Release Date: September 30, 2022
Genre: Pop Punk, Pop Rock
Label: Hopeless Records
LØLØ is the musical moniker of the massively talented Toronto singer-songwriter Lauren Mandel. LØLØ is back with her third EP, debbie downer. In the fall of 2021, she toured North America with pop-punk legends New Found Glory and Less Than Jake, signed with Hopeless Records, and released her sophomore EP to critical and commercial acclaim. debbie downer is the six-track follow-up to her EPs Sweater Collection (2019) and overkill (2021). The latter saw her move away from bubblegum pop and to a newfound blend of pop-punk, pop-rock, and indie-pop. Behind the scenes, debbie downer was once again a co-produced project. Once again, the EP was produced by Giordan Postorino (Alessia Cara) and Ben Thomas (Lil Uzi Vert, Post Malone). A couple of other tracks had worked on a couple of tracks produced by Ben Nudds (Jade The Moon), Jesse Fink (John Legend, renforshort), and Mike Robinson (Greyson Chance) as well.
LØLØ's creative genius shines immediately with the infectious lead single of the same name. "debbie downer" sees LØLØ team up with another rising pop-punk star, Maggie Lindemann, who brings her unique voice to the track and takes it to unbelievable heights. Both LØLØ and Maggie expertly craft the immaculate metaphor by turning the notorious chant of "Brr, it's cold in here" -from the cult classic cheerleader movie Bring It On (2000)- into an intoxicating and undeniable hook into a song that's all about being the odd person out. The two artists take listeners on a nostalgic ride with an old-school pop-punk sound by using punchy, catchy guitar riffs and powerful drum beats with grungy, sarcastic, and intrinsically modern lyricism. While these brand new six tracks are similarly the same as the overkill EP, by being strongly guitar-driven tunes while most still feature LØLØ's signature of witty and rowdy, each of the tracks stands out as their own in every possible way. Once again blending pop-punk and pop-rock together, a bunch of these songs take LØLØ through various stages of her musical career. Songs like "u turn me on (but u give me depression)" and "junkie" give you that unapologetic LØLØ you may have come accustomed to, showcasing lyricism that is heavily unrestricted and candid while backed by infectious instrumentals that become instant earworms. While tracks like "THE FLOOR IS LAVA!!" tackle crippling anxiety and "asking for a friend" -released on National Suicide Prevention Day- tackles depression in a very profound way. While "boohoo" is sort of akin to "surgery" off overkill. By stripping away all the glitz and glam of pop-punk for an emotionally charged piano-driven tune. Since the release of her EP overkill in November of last year, LØLØ's popularity has skyrocketed to new elevations. While the EP's lead single, "debbie downer," helped her popularity grow, she's just a naturally talented singer-songwriter with any genre she touches. I previously reviewed overkill last fall, and at the time, I said, "LØLØ has found a new side of her that will absolutely push her straight to the top." This has been the absolute truth, and it continues with these brand new tracks on debbie downer. LØLØ's alternative side continues to be refreshing with the help of many producers helping guide the direction she wants to take and by bringing in some slight tweaks here and there to her sound to develop an even bigger sound from her previous projects. She's bound to be a staple within the pop-punk scene as the years go on. Be sure to pre-save the debbie downer EP here.