The synth driven alternative-pop group LANY, led by singer Paul Klein, played a sold out show at the Tabernacle as a part of their “Malibu Nights” tour. That album, released on Oct. 5, focuses on the pain of a first real heartbreak. His airy voice intermixes with the synths and the soft background tracks set the listener into a calm mindset, allowing them to focus on the story Klein is trying to convey. Taking a softer yet similar approach to the U.K. powerhouse quartet The 1975, “Malibu Nights” integrates the modern rock, 80s pop-synth and EDM to create LANY’s own unique dreamy sound space. Even though the lyrical content is straightforward, the writing style is unique in its storytelling ability. The listeners will find themselves slipping into the life of Paul Klein and feeling the emotions being sung through the track.
As a body of work, “Malibu Nights” is well produced and written and lends itself well to live performances. The vocal ability of Klein and his affinity for singing stems from his simplistic vocals and his lullaby-style voice. Individually, each track is ideal for small scale indoor venues, sounding better in closed air at a reasonable volume. The small size of the Tabernacle reduced the distortion of the tracks and made the feeling even more personal. The album as a whole is a living, breathing representation of what one might imagine L.A. would sound like as a song. The emotions ran high throughout the Tabernacle as concertgoers found themselves dancing and singing along with the band. Even the most seasoned concert veteran would have trouble recalling a time when the audience connected more with the lyrics and the artist in such an ethereal way. The sound of the audience was not a scream. Rather, it was more of a painful recall of personal memories. Klein stopped multiple times during the show to comment on this feelings, even returning to the stage after the encore ended to again thank the crowd for the emotions and for the environment of the night. The awe on his face when the crowd spontaneously clapped for his performance and started chanting his name in the middle of his set was unbeatable. Of course, many artists do similar things to make audiences feel special, but this was a display of genuine love and appreciation.
With 6.5 million monthly Spotify listeners, LANY is doing something right. From being a supporting act for Ellie Goulding and Troye Sivan to holding their own sold out shows and tour, LANY still manages to transform the tracks in a way audiences never thought possible live. Maybe it was the intimacy of the venue, the cold weather or a city full of heartbroken people but this show was special, a feeling its attendees will never forget.