The release of LANY’s second album, Malibu Nights, on October fifth brought heartbreak and nostalgia to listeners. Lead singer, Paul Jason Klein, wrote all nine songs on the album from experience and is very proud of his work. After what has been described as the worst days of his life and after a very public breakup, the singer began working on this album. Once it was released to the public he tweeted, “i hope i live forever. but if i died tomorrow, i’d wanna be remembered for writing these 9 songs.”
The album follows the diminishing of a relationship and all the feelings that come along with it. The only way to truly get the best experience is to listen to the album from beginning to end without shuffling, as it tells a story. Malibu Nights starts off with “Thick and Thin” which describes the expectations of a relationship and how ending is never included in those expectations. The album then ends with “Malibu Nights” which leaves listeners with a heart wrenching feeling and an insight to Klein’s heartbreak.
While the songs themselves are generally upbeat or synth-pop, the lyrics are very poignant. This helps to make the album versatile and a good listen for any occasion, whether it be taking a walk on a fall day or crying over your own heartbreak.
Songs like “I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore” and “If You See Her” are perfect examples of this versatility with the lively beat but lyrics such as “Does she remember/The night before goodbye she said ‘forever’/And made me swear I’d never leave her.”
The most emotional song on the album in my opinion is “Malibu Nights,” which has lyrics such as “Way too much whiskey in my blood/I feel my body giving up/Can I hold on for another night?” and “I’m done, I don’t believe in love/Learning how to let it go/Dealing with it on my own.”
Malibu Nights contains everything from the fiery flames to the bitter ends of love and all feelings in between. This album leaves the audience feeling less alone while they reminisce on their old heartbreaks or while they currently go through one.
Klein recently explained how the process of making this album was so different compared to the first. He was not trying to make an album, he was just going to the studio everyday to try and distract himself from his broken heart. Klein explained that the album was made in Santa Monica but every night he would drive himself back to his house in Malibu where he would toss and turn from heartache. It can be assumed this is where the saying from the band’s new merchandise came from, “FELT IN MALIBU MADE IN SANTA MONICA.”
Whether or not someone has been in love only to watch it fall apart right in front of you, listeners have an appreciation for the emotion put into the making of Malibu Nights. If Paul Jason Klein could survive his heartbreak, you can too.