The group trades indie summer music for Western country pop
It’s their first album in nearly two years to the day
Over the last few years, LANY has stuck to the same formula. Their “if it ain’t broke” mentality is what guided them to creating two indie pop, lighthearted and joyful albums that brought them to moderate levels of fame. However, the group has finally stepped out of their comfort zone on their third full-length album, mama’s boy.
While the group still keeps their trademark sound of rebellious synths and overlayered harmonizing vocals with the echoing guitars, they add a shot of Southern twang that draws their fans into something old, yet refreshingly new. It’s a touching ode to the fact that they grew together and rose to fame based just outside of Nashville, TN.
The group’s first two projects, LANY and the aptly titled Malibu Nights, pandered to the indie-pop fanbase they hooked themselves onto with a trademark summer sound often compared to a cross between other respective pop groups COIN and Surfaces. However, they knew they would need to change their sound up this time around, or else they would tend to create more of the same and lose fans.
With the release of mama’s boy, LANY dropped off 14 new Southern summer tracks, clocking in at just over 50 minutes. Most songs on the project retain the standard upbeat, pop sound that brought them their much-deserved fame. It’s evident that they looked to rising country-pop artists such as Kacey Musgraves for inspiration at times, as her influence shines through on songs including “(what i wish just one person would say to me)” and “cowboy in LA.”
While the album may introduce new influences as they move from “indie beach pop” to “Southern country anthems” for a new sound, they still don’t stray too far from their ballad-heavy formula. Filled with the sound of hope within anthems, the songs tend to blend into one another, for better or worse. While this has been one of their largest issues in past projects, it doesn’t seem that they’ve mended this issue as of yet.
That being said, this album is exactly what many have been looking for, as some of their fans thoroughly enjoy the ballads they’re known for. Simply put, mama’s boy is a stellar home run for their biggest fans that have already come to know and love them. In terms of new fans, it may not be the easiest task to attract them with this twang-injected summer project.
With the release of LANY’s third full-length album, they prove that they can finally change their sound and still be successful in the outcome. While they may not stray too far from their safe space, it’s a satisfying project from start to finish. As we sit back and reminisce on warm, summer memories that this album takes us back to, we can only wonder what sound they’re going to deliver next.
Review: 3.5/5