Written by: Lyric Beyerl
The term "mama’s boy" normally describes a rather charming, sensitive type of guy that would never break your heart. While Los Angeles pop trio LANY has given us that "good guy" vibe from previous songs, their third album, "mama’s boy", which was released on October 2nd, gives us more of an insight into their potentially troubling demeanors.
The fourteen-track album begins with "you!", an emotional, uplifting song. It's followed by "cowboy in LA", which shows us that people all around you live or act or be a certain way, but that you can stay true to who you are and how you were brought up, which holds true in the lyrics, “I’ll hold your hand / I’ll hold the door, ‘cause that’s how I was raised.”
The line “Oklahoma made a man out of me,” refers to frontman Paul Klein’s hometown as well. The fourth song down the list, the acoustic "if this is the last time", really touches on the importance of family and where you’re from once again, a moving dedication to parents.
This album is making a case for itself as the perfect heartbreak album while also exploring how it feels to question your faith, and the song "i still talk to jesus" demonstrates exactly that. Klein admits his wrongdoings while still talking to Jesus in this gospel-like song.
While I'm not religious myself, this is probably my favorite on this album. It’s about still believing in something bigger than yourself, holding on to whatever that may be for you, while allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Have you ever seen someone that has the perfect life? Well, sometimes it’s all a facade, and "paper" is just that; a relationship that seems good on a piece of paper but in reality, it’s become wrinkled and torn.
Up next is a song titled "good guys", which, despite its name, is not cringey at all, but rather a catchy song with the chorus, “good guys never win.” Continuing with their signature hopeless romantic tunes, "sharing you" discusses a past flame finding new love and the paranoia and jealousy that can come with it.
"bad news" totally flips the script, making the trio the ones that you shouldn’t trust. Without a doubt, the best lyrics here are “I’m gonna make your brother worry / ‘Cause he knows I’m just like him.”
With phrases like “Is it love, If you only ever want me when you're drunk? / If the only time you ever think of us is when you're out and had a little bit too much/ Is it love?”, "when you’re drunk" is pretty self-explanatory. It's followed by "anything 4 u", which is about an unrequited love, something that is relatable for almost everyone.
"sad" is a pretty, well, sad track. It expresses the difficulties of moving on from an ex-lover, specifically watching them move on as well.
The next song, "(what i wish just one person would say to me)", corresponds with the last, "sad", with the repetitive lyrics of “I’m happy for you”, helping the vocalist finally find solace. I believe that the title is a sign that no matter how much advice we may receive, some things can only be experienced, and even then it's a growing process.
The final track, "nobody else", closes this chapter about moving on, with a love song that is very LANY-like. It's totally acoustic and sounds totally beautiful.
LANY has always been known for pouring their heart into their music, so it’s no surprise that this album brings the same level of vulnerability. While 2020 has been a very confusing and troubling time for us all, it's been a great one for music, and LANY's "mama's boy" captures our heartbreak perfectly.
"mama's boy" is available to stream wherever you listen to music, and if you'd like to support the band, you can pick up some merch on their website. You can keep up with LANY by following them on Twitter @thisislany, and you can let us know what you thought of their newest record @lgndsoftmrw!
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