Today’s the day folks. After months of expectation, today’s the day The Maine’s sixth album is not only theirs anymore, but ours to listen, to give love to and, trust me on this, for us to play it as loud as we can.
“The lovely little loneliness would hold me down under the sound of being found…but then it all turned around.”
Lovely Little Lonely is the “Arizona emo group’s” newest album and if there were to be a compilation of the last 10 years they’ve been a band, this would be it. Whether you’ve been a fan for 10 or 3 years, this album is guaranteed to do one thing: it’s bound to make you feel and I have a feeling that this may be the year of The Maine. So, here’s to a new chapter.
Starting the 12-track journey, opener “Don’t Come Down” kicks off the mood in a way that’ll make you reminisce of your high school days, followed by the first single, “Bad Behavior,” which became a fan favourite since the moment it was released.
The album title is composed from the three shorter tracks. “Lovely” is the first one to make an appearance, it works out just perfectly and pays honor to its title by being quite a lovely introduction for “Black Butterflies and Déjà Vu” which is, hands down, one of my favourite tracks on the whole album.
Next comes “Taxi.” This one hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting with lyrics such as, “I never knew how much I was getting into,” and one of the main lines on the chorus saying, “In the backseat when you asked me ‘is the sadness everlasting?’ I pulled you closer, looked at you and said ‘love, I think it is.” This track seemed to me to be one of the most intimate, realistic and relatable ones.
“Do You Remember? (The Other Half of 23)” was the third and final single the band released before the album came out, this kinda served as a way of reflecting on the past 10 years of the band and one that’s sure to become an anthem for the 8123 fan base.
“Let’s fall back in love with the world and who we are and do the things we talked about but never did before”.
“Little” shows off drummer, Pat Kirch’s abilities and passion while it opens up the path for “The Sound Of Reverie” which is another one of the standout tracks on the album, and one of my personal favourites as it focuses on the importance of not only dreaming about things but making them happen without losing your ground while also giving the present time a lot of importance.
Despite being a shorter track, the kick-ass baseline along with the dreamy vocals and 80’s inspired vibes featured on “Lost In Nostalgia” are what make this 1:40 long track a great one and one to introduce the darker-toned “I Only Wanna Talk To You.”
“The only thing I’m really sure of is… I’m unsure of almost everything”
I must confess that I’m –most of times– a huge fan of interludes, especially when they’re filled with emotion. “Lonely” is the final step before the closer track and I gotta be honest…this one gave me all the chills and even made me tear up a little. I don’t know what that is that this track has; maybe it’s a combination of the soft melodies mixed with the tenderness projected in John’s voice.
I couldn’t have asked for a better closure for the album since “How Do You Feel?” delivers a powerful message and makes you feel like you aren’t alone in this. “How do you feel, what’s your condition? You are alive but, are you living?” This line speaks louder to everyone and whatever it is you’re going through, The Maine sure knows how to lift your spirits every time.
Lovely Little Lonely is a journey full of nostalgia, deep emotions and buried feelings. What does this album sound like, you ask? It sounds like The Maine in its purest form. Old and new sounds, lighter and darker tracks are what make this album one of the best things they have created. Welcome to the Lovely Little Lonely era.
Lovely Little Lonely is out now.
