Recommended Tracks: “Encore”, “Between Us”, “Lonely Light”
Artists You May Like: ASHE, Tame Impala, Daft Punk
If you ever find yourself in need of a sprawling soundtrack to go along with your life, just turn to indie electronic artist Lamorn. The young musician knows how to capture a feeling with his music, which is how he ended up becoming the only artist sought out and signed by the incomparable deadmau5. He is a talent well beyond his teen years, fusing alternative instrumentation, electronic production, and unique vocals to create sophisticated textures of sound. Using his skills to convey the essence of growing up and finding your place in this world, Lamorn gives us his extraordinary debut EP Encore.
Lamorn is able to balance the light and the dark throughout the EP, crafting songs that can be energetic and carefree, but also down and pensive. On the faulty-sounding “Missing Voices,” for instance, we have an eclectic mix of disjointed electronics and smooth vocals that capture an unwavering sense of purpose. There is also the reflective “Local Sentiment,” which uses looming verses and jovial choruses as an ode to getting older. The most striking track of this nature, however, is the closing track “Lonely Light,” which features the vocal talents of Molly Otto. Blending expansive synth and symphonic harmonies, Lamorn and Molly deliver a moving track that taps into the nostalgia of adolescence, with Molly singing, “I fall in love with leaving everyone behind / Because it’s lonely in my light.”
While this is an electronic project, there is more going on than just rousing beats and steady synth work. There are elements of live instrumentation and enthralling lyrics on this EP, setting the tracks apart from your average electronic song. We get funky bass lines on “Physical Layer,” for example, as well as creative hi-hat on title track “Encore.” Additionally, Lamorn’s lo-fi vocals prevail on “Encore” and other tracks such as “Between Us,” doing his part to make each track as telling as possible.
Even though the music and the vocals do their best to distinguish these tracks from one another, there are a few times when they fail to break out of a set sound. The cosmic style that comes out on almost every song gets a bit repetitive, even though it is well-suited for the vibe that Lamorn sets out to achieve. We get this on “Between Us (Reprise)” and “Ordinary,” where each shimmering riff overstays its welcome. As much as I appreciate such celestial production, I wish it was held back on a track or two so that I would not get so used to it.
On the whole, though, Encore is a significant venture for Lamorn. He has come so far in the past couple of years, and has such a great career ahead of him. You truly feel that this is just the start for Lamorn on this EP, as its tracks reveal so much about the artist, but not so much that we would not care for what he does next. As he continues on as “deadmau5’s protégé,” we are sure to get a lot more than an encore from Lamorn in the years to come – we will be getting the full show.
You can listen to Encore on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
