Q Lazzarus “Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus (Music From The Motion Picture)” LP (Summertime Green Vinyl)

For almost everyone, the entry point for discovering the music ofQ Lazzaruscame via Goodbye Horses. The song first appeared in 1988, viaJonathan DemmesMarried to the Mob, but it would not become fully lodged into popular consciousness until it infamously materialized again in DemmesThe Silence of the Lambsin 1991. Goodbye Horses felt like a self-contained universe dreamlike and wholly unusual, an instant classic that left listeners captivated and curious about the mysterious voice behind it. That voice belonged toDiane Luckey, a uniquely talented artist whose music was ahead of its time and who would ultimately remain largely unrecognized in her lifetime.

In conjunction with the release ofAridjis Fuentes documentary filmGoodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus, Sacred Bones is releasing a collection of songs that span the entirety of Qs career, showcasing the different eras of her work and the full breadth of her personality. Released in collaboration with the family of Q, this holds the distinction of being her first and only full-length release.

Recorded between 1985 and 1995, this trove of previously unreleased music reflects some of the most interesting facets of popmusic from the past four decades in a way that feels both savvy and wildly eclectic. The titular Goodbye Horses remains a singular piece of spooky new wave perfection and one might imagine an entire Q Lazzarus album coiled around this aesthetic, but much like singers such asAlison Moyet, Annie Lennox, orLisa Gerrard, Qs chameleonic voice could lend itself perfectly to a variety of styles and settings. Her cover ofTalking Heads Heaven transforms the song into a full-throated power ballad complete with tinkly piano flourishes, while her take onGershwins Summertime sounds like the kind of dubby club redux that could have been a perfect companion to anything from Nightclubbing-eraGrace Jones. Tracks like My Mistake and Hellfire flirt with house music and showcase just how brassy and belty Qs voice could be when she really let loose, while Dont Let Go sounds like the kind of bombastic radio singleChermight have released several decades ago. Elsewhere, songs like Bang Bang and I See Your Eyes espouse the kind of guitar-driven alt-rock sensibilities that, in a parallel universe, could have made them staples on 120 Minutes.

Goodbye Horsesrepresents the potential for so many different kinds of careers that, for whatever reason, never fully materialized. That we now have these songs in the world, and a clearer picture of the person behind them, is nothing short of a blessing.
Track List:
Goodbye Horses (Single Edit)
Heaven
I See Your Eyes
A Fools Life
Summertime
My Mistake
Hellfire
Don’t Let Go
Bang Bang
Goodbye Horses (New Wave Version)