Atlanta-born music maker, trauma survivor, and crypto connoisseur Lana Love has unleashed her new self-titled EP to the world. Fun story for all of you! This is my second time reviewing this release as my initial review got lost to the dark corners of time to which even my backup had failed me for the last time. Great experience overall! Lol. Now, back to the insanely talented Lana Love and her expertise in turning life’s downs into life’s highs.
Featuring her singles, “American Love” and “Loaded Gun,” Lana Love’s latest release is filled with impactful sounds and themes that would have a live audience coming back show after show. A fantastic look at the dark corners of life and the light many struggle to find. But is Lana Love’s self-titled EP just more of the same? Or, will Lana Love be adding genre breaker to her long list of achievements bringing the horrid music industry we live in to its knees? Let’s find out.
The Review
American Love:
“American Love” brings our outdated look at the “American Dream” to a back alley and gives it an attitude adjustment. Filled with strong thematic musical choices and orchestral amazement, “American Love” is a shining star for Lana Love’s self-titled EP. The perfect way to kick off a release that’s been waiting to say hello to the world for quite a while. Its dark and dreary look at the spotlight is heart-breaking and invigorating all at the same time. I absolutely love “American Love” and can see myself coming back to it time after time, breaking the replay button in the process.
“LA can do that to ya/She’ll put a bullet through your art/Don’t let her do that to ya,” like seriously? This shit is golden. I love the raw nature Lana Love brings to this piece. I can’t count how many times I was walking around singing, “I want a marble house in Beverly Hills.” The track’s dark atmospheric qualities help make “American Love” stand out above the rest in a genre filled with greedy labels and executives that wouldn’t understand art if it hit them square in the face. “American Love” presents Hollywood fame in a different light that will captivate listeners the moment Lana’s haunting vocals enter the scene.
Speaking of Lana Love’s vocals. This woman can sing! Creating a haunting environment is never an easy task, but Lana manages to do it with ease. Twisting and turning her melodies to grasp the big theatre quality instrumentals that are simply tiptoeing around her range and siren-style cues. A dark and haunting beautiful masterpiece.
Lost Boy:
Writing a song to be a “voice in the dark” for others that have experienced sexual assault can’t be an easy task. But, Lana Love manages to do just that with striking flair as she drops lyrics such as, “You want my sympathy/Write you a symphony” and “I’m rollin’ out with aces, and you’re holdin’ all the jokes” is just one way Lana Love brings a solid presence for voices that unfortunately fall upon deaf ears.
An intense look at the dark realities that so many experience day in and day out, “Lost Boy” is a shining light in the dark. An empowering piece of sound that had me shouting “fuck you lost boy” after my few initial listens. If you’ve ever been preyed upon by a lost boy. Lana Love’s strong voice is a guide through the darkness to a hopeful better tomorrow. Presenting itself with strong “fuck you” energy, “Lost Boy” is a banger that I can see being a fantastic time within the presence of a live audience.
One thing is for sure, Lana Love doesn’t fuck with lost boys. And neither should you. Instrumentally, “Lost Boy” continues a trend of chill vibes and big thematic soundscapes to help tell the stories Lana Love hopes to convey within the musical spectrum. A phenomenal fuck you anthem that I can see only getting bigger with time.
In Too Deep:
As much as I love “American Love,” “In Too Deep” is personally my favorite track on Lana Love’s new EP. It’s a fun and dark escapade into the dark jungles of your mind, genre-hopping from low profile EDM intricacies while not losing the larger-than-life thematics presented within the EP thus far. Lana captivates while seducing the mind, keeping listeners hooked upon every melody that leaves the touch of her vocal cords, creating a perfect storm of dark and light.
Listeners will have a variety of lyrics presented throughout “In Too Deep” stuck on the surface of their minds for weeks to come, from every waking moment to every storm-filled night. “What do I gotta do?” will encompass the listener’s very being, as they quickly sing along with Lana note for note, “What do I gotta do to get into you/What do I gotta say to get in your way.” A complete package, “In Too Deep,” will keep feet dancing, bodies moving, and energy at new levels of high.
