Lil Lotus or John “Elias” Villagran is a musician and singer who blends rap, emo, pop, and pop-punk. He`s had his share of difficulties with addiction and his latest release `Nosebleeder` is his kind of coming of age album which touches on themes such as friendship, addiction, mental health, and toxic relationships.
The album bursts into life with `Blame Me For Everything` which features fellow rapper, singer, songwriter, and drummer Mod Sun, and tackles the irritating feeling of not being able to do anything right in a relationship. It`s a delightful foot tapping earworm of a track that is wonderfully captivating despite it`s difficult subject matter. The fatigue associated with an on-and-off relationship shines through `How’s It Feel To Feel Nothing?` and the frustration is almost tangible in the vocals shared over a pounding musical heartbeat.
Title track `Nosebleeder` races along and refers to the soulless nature of the limitless partying and substance abuse associated with that scene in the `City of Lights`. sace6 an underground artist from New York`s Long Island who relocated to LA and is part of a collective known as the `Art Cell` and joins forces with LL on `Stockholme Syndrome` which is a fairly reflective, introspective number which appears to be about an unhealthy relationship.
`What A Time To Be Alive` explores the complexities of addiction and the double-edged sword of being medicated to the point where you`re almost bereft of emotion and feelings. It`s shared over a swaying anthemic beat with a kind of frustration and pleading in the vocals communicated. Singer Alex Munroe shares vocal duties on `Ghost` a number that races along with a bit of a metal heart that relates to treacherous friendships.
`Missouri` is a kind of spin on the term “misery loves company” but plays off of the idea of what would happen if the protagonists actually got married, a mid-paced insightful reflection. Singer -songwriter Kennedyxoxo joins forces on `Millionaire` a number that signifies the numerous lies and deceptions in a poisonous relationship and how rich one would be if you got a dime for every lie told, yeah you`d be a millionaire.
`She’s A Vampire` was written with the movie Twilight in mind and the peculiarities of meeting somebody who has another parallel life. It`s a pretty enticing pop like composition. I found `Hailey`s Comet` kind of drew me into it`s pictorial vision of missing but at the same time resenting that special someone.
`Play Dead` deals with unwanted attention and is a metal tinged emo offering with vocals that are screamed at times throughout. There`s a real depth to the lyrical content of the stop start fast slow `Everything You Hate About Me` which recognises that a negative feeling can also mask the positive aspects of a corelation.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade is a proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune but here ‘When Life Gives You Lemons’ is about a chaotic relationship and a partner who is beyond control. Up and coming singer Sophie Powers adds a real yang to Lotus`s Ying. The album closes with `Shooting Star` which describes the experience of two people watching a rare occurrence while on the beach. A number that weaves from fairly dreamlike to a more powerful presence.
Last time I reviewed Lil Lotus I said that this is not a genre of music that i`m familiar with or that I’d normally listen to but for me good music is good music and transcends genres or categories. I actually went to see Lil lotus when he came to my hometown last year and he can certainly cut it live as well.
These tracks are catchy and really hook you in. The lyrics I think have become more mature and more reflective and shared by an artist who has a very captivating vocal range and will ensure you are at the very least nodding and tapping your foot if not singing along.
`Nosebleeder` is a release that haemorrhages many excellent tunes and if you`re a fan of bands like Blink 182, New Found Glory, and Simple Plan, i`m sure you`ll enjoy this.
Rating 9 / 10
