React & Review: Lawrence - Family Business
i'm confident that i'm insecure.
Lawrence is an exception to my rule, I think. I discovered their music while my wife was looking through her recommendations on YouTube and thus far, I’ve only heard one track, Whatcha Want. It’s been a little while since I’ve last heard it, so I can still give my honest impressions of the track despite hearing it before. And that’s interesting as my wife and I typically have vastly different music tastes.
But otherwise, the duo is completely new to me. I haven’t heard any of their other tracks before nor do I really know what genre they are (thanks, Tidal, for not labeling albums and artists with genres for whatever reason).
So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and relax as I dive into Lawrence’s Family Business.
Whatcha Want
Naturally, the one track I’ve heard before is the title track. It has big hype track vibes and makes you feel good. It’s not a bad start for the first track.
I love the vocal run opening the track followed by the hip-hop inspired beat and rap. I wasn’t expecting that at all given that most streaming services classify the album as pop. It’s a certified head bopper.
In terms of production, I find it rather interesting that there seems to be a high-pass filter here. To my ears, almost everything above 7.5K seems to either be cut out completely or largely suppressed.
The kick drum is high up in the mix but is super wide, while the snare sits much lower and is more centered. I love the use of percussion on this track with its synth bass. Of course, I have to call out the electric guitar solo about midway through the track.
Yeah, overall this is a great first track. It’s a fantastic hype track and hopefully sets the mood for the rest of the album.
Guy I Used To Be
The saxophone and synth combo right at the start is a very good combination. The synth bass is very heavy here, predominantlysitting in the sub-bass.
Oddly, I think this track could be an opening to a 90s sitcom. The soft drums, piano, and sax lends itself to that era of TV. You can’t tell me you don’t hear it either. Clyde’s vocal (one part of the duo) is very soulful. I absolutely love how much energy he’s putting in here.
The bridge is very interesting. It’s very spacious and strips everything but the synth bass. It really gives Clyde’s vocal room to breathe and he absolutely takes it.
With that said, I’m a bit torn on this track. It’s a great track but I don’t love it. I think it lacks a bit of sparkle or pizzazz. There’s just not much going on and it doesn’t really engage me as a listener.
As I always say, just cause it’s not for me doesn’t mean it’s a bad track. I just didn’t vibe with it.
Do
Of course, that turns right around with this next track. I love how melodically chaotic it is in the beginning with the little voice note right before that track properly takes off. I’m a big fan of the Do harmonies at the beginning as well. Very well mixed.
What’s interesting is that I find Clyde’s voice very soulful, but it’s a great contrast to Gracie’s voice, which I find has a ton of sass. It’s a fun combination in my opinion.
This one isn’t a head bopper, it’s a foot tapper. I’m really loving the overall drum setup here. The hi-hat has a lovely crunch to it, followed by a kick drum that sits right in the mid-bass.
Oooh, the bridge. That one most definitely caught me off guard. The bass there digs very deep into the sub-bass department. I’m listening on headphones, and the bass even rattled my over-ear headphones a little bit. I’d imagine it’d hit deep on a proper speaker setup with a subwoofer that gets low.
Do definitely has a good mix of rhythm and straight up funk. I love every inch of it. The instrumental outro is just icing on the cake.
Something In The Water
I wonder what piano that is. It almost sounds like a toy piano (combined with the soft synth). My favorite thing about this track is its pacing. It’s definitely taking the "less is more" approach. Just as your brain expects something to come in it does. But as soon as it comes in, gets stripped away just as quickly.
This is the first track where I’m really listening to the songwriting and... it’s quite interesting. It effectively talks about how everyone finds success by moving to LA, but the duo just doesn’t get why that has to be the case. Maybe they’re missing something. Or, as they quite literally say it, there’s Something In The Water.
And I definitely feel like most people can relate to that even if it’s not in the entertainment industry. As humans, we find comfort in following a proven path set forth by other people. While that works for many, it won’t work for everyone. Sometimes you have to create your own path.
Again, really love this track. The pacing is excellent and kept me interested the entire time.
Hip Replacement
This one’s another foot tapper. Not only that, it’s a head bopper as well. I suppose it can be both. It has a ton of rhythm, soul, and funk.
I think it’s becoming increasingly obvious that the Lawrence duo loves adding little easter eggs that show that music can be as unserious as it can be serious. The various samples and ad-libs give this track quite a bit of character and make it a fun listen.
I love the approach on the bridge on this track. Rather than filling it with vocals, it sort of lets every instrument have its time in the sun to shine. And I mean every instrument.
If I had to give this track a one-word review, it would be "energy." There’s just so much of it the entire time. It doesn’t drop off at any point. I want to go back to the point about engagement. This track kept me engaged the entire time.
i’m confident that i’m insecure
I can’t help but notice that this is the only track on the album that isn’t title cased. But I suppose that makes sense if you’re insecure.
If this is the duo’s version of an acoustic track, I’m here for it. It’s short lived, but the first 50 seconds or so definitely showed that Gracie’s vocal can stand on its own (not that she hasn’t already proven that with the previous tracks).
I hate to sound like a broken record, but the pacing on this track is absolutely perfect. The track fills all the pockets exceptionally well.
I think this is the first time the duo has introduced distortion on this album but it’s done very beautifully. The second half of the track is chaotic with lots going on, but still keeps itself in check. They pushed everything out as wide as possible, while still making everything within reach at the same time.
