- I Set My Friends On Fire Rocked Columbus - January 10, 2017
- LA based genre-bending band LANY is the new sound of pop - October 26, 2016
- Switchfoot/Relient K: After All These Years - October 20, 2016
In an era where it can sometimes feel like everything musically has been done before, some artists can transcend that barrier and surprise the masses. LANY has taken the genre of pop and successfully modernized it to the current day and age. Songs like “ILYSB” and “Pink Skies” give listeners the familiar feel of love and romance like many traditional pop songs, adding a modern flare, giving the characters in the songs attributes that many millenials can relate to. For example, LANY refers to the girl in “Pink Skies” as having ‘perfect’ tattoos and having trendy retro clothing from the thrift store, which many millenials can relate to.
On-stage presence for the pop trio seems to come natural, just like the music that they create. The band actually formed with the three friends just messing around on a computer in a room for fun, and then transformed into something much more. The natural chemistry of bandmates Paul Klein, Les Priest and Jake Goss is apparent in both recorded tracks and live performances. What’s more impressive is that even though the band uses mostly electronically generated instruments in their music, all sounds produced live are made with guitars and manually controlled devices, such as a small pad that lead singer Paul Klein uses to make the bass. The performance was engaging, the artists took care of playing the music accurately and passionately while still being aware that there was an audience watching that wanted a show.
There seems to only be one main issue with LANY, and it has to do with the audience. Not the actual audience they attract, but the fact that LANY seems to make music that can only apply to a select group of individuals, particularly younger millenials. Their music generally has one subject, and that is young love. Although many people have experienced such a phenomenon, once you have left that phase it is definitely hard to relate to once again. At times it seems the band has found this comfortable spot of lyrics that pleases high school girls and has attracted such a following that they can’t get out of it. Love is a great topic in songwriting, but past the age of 21 most millenials are sick of being reminded of their failed love life. Just kidding, right?
Nonetheless, one has to respect the lengths LANY (pronounced lay-nee if you had any doubts) went to put themselves on the music map. Their original pop sound is one that is hard to come by, and is one that hopefully will not be forgotten about any time soon. With only 3 short albums since 2015, who knows what great material the pop trio will come out with next, and what levels of creativity will be reached.
