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Lawrence
Lanahan:
Self-Titled EP
This is a six-song EP by a Maryland singer called Lawrence Lanahan. It was interesting to read that he is actually a sociology professor of sorts, and this is his first musical release. Yet the results are a bit of a mixed bag, at least to my ears. Starting off with The Big Move, we get an amusing tale of potential places the singer can move to in order to get away from his old girl. Yet this is paired with the sort of disappointing refrain, I love you goodbye. I hate to nitpick, but this just makes the entire song describing his Big Move a bit disingenuous. Not everybody gets hung up on such details, but a song, just like any good piece of fiction, must illustrate unified characters; or the listener will have a hard time believing any of it. Things get better with a nice acoustic instrumental song called Blackfish Creek. In fact Lanahans pretty good at conveying a consistent and intriguing mood with his music, but the lyrics and singing sometimes pull the songs away from their strong points. The fifth song Weddings & Engagements however shows a bit more promise as a lyrical song. Its kind of a folk-styled song that reminds me of Don McClean. The words jump in and out of rhythm with the music kind of like American Pie, but the song isnt an attempt at anything quite that epic. Really youre asking for trouble doing folk songs nowadays, because you have to compete with over 50 years of classics; and it is understandably hard to come up with something that stands out. The guitar playing is fine for a folk classic, but the lyrics just need a bit more cohesion in many places. Perhaps the final track Boards is an omen of good things to come in the future. Its my favorite here, and the singing doesnt stray far from the musical rhythm. Plus there are some interesting lines about Baltimore and some images that offer a bit of insight into Lanahans mind. As a developing musician, Lanahans got some good promise, and if he keeps working to accentuate his strengths, I could see him attracting a good number of fans.
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