Ruby Dilts
News Editor
Indie-pop band LANY’s fifth studio album, “A Beautiful Blur,” was released on September 29.
During its early stages, the band planned to call the album “A Beautiful Blur.”
Prior to announcing the title, the band shifted to a new one: “I Really, Really Hope So.”
LANY singer Paul Jason Klein took to Instagram about a week before the release to announce the new album title.
Klein and fellow band member Jake Goss felt that the name wasn’t fitting.
The pair returned the album’s original name, “A Beautiful Blur.”
The album’s new name came with new artwork as well: the cover involves a simple black background paired with a blue oval and the album title.
Klein and Goss left the design open for interpretation.
“People can kind of put their own story to it, like ‘Is that the moon?’ or ‘Is that from an airplane window?” and we love that people put their own [meaning] to it,” Goss said.
Some listeners feel that the songs are cliche and uninspired, while others think this album is a shift back to LANY’s original sound.
Many fans are supportive of the return to a former style, as some recent lyrics on past albums bordered on emotionally manipulative and avoidant of responsibility.
The reckless nature of such an attitude garnered much criticism toward Klein’s lifestyle choices.
“A Beautiful Blur,” though, holds a more hopeful tone.
Klein spends plenty of time exploring heartbreak and hardship through the lyrics.
He seems to recognize that pain is inevitable but worth pushing through, bringing a new perspective to LANY songs.
“It Even Rains in LA” and “Sugar and Cinnamon” express the reality that some days will be hard.
“It Even Rains in LA” shows that hardship finds us in even the best seasons of life.
“Sugar and Cinnamon” reiterates this sentiment, reminding listeners that we are not alone in personal difficulty but rather are connected to one another through a universal experiences.
The typical LANY listener may be surprised by this new perspective of reality coupled with a greater sense of hope.
The album still holds a degree of stereotypical LANY angst and lost-love.
For example, “Heartbreak Can Wait” and “‘Cause You Have To” showcases fears many people face in relationships, making the songs relatable for a wide audience. “Heartbreak Can Wait” explores the dilemma of ending a relationship.
Klein plays with the feelings of being torn between staying and leaving, weighing the potential a relationship has with the truth of its current state.
On the flip side, “‘Cause You Have To” explores the very real fear that someone you love might not love you in return.
Lyrically, Klein details his willingness to do whatever it takes to save the relationship, but ultimately accepts that he can’t make someone love him back.
Klein indicates that he’d rather have his heart broken than be lied to or led on, something with which many listeners can empathize
“Out of My League” and “XXL” showcase what is arguably LANY’s best.
“Out of My League” portrays a love for a girl far beyond what the singer thinks he deserves, coupled with a degree of positive disbelief that she’s his.
“XXL” encompasses LANY’s shifts over time.
That track has notes of nostalgia, complemented by the band’s usual nod toward a break-up anthem.
The song follows a long-term relationship as it ends, with Klein remarking that he’ll always hold a place in his heart for the memories the couple shared.
Some listeners criticize LANY’s predictable sound, claiming the lyrics are cliche and the music is uninspired.
Others find comfort in the band’s motifs of breakups and highlights.
The band seems to have found a balance between sappy love songs and break-up blues.
“A Beautiful Blur” could be a turning point for the band as they carry on with the sound they’re known for, but now with a fresh perspective and a new level of maturity.
