By Nimra Amir, October 2 2023—
Former white boy of the month, Ross Lynch, has not too long ago resurfaced on X with posts that query if he does truly make music as a result of each viral thirst entice appears to have him conveniently simply posing in entrance of a microphone. For many who have watched Disney Channel’s Austin & AllyLynch performed musician Austin Moon and recorded all the present’s first soundtrack in addition to a few of the present’s second soundtrack. Equally, for individuals who have watched Disney Channel’s Teen Seashore Film and Teen Seashore 2Lynch performed surfer Brady and recorded a few of the film’s soundtrack. There isn’t a doubt that Lynch has made music earlier in his profession. However what about now?
Lynch’s most up-to-date musical endeavour after his Disney Channel soundtracks and the pop-rock band R5 is the indie-pop duo The Driver Period along with his brother Rocky. As a former fan of Lynch, I listened to all the albums launched by the duo to see for myself precisely what kind of music he makes now.
X:
The duo’s debut studio album X begins with the moody tune “Welcome to the Finish of Your Life”, which alerts a transparent departure from the Lynch that many people have grown up with by instantly singing concerning the existential dread that comes with realizing the approaching dying that awaits us all with lyrics like “Want you’ll’ve by no means thought twice, yeah / By no means obtained to avoid wasting a lady’s life, yeah / In all probability ought to’ve realized to play nicer.” However the temper instantly picks up with notable songs like “No person Is aware of,” “Really feel You Now” and “Afterglow” about love with a extra upbeat pop sound — however in a approach so that each tune can nonetheless maintain its personal. The album ends with the favored tune “Preacher Man” which was initially launched as a single about remorse with lyrics written in a confessional type like “Hey, Mr. Preacher Man / Are you able to assist me get away from this lifetime of sin? / I’m ashamed of the darkish locations I carried out been / Repair my soul so I don’t lose a love once more.”
X does efficiently what’s tried by many albums — bridge collectively totally different genres like pop, rock and indie in a approach that’s cohesive by means of songs that relate to one another when it comes to being concerning the normal expertise of a teen determining life, however nonetheless hit on the totally different ways in which expertise seems. It isn’t nearly discovering love and shedding love, but in addition about remorse of the previous or the current and concern of the longer term. There aren’t any two songs on the album which are the identical in any approach, however that’s what makes the album enjoyable.
Girlfriend:
Their album Girlfriend begins with the tune “Coronary heart of Mine” which appropriately units the tone for the remainder of the tracklist by introducing love. This tone is adopted up in songs like “cray z bab e” and “Depart Me Feeling Assured” which develop how love will change how you are feeling — like making you loopy or assured. The narrative continues within the groovy tune “When You Want a Man” with less complicated lyrics to vibe out to. However the temper picks up with the favored tune “A Kiss” with catchier lyrics to jam out to, like “It’s only a curve upon the lips, the hips / Simply the satisfaction of the twist, the twist / Nothing the matter with a kiss, a kiss.”
Not like X, Girlfriend has a transparent class with the album specializing in the expertise of affection. This does imply that a few of the songs are inclined to mix collectively, however for individuals who have an interest on this particular area of interest of indie-pop love songs then which may be good. For me, it was lower than beneficial however I used to be nonetheless in a position to benefit from the catchier songs like “A Kiss.”
Summer season Mixtape:
The duo’s current album Summer season Mixtape begins with the tune “Malibu” — a metropolis that’s described to completely encapsulate the relaxed however enjoyable summer time that’s emulated all through the remainder of the tracklist with lyrics like “All I see is stars / Removed from the panic don’t know the way I reside with out / Reside with out / Malibu.” However after all, there’s hassle in paradise with extra slow-paced songs like “Fantasy” and “The Cash” about wanting somebody you like and wanting that somebody you like to need you again. The album ends with the tune “Hold Shifting Ahead” that includes singer Nikka Costa singing about precisely what the title describes, transferring ahead, however with a extra upbeat electrical sound.
Summer season Mixtape, like Girlfriend, performs into the indie-pop love songs. It was at this level in my listening expertise that I started to crave the moodier songs like “Welcome to the Finish of Your Life” as an alternative of the extra generic pop songs like “Malibu.” This isn’t to say that “Malibu” or songs prefer it, resembling “Fantasy” and “The Cash” are dangerous songs, however the album leaves one thing to be desired when it comes to the earlier sound that the duo had put out.
I can say that Lynch, regardless of his former title of white boy of the month, is greater than only a viral thirst entice on X posing in entrance of a microphone. As an alternative, he does truly make music. In truth, the music is mostly good too — particularly earlier music like on debut album X.
