.
Conceptually, this record is delicious. Lucifers Beard, the indie rock brainchild of UK-based Christopher Barnes, invites listeners into Loveland—a surreal theme park filled with twisted optimism, haunted attractions, and a creeping feeling that something just ain’t right. It’s a wild blend of cosmic nostalgia and theatrical darkness, combining glam rock pageantry with psych-funk textures and unnerving emotional weight.
The opener, “Space Capsule Adelaide”, kicks things off with funky synthwave and a cosmic, driving pulse. It’s catchy, kinetic, and just disorienting enough to hint that this theme park might have some ghosts in its control room. There’s a sense of movement here—literal and metaphorical—as if you’ve just buckled into a rocket ride heading somewhere beautiful but broken.
Track two, “Loveland”, is the glittering heart of the EP: all toe-tapping basslines, syrupy synths, and grinning optimism. If you took a tourist ad for the happiest place on earth and slipped it acid, this would be the jingle. But listen closer, and you’ll hear something off—like the performers are smiling through gritted teeth. It’s campy and catchy and just a little sinister, like Bowie in a mood.
There’s an intimacy in “Outside My House” that contrasts beautifully with the larger-than-life vibe of the previous tracks.
“Desolation” might be the darkest, most exposed moment on the EP—appropriately titled, it oozes with melancholic weight. Think broken-down ride, peeling paint, an old souvenir shop playing warped carnival music. And yet, it’s gorgeous. The arrangement swells with vintage synths and reverb-drenched guitar lines, crafting a vibe that’s more haunted lounge act than rock band. It’s a highlight, in the “stare-into-the-abyss-with-style” kind of way.
Then comes the “Empty Orchestra Version” of “Loveland”—a stripped-back take that feels like a karaoke track at the end of the world. The sparkle’s been replaced with pure funk.
Rounding things out, the DJ Vance Remix offers a warped funhouse mirror version of “Loveland.” It’s got a heavier electronic lean—funkier, weirder, and downright hypnotic. It’s not a throwaway bonus—it feels like Loveland’s secret underground club, where the staff blow off steam after hours.
Lucifers Beard has crafted something seriously cool here. Welcome to Loveland feels like a vintage concept album that got lost in a theme park locker room, rediscovered decades later and reanimated with modern flair. Barnes’ vision is vivid, theatrical, and emotionally sharp—this is not background music. This is headphones-on, eyes-closed, theme-park-hallucination-core at its finest.
If you’re into artists like Tame Impala, Foxygen, early Flaming Lips, or the darker glam moments of Bowie, Lucifers Beard might just become your next obsession. But even if you’re not, this EP is worth the ride. Just don’t expect to leave Loveland unchanged.
Grab your ticket, hold on tight. Loveland awaits.
“Welcome To Loveland” is available now on all major streaming platforms
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
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