A moving pop track led by playful synths and glistening guitar bursts, “Like to Look Sad” is the latest single from Lane Lines. The Seattle-based project was formed by Mandi L. Kimes, in collaboration with Austin Harshman (Emby Alexander, LOAM) and Shaun Fleming (Foxygen, Diane Coffee). They embrace personal, important themes of loss and love, also emphasizing the role of trauma and the importance of destigmatizing mental health struggles. “When we realize we’re not alone, we finally find validation,” Kimes says. “I want folks to know they’re heard in their own individual struggles.”
The initial, ambiguous vocal segments tout a sort of gleeful quality, complemented with colorful appeal by gyrating synths and flashes of glistening guitars. The multi-layered vocals show a steady yet passionate pull, enveloping past the first minute, when buzzing synths and dreamy guitars assemble amidst the vocal-less soundscape. The subsequent push, re-entering the perky synths and serene guitars, furthers the strong melodic pull. Even more, the effervescent vocal effects approaching the third minute thoroughly enamor, adding further vibrancy to the already-colorful mix. “Like to Look Sad” is a stellar, impassioned pop success from Lane Lines.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of February 2023’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup. The submitter accepted our content-based offer, which included financial compensation for our time writing, editing, and publishing this article.
