MUSIC: Luu – Don’t Like You I Love You

Almost nothing is known about Luu, which makes it exceedingly difficult to write about them. From song notes posted by their label 10k Islands, I’ve gathered that Luu is a relatively new LA trio (their first track was posted in February of 2016) and they feature a revolving cast of vocalists and musicians.

They’re clearly a gifted live band, cranking out G-Funk, dance, deep grooves, and classic R&B in equal measure. Each new Soundcloud single sheds a little more light on Luu’s musical prowess, but the players themselves are shrouded in mystery—no photo shoots or interviews floating around the blogosphere just yet. And that’s more than fine, because shouldn’t music just be about the music? Luu’s hardly the first to realize the internet’s potential to present their art for consideration on its own terms—pure sound and substance, bereft of image or stylization (okay, they do still have album covers).

Luu’s vintage sound could be deservedly slotted right next to those of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and The Budos Band: contemporary groups who faithfully interpret sounds of a bygone era with vibrancy. Their biggest hit by far (with 175k Spotify plays and counting) is the Smokey Robinson-channeling “Don’t Like You I Love You”. It’s a slice of old-school soul with an indelible falsetto on the chorus. This sucka is catchier than I can properly describe. It hooked me earlier this year, and now I’m personally responsible for something like 25,000 of those Spotify listens. Proceed with caution, friends.