Listening to a Lostboycrow track has always felt like coming home. Whether you’re a lost soul looking for a home or a kindred soul searching for their tribe, there’s always something genuine to marvel over, which is something we’ve always appreciated about the Los Angeles indie pioneer.
Real name Chris Danks, Lostboycrow has been a symbol of discovery since the project’s inception in 2014. An homage to new beginnings, self-discovery, and a deep-rooted love for one’s heritage, Lostboycrow has become more than just an artist but a movement, and debut album, Santa Fe, encompasses all that and more while still packing a punch. It’s crazy to think that with the amount of material he has released over the years, this album isn’t his third, but all good things take time and we are truly blessed to have this one finally in our hands!
With a strong penchant for effortlessly blending indie, pop, and alternative with R&B sensibilities, LBC really outdid himself on this one, and if you’ve been listening since the beginning, be prepared to marvel over the sound progression.
From the head-bopping gem that is “Orange Juice” to the trippy “Stargazing with Patrick Bateman” to title track, “Santa Fe,” this is one album meant to be played from start to finish; the latter telling a tale of the singer’s move to LA with a strong desire to stay rooted in his background with lyrics like, “New crack in my patience from living little lies.” One thing’s for sure: LA did not maim this one and thankfully so.
They say you have to go back in order to move forward. LBC takes us on a trip down memory lane with “27 (Sad Signs),” “Violet Sky” and “Suburban Girl,” the latter invoking the nostalgia of young love in a sleepy town. “Who you let go when you let go says it all” – a bittersweet reminder of the hands we’ve held or felt so deeply in our hearts but never got to hold. “Violet Sky,” however, is the all too relatable feeling of being stuck in the past wondering where you’re going as you witness those around you on paths they never thought they’d go down; when sixteen and twenty-six felt like distant relatives yet all of a sudden, you’re in the thick of it. “All these coffee shops are looking like graveyards / All my friends got married to a day job.”
Once creativity anthem, “Waste Of Time,” featuring Bea Miller comes barreling in, thoughts of the past dissipate. An inspiring take on using your demons to make something beautiful, this is one chorus you’ll be chanting feverishly as you get pumped to go on new adventures while casting fear & doubt aside. “The mind is a cage no bird is used to / When we fly, whatever we make is never a waste of time.”
Continuing the inspirational streak, “Cody In The Valley” and “San Junipero” invite the senses to come along to a place of hope, peace, and solitude as one’s dreams are realized and ready to take flight. Listening to the latter will also help with some anxiety as you imagine yourself immersed in nature. It works. Trust me.
Album closers “Suburban Home” and “Since The Day I Was Born” bring things full circle where the heart of LBC resides and new beginnings are ready to bloom. One thing’s for sure: this is exactly where we hoped this journey would take him and we are so excited to follow him the rest of the way.
