After steadily simmering for a couple years, riding the success of viral hit single "i hate u, i love u," California indie pop musician
Gnash released his official debut
We at the start of 2019. Adding another pronoun title to the catalog,
We employs pleasant and warm production that frequently relies on acoustic guitar strumming, a pastoral shift that is markedly less electronic than prior releases. The spirit of major influence
the Postal Service is still present, as well as some sad-sack, woe-is-me
Bright Eyes lamentation designed for 2010s youth. Still nursing old breakup wounds,
Gnash spends most of
We opining on such matters, occasionally dipping into overly precious territory with wide-eyed ruminations on life ("Imagine what the world would be like if everybody stayed offline" and "Let's watch TV with the sound off/'cause the news is always bad/Let's be immature and ignorant/'cause I don't feel like being sad"). For all the potential eye-rolling, these thoughts lend a confessional and coming-of-age quality to
We that should connect with sympathetic listeners. Sonically,
We slides up beside contemporary acts such as
AJR,
Jon Bellion, and
Lauv with delicate pop flourish. The anxiety and self-doubt of
the Chainsmokers' introspective wonderings is also a touchstone, while
Gnash's vocal delivery and cadence sound very similar to
Twenty One Pilots, especially on "happy never after" and "feel better." His big 2016 hit "i hate u, i love u" featuring
Olivia O'Brien is forced in toward the end of the album and still manages to fit with the tortured and lovelorn themes explored throughout the album.
We is harmless and occasionally boring, but its complicated emotions and generational voice should appeal to a segment of the Coachella millennial population. ~ Neil Z. Yeung