If you only listen to one track off of Lana Love’s self-titled release, make it this one. “In Too Deep” keeps the dark storytelling at an all-time high while tossing worries to the wind for a fun, mind-opening experience that you won’t be able to escape from. I’m going to be keeping this track in mind as I put together Blast out your Stereo’s Song of the Year Extravaganza bracket later this year.
Scared Like Me:
Continuing to capture musical souls with her haunting take on the world, Lana strikes with her phenomenal and heart-breaking track, “Scared Like Me.” In all honesty, “Scared Like Me” had me reliving moments of my darkest hours from my youth. A scary place, to say the least. But, while opaque, “Scared Like Me” also lets out a hand within the darkness, letting listeners understand that they’re not alone while the lights are off.
“Scared Like Me” is possibly the rawest and most darkness-inviting track within Lana Love’s self-titled release. A beautiful piece nonetheless that had me close to tears within just a few listens to the track’s haunting qualities and sorrowful melodies. Lana hits it out of the park with this one, all while keeping it under a three-minute runtime. Listeners will quickly be ugly crying while singing along, “Is there anyone else/That feels the same way I do?/I want to know/That you are lonely too.”
The EP’s fourth track shows that beauty can reside even in the darkest of lights and that no one is ever truly alone. Instrumentally, the track is subtle and lets Lana further take center stage as her vocal performance flickers into the night. I can’t say enough just how beautiful “Scared Like Me” is.
Loaded Gun:
A classic tale of self-sabotage told in a graceful twirl that will continue to find listeners haunted by the concepts of their own mental breakdowns in regards to the undoing of themselves. I and this website are my prime examples. “Loaded Gun” is a fantastic piece of music that will stay with me for the time being. A relatable track that will grasp hard onto listeners as they confront “Loaded Gun’s” lyrical reflection of themselves, “Hold me like a loaded gun” is only one example of the raw power displayed throughout the track’s three minutes and nine seconds.
Instrumentally, “Loaded Gun” continues the trends set forth by “Scared Like Me,” almost acting as a direct sequel of sorts. Listeners will find no fun and games with this one. Just dark, unrelenting reality staring them down in old western form, waiting to draw the final bullet. Lana Love, however, continues to capture magic in a bottle as her vocal performance continues to be next level, creating a world of despair hanging on every rhythm of her voice exploding in a volcanic eruption that takes her music to extreme levels of excellence.
Ego Go:
Lana Love rounds out her self-titled EP with yet another look into her mind as the talented artist attempts to come to terms with her faults and ego-filled daydreams. Singing, “I’m scared of my emotions/I’m scared I’m not the person I want to be,” “Ego Go” continues the listener’s emotional adventure to finding self-worth and breaking the barriers and pressures of today’s world. “I can’t let my ego go, no” Lana continues to warp her vocal melodies through the wind, haunting our dreams as we sing in unison, “I got lost in a million ways/Always changing direction like I know the way.”
While I love “Ego Go,” I can’t help but feel as if something was missing towards the bottom half of the track. It might be my wanting of more haunting lullabies to cry at night with, or as the song suggests, it might be my ego wanting more, as if Lana Love’s track owed me a more proper ending to an exceptional EP. Not being able to accept the planned ending Lana created for listeners. I guess I “Can’t let go of my ego today.”
“Ego Go” bookends a fantastic release that has me wanting more after each listen-through. Lana Love’s self-titled release is a special one, and I’m thrilled the world finally got to experience the complex and, at time’s darkening mind of such a talented artist.
Wrapping Up
While the music industry will unfortunately always be shit, artists like Lana Love are on their way to making a difference. Lana’s self-titled EP is a spark in the night, a rope thrown into the ever-growing hole of our minds, a reality check to bring us back from the brink. And, of course, an unforgettable musical experience that will have listeners self-reflecting for years to come. Rightfully so, Lana Love is a genre-breaker, a “fuck you” wielding badass that has me waiting for her next release already.
If you’d like even more Lana Love in your life, check out her latest music video for “Lost Boy” right this very second. Also, might I add that I’m gutted I missed what looked like a fantastic performance at the Redlands Bowl back in August. Make sure also to check out Lana Love’s official website, where you can find everything you need to keep up with Lana’s rising star.
