Announcing plans of an innovative release model in early 2017, Los Angeles-based artist Lostboycrow laid out a proposal of grand scale. Committing to a year-long succession of new music that would eventually result in a complete body of work and the bones of his debut album, Traveler. Singles were drip-released and placed together in a series of three EPs – each adding to the mythology of the artist – to be aptly titled: ‘The [First/Second/Third] Legend.’ So by the time we reached the final compilation, a collective of 15 individual and cohesive tracks had materialized.
Journeying through emotive realms of internal and external exploration, each EP delivers epic highs and deep insights into the artist’s world. The First Legend features standout staples like ‘Real Name‘ and ‘Nobody Knows,’ that pull together familiar tropes of modernity and a taste of something distinctly original. This EP carved out a blushing directness of tone and sound, tapping into a refreshing immediacy that would strike many an impression on his streaming audience. A particular flag-baring trait which not many artists outside of the mainstream are able to grasp so assuredly – at least, not so early on in a career. A romantic air perfumes the tracks alongside carefully-flavoured electro-pop / R&B production, this inspired dichotomy of sensuality vs. bombast certifies the ensemble release as a work of artistic precision and versatility.
Released at the tail-end of 2017, the Second Legend revealed an experimental vision – one that encompasses a scope of larger magnitude and ups the stakes higher than ever before. Defying stylistic expectation, the five tracks enlightened the narrative with a nostalgia of youth and a breathtaking realism. Some of Lostboycrow’s most personal stories lie within the EP, singing in paler blues from a vantage point of hindsight, sharply-felt confessions reveal the human behind the music and allow an intimacy of candid relatability to soar. Highlights arrive often here, ‘Spin the Globe‘ captures the sentiment best with its “anything is possible” mantra.
Completing the anthology in early March of 2018 was the Third Legend. Documenting the artist’s evolution, this quintet of songs marks the final leg of the journey. Stylistically and lyrically, the tracks are free of any bindings or labels, gifting the work a feeling of vitality and limitlessness. More intense and future-forward than anything Lostboycrow has released up to this point, the Third Legend looks outwards to the unknown and offers a guiding hand to those lost in the bleakness of this world. Embracing liberation as a vehicle for further exploration, a braver sonic palette meets this revolutionary attitude in a rainbow-like collision of soulful pop. ‘I’m A Sailor, Not A Salesman‘ glistens in its authenticity, ‘Church With No Ceiling‘ exhales like a breath of fresh air, and ‘River of Forgetfulness‘ stands tall like the mountains it sings of.
To analyse and ponder life is inevitable, but the answer of existence is infinite. All we can really understand in this precise moment is who we are, who’ve we’ve been, and where want to go. Yet it’s by way of artists like Lostboycrow, who continue to search within themselves and study life through its endless question marks and exclamation points that we learn more about ourselves and the world around. With this project, Lostboycrow has opened the gate to his creativity and demonstrates the power of real honest truth via the medium of music. A celebration of artistic integrity indeed.
All three of Lostboycrow’s EPs are now released and are available to Stream or Purchase from your chosen digital service. Lostboycrow embarks on his ‘Spin the Globe Tour Pt. 2’ throughout March and April – info and tickets can be found here.
Photo Credit: Mike Danenberg
