illustration by Gracen Hoyle
For the record, Iâve probably been one of those annoying people who tell you how they basically âdiscoveredâ an artist. For me, thatâs lovelytheband. I first saw lovelytheband in early December 2017 at a small venue in Austin, TX, where they opened for the headlining show. lovelytheband had only been formed the previous year and just released their debut EP, âeverything i could never sayâŚâ a few months prior in September of 2017. Vocalist Mitchy Collins, guitarist Jordan Greenwald and drummer Sam Price make up the group, and they first gained traction when their single âbrokenâ topped the US Alternative Rock charts and helped them win IHeartRadioâs Best New Rock/Alternative Artist in 2019.
Since then, they have developed a steady fanbase and released 2 LPs, their most recent of which, âconversations with myself about you,â premiered on August 28 of this year. lovelytheband is a group I have enjoyed following, and I have anticipated this release since its announcement in the spring. To be honest, I was a little nervous; sophomore albums can be a daunting, slippery slope into the dreaded âsophomore slump.â However, my first impressions of the album are almost all positive; the band more than succeeds in continuing to develop the sound that gained them success and simultaneously addresses a variety of topics surrounding love, loss and mental health.
âconversations with myself about youâ opens with a unique and attention-grabbing prelude. The title track features a sound collage of audio bites spelling out the name of the album. The sounds allude to samples from radio or movie clips as the music beneath builds tension and creates a somber tone. The mood quickly changes however, with tracks âwaste,â âbuzz cutâ and âloneliness for love.â Punchy pop melodies and catchy choruses have you wanting to dance and sing along. Despite the upbeat accent, the music is juxtaposed with heartbreaking lyrics about loneliness, depression and missing past relationships. âi hate myself,â âidwtgtyp,â âsillyâ and âemoâ drive these themes home with brutally honest and vulnerable lyrics. âemoââs opening lines, âDo you drink because you miss me? Or do you miss me âcause youâre drunk?â encompass the recordâs entire mood.
The second half of the album continues with subjects of lost love and reminiscing on failed relationships in âlove somebody elseâ and âflowers on my grave.â The songs donât sugarcoat much. The bandâs vulnerability is on full display if you pay attention under the seemingly happy melodies. Finally, lovelytheband closes with âyour favorite one,â a song about a potential love that you sadly find eventually crumbling in front of you. Strings, synths and despondent drums accompany distorted vocals in the second half of the song, repeating the lyrics âconversations with myself about you,â bringing the record full circle, ending with the click of a cassette tape.
Itâs been a full two years since lovelythebandâs debut LP, âfinding it hard to smile.â Despite the time gap, the group left out no detail in crafting an intricate and emotionally powerful second project. Donât be turned off by the sad song names; the albumâs indie-alternative pop/rock sound is easy to jam to and sing along in the car, and when you need it, the record features slower songs to break up and relax the fast-pace tempo.
While Iâve only had the chance to listen all the way through a few times, Iâm confident these songs will have plenty of time in my music library in the near future. If youâre in your feels and want to dance the sadness away, lovelythebandâs âconversations with myself about youâ might just be the album for you.
Favorite songs: love somebody else, emo, silly, your favorite one, flowers – on my grave