At the tail end of 2017,
LANY frontman Paul Jason Klein experienced the worst heartbreak of his soon-to-be-30-year-old life. After the dissolution of a months-long relationship, he processed those emotions into the trio's sophomore effort,
Malibu Nights. Originally titled January -- after the month he spent writing these nine tracks of tear-soaked millennial synth pop --
Malibu Nights is an emotive collection that should register with anyone who has gone through a tough breakup. Klein pines for his ex, confessing on "I Don't Wanna Love You Anymore" that "last night I finally cried" and claiming "I don't know what she left me for" on "If You See Her." Klein doesn't shy away from sentimentality as he ponders where it all went wrong ("Thick and Thin") and debates popping open his pill bottle ("Run"). On the gauzy "Thru These Tears," he holds his head high, singing "This hurts like hell, but I keep telling myself it's gonna get better." Indeed, life likely has more in store for Klein, but on
Malibu Nights, he's embracing the now, wallowing in his misery and searching for a way to heal in understandably dramatic fashion. As far as catharsis goes, it's sure to resonate with anyone throwing their own pity party. ~ Neil Z. Yeung