On Oct. 2, LANY released a new album titled “mama’s boy.” While listening, one may question whether LANY is attempting to change their general sound and their general audience. Most of their tracks on this album stick to their relaxed sound, but some contain a more biblical twist. This album is not the most amazing one released this year, or even close, but it is definitely not the worst.
The album begins with the track “you!” The start of the song is similar to the beginning to most worship songs. As the track continues, it could still be considered a worship song, as many wholesome love songs can. The divine feel to the track makes the listener feel comfort and peace while listening. Though the song was probably not meant to be perceived in such a way, the song tone does not take away from the quality whatsoever.
The album continues with “heart won’t let me.” The track is about wanting to leave a relationship, but the heart, or rather emotions, will not allow the person to leave. Instead of using logic, people tend to stay in toxic relationships, unable to walk away and following emotion. This push and pull feeling of emotion is felt throughout the track and adds yet another element to the layers present.
The track “i still talk to jesus” makes one wonder if the album really was truly meant to be worship music. It is about making constant mistakes in life that the Bible may consider to be a sin, but at the end of the day, still feeling inclined to “talk to Jesus.” One has to admire LANY for taking such a turn in their music at the risk of possibly losing listeners.
The song “good guys” begins with a similar sound to the rest of the tracks on the album. However, it takes a turn and to become more up-beat. Though it is good to change things up, the track does not really fit into the same vibe as the rest of the album. It sounds more like a pop song than one of their typical, chill tracks. This song, however, will probably be one of the more popular ones, as that is the type of song the general public tends to enjoy.
Overall, the album was a success for LANY. They have never really been a ground-breaking band, so this album was basically what was expected of them. It is a great study album, but the songs generally mesh from one to the next, as most of their songs often sound very similar. The album has received decent reviews from fans, despite the new album’s change of tone. However, it cannot be compared to other albums released this year, such as Glass Animals’ album “Dreamland” or Hippie Sabotage’s “Red Moon Rising”.