LANY – LANY

Wistful melodies dominate powerful love songs for the millennial generation...

Lustful Californian trio LANY make love songs for the millennial generation. Bottling up teenage emotions and expressing it in effervescent electronica and wistful melodies, their self-titled debut is 16 tracks of minimalistic and clean compositions overridden with Paul Klein’s lovestruck lyrics. More upbeat offerings — ‘Good Girls’ and the disco tinged ‘Flowers On The Floor’ — border pop euphoria, while slower tracks on the record like ‘Tampa’ and ‘The Breakup’ wallow in the struggles of 21st Century relationships paired with Les Priest’s sparkling synth patterns.

Opener ‘Dumb Stuff’ plants the seed with Paul announcing: “Oh my god I think I’m in love,” in the opening line against a bright and upbeat electronic cacophony. It’s a continuous theme that is sewn together with closer ‘It Was Love’. A fitting conclusion to the record, Paul sings: “I don’t think I ever told you I hated that it had to end.” By the end of the album you feel as though you’ve been through a tumultuous relationship yourself.

Lyrically, an overt online lexicon bleeds into their music. ‘ILYSB’ and ‘So Soo Pretty’ evidence this generational language with Paul pining: “My heart hurts so good / I love you so bad,” in the former while the latter forgoes lyrics in place of a melancholic piano instrumental with a placid, solitary drum beat. Rather than living up to the sweet namesake, ‘Pancakes’ trembles with vulnerability while ‘13’ aches with longing guitar lines and a hint of falsetto.

As a touching interlude, ‘Parents’ is a recording of drummer Jake Goss’ mother leaving a voicemail on his phone. “Oh my gosh Jake I just saw that posting on Instagram and saw the picture of your new tattoo,” gushes his mum, and while wrapped in elements of humour it’s also a poignant reminder yet again of love, this time of the unconditional kind.

7/10

Words: Shannon Cotton

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