Photo Courtesy of Variance
Story by Peyton Tranas/Contributing Writer
Following the success of their first two albums, LANY is back with their third studio album, mama’s boy.
LANY is an indie pop group, who formed just a few miles away in Nashville, TN. Their first two albums, “LANY” and “Malibu Nights,” were highly praised by fans of indie pop music, making “mama’s boy” highly anticipated. Their third album has a western cowboy theme, paying homage to their Nashville roots.
The band released four songs prior to the album release, including “good guys” which has steadily been gaining streams since its May 13th release.
Based on their prior albums, fans should expect many ballad-like songs, with a few having a more “upbeat” feel to them. After listening to the first track of the album, “you!”, LANY’s third album seems to be following that same fan-pleasing trend.
The album itself is composed of 14 tracks with a run time of about 50 minutes. Prior to the album release, the band made a curated playlist of songs that inspired “mama’s boy,” which included songs from Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift and John Mayer. After listening to the album, I see where pieces of those artists’ work played into the making of this record. Many of the songs are emotional and have wordy lyrics, which is directly in correlation with the songwriting style of Taylor Swift.
Diving into the individual tracks, “you!” and “when you’re drunk” lean slightly towards a more upbeat feel. “(what i wish just one person would say to me)” is a perfect post-break up song that reminds me of “Thru These Tears” from their “Malibu Nights” album.
When I first listened to “cowboy in LA,” I could almost imagine this song being played over an early 2000s romantic comedy movie. Specifically when the protagonist is going through an emotional breakup and a montage plays of them trying to go about their normal routines.
I was personally hoping for LANY to break away from their typical ballad-heavy album streak to prove that they can execute any type of song. Unfortunately for me, nearly the entire album is a ballad. However, this style seems to resonate heavily with their fans, so I understand why they played it safe and produced an album full of beautiful, emotion-filled songs, sung by the incredibly talented lead singer, Paul Jason Klein.
If you are a fan of LANY’s previous work, I highly recommend listening to “mama’s boy.” That being said, if you are also someone looking for a good breakup album or a good song to add to your “sad playlist,” I recommend listening to at least “heart won’t let me,” “sad” or “anything for you.”
“mama’s boy” further proves that LANY is deserving of success and any acclaim sent their way. In the words of Paul Jason Klein himself, “in a world full of sadness, i pray these 14 songs hold u close and wrap around u like an early october sunset. Remember: though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning.”
To contact Lifestyles Editor Brandon Black, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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