We’ve still got the second half of the album to go, but I could see this track making my top three.
Promotion
That’s different. We’re kicking things off with a driving acoustic guitar. Are we getting an actual acoustic track? Probably not, but I’ve been informed that they have a completely separate acoustic album.
I love the percussion on this track. It sits just slightly above the vocal mix. I’m also loving the whistle introduced about two-thirds of the way through the track. Again, it adds that little bit of fun.
And I think that’s the main point of this track. You can tell they had fun recording it. I’d even wager that it’s possible this track was recorded in one take. It definitely sounds like it.
23
The beginning of this track reminds me a lot of BSC by Maisie Peters. It sounds like it starts on the off beat.
Another head bopper, straight away. The bass is super funky. I’d say the bass sits predominantly in the upper-bass, low midrange.
The track is very obviously about a birthday and promises that didn’t go as planned. Whether that be things that are supposed to happen or a friend who walked away when she turned 23. At 23 you said goodbye.
Sorry, I don’t have much to say about this track. It’s a great track that is definitely worth a listen. I was too busy bopping my head to it.
Circle Back
Lawrence really loves sub-bass because the bass here digs deep. This one definitely deserves to be played on a speaker setup. Headphones do not do it justice.
This track has a heavy jazz influence. I definitely feel the laid back nature. I’d say it’s more jazz fusion with how deep the bass is in this song. I’ve said in past tracks that Clyde’s vocals are very soulful and energetic. But in this case, it’s very smooth and laid back. I’d assume that’s Gracie’s vocal backing him up on this track and I have the same notes here as well. Very laid back and smooth.
There’s not much else to say here. I’ll repeat it again: it’s a very laid back track. It’s a great listen and really does take any tension you have away.
Death of Me
Just like that, huh? The synth hits you right in the face. That has to be a multi-layered synth. From what I hear, there’s a bass layer, and maybe a secondary midrange layer that’s mixed very well together.
I’m not sure I really felt it with other tracks on the album, but to me, this is the first track that has a strong electronic influence. It’s still funky, but it has that digital sound to it. I dig it.
Of course, Gracie’s vocals during the pre-chorus are fantastic here. Very soulful. It’s complimented by that mid-song break. I feel like I’m back in church again. But I suppose that makes sense if you’re singing, life’s gonna be the death of me.
I love the piano coming out of the right channel right at the end. It’s a nice little ear candy that I’d imagine most people will miss if not listening critically.
Funeral
It’s not acoustic in the traditional sense, but it sounds like we’re in for a stripped back sound here. Which, makes sense when the song starts off with I went to my own funeral.
I wasn’t expecting to bring out the waterworks on this album, but here I am. Of course, it’s metaphorical and not literal. But she’s walking us through what’s going on at her funeral. All the people that ignored her or never got back to her. Now, all of a sudden, they care about you.
Whether it be a breakup or a friendship that wasn’t meant to be, people tend to show up at your funeral. Whether that’s because they genuinely cared about you but didn’t have the guts to say so or they’re showing up out of guilt, people show up. At least, that’s what you hope.
Family Business
And you immediately bounce back. We’re back with an upbeat fun track. A great beat, strong bass line, sax, piano, percussion, and synths. It’s all here.
In a way, I do think this could be Funeral but from another perspective. This track talks about welcoming you to the family. We’re a bit different than other families, you just have to embrace it. Because if you don’t, someday you’ll miss it.
And I’ve definitely been there. Not even on a familial level, but in my professional life as well. Sometimes it’s just best to embrace what’s there even if it’s different from what you’re used to. It’s not always the case, but you’re usually better off in the end.
Conflict Resolution
Alrighty, we’re on the last track of the album. It’s also the only track (at least according to Tidal) that has a featured artist on it, Lee Lawrence. If the album title is to be taken literally, I’d imagine they’re related to the duo in some way, shape, or form.
The beginning of this track is beautiful. It kicks off with voice samples presumably from when Gracie and Clyde were children. From there, I assume that’s their Dad’s voice.
And I think that’s a really great way to put it. Beautiful. Clyde closes out with a beautiful ballad effectively echoing, "It’ll all work out in the end." And I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Conclusion
12 out of 13 is very impressive for what I’d consider a new artist to me. Hell, I’d take it one step further and say I don’t typically listen to this genre of music. So for that to be the case, I’m genuinely shocked at how much I love Lawrence’s Family Business.
It’s an excellent album that spans a handful of genres. And as I’m sitting here typing out that sentence, I’m more shocked the duo was never recommended to me by the algorithm. I’m a huge fan of versatile artists that can span multiple genres of music.
If I had to pick a "primary" genre, I wouldn’t say it’s "Pop" as Apple Music currently classifies it. I’d say it’s R&B/Soul first. From there, you could say it’s a little bit of pop, electronic, rock, and jazz.
I’m actually a little bit upset that I’ve put off listening to this album for this long. It’s a fantastic listen and congrats to the Lawrence duo for putting out a truly excellent album. I’m a fan and I’m glad I was finally able to listen to the album. I look forward to listening to their future work.
NOTE: This reaction and review was completed after listening to Lawrence’s Family Business (24-bit, 44.1 kHz) on Tidal with an active Tidal subscription on the Tidal desktop application.