For Fans of The 1975 and Fall Out Boy

Indie music. Today, people don’t seem to understand the definition of indie music. Did you know that indie is short for independent? Technically, all artists that self-release their music are indie artists. An under-the-radar indie artist is The Maine, but they don’t produce a typical indie sound. The Maine produces music in the rock-pop category. This year, The Maine independently released their newest album, Lovely Little Lonely. This album showcases the ability all independent artists have.

The Maine is a band from Arizona. As a group, they have been making music for ten years. After releasing several albums on different record labels, The Maine became an independent band and began to self-release all of their albums. Their newest record, Lovely Little Lonely, is their sixth album. I believe Lovely Little Lonely is the highlight of The Maine’s ten-year career and shows potential for even more growth.

The album opens with a solid track: “Don’t Come Down.” This track is one of the few slower paced tracks on the album, but it is a great way to start. The instrumental highlights the greatness the drums and guitar will bring later into the album.

After an initial solid track, the second track, “Bad Behavior,” is one of the stand-out tracks of the album. The lyrics on this track are super catchy and witty.

The next track can be a bit confusing if the album is put on shuffle. However, “Lovely” is absolutely genius. At only 30 seconds long, the track acts as a transition for the album. It helps tie together the album title to other songs later in the album. This track helps slide the album right into the track “Black Butterflies and Deja Vu.”

The latter track is one of my favorites on the album. The lyrics are very touching. This song also contains the best instrumental on the album. It is an expert blend of guitar, bass, drums, and synth. The instrumental also picks up and backs off at all the right moments. Lead singer John O’Callaghan’s vocals are also great on this track. The vocals are both soft and firm throughout the whole song. I cannot recommend this track enough.

“Taxi” and “Do You Remember? (The Other Half of 23)” are another two strong tracks. “Taxi” is a slower paced track. This acoustic track is a great addition to help balance the album. “Do You Remember? (The Other Half of 23)” is more upbeat. It has a great guitar riff that rings throughout the album.

One of the later tracks, “Lost In Nostalgia,” doesn’t really cut it for me. Both the instrumental and lyrics are a bit bland. The lyrics are too basic for the length of the song. The same words and instrumental are repeated over and over for two minutes. The placement of this track on the album is like slowly going to the top of the roller coaster, only to have it break down at the top so you can’t experience the thrill of the ride. In my opinion, the album would be much better without the track.

After this disappointing track, the album quickly regains success with “I Only Wanna Talk To You.” This soft and emotional ballad is great. It showcases O’Callaghan’s vocal capabilities in a more somber ballad. The lyrics are also very emotional and raw. It is a great relaxing acoustic song.

The album begins to wrap up with the tie-in song “Lonely.” This track ties together the album title and several other tracks. After this short track, “How Do You Feel?” is the final track. This upbeat track is a very satisfying end to a great album. The instrumental of bass and guitar really shows through in this song. This track perfectly showcases the instrumental, lyrical, and vocal strength present throughout the whole album.

Lovely Little Lonely is an essential indie album. It provides a great listening experience. While The Maine is an independent band, they have the capability to continue to spread their music for many more years to come.