Oscar Lang delivers tales of heartbreak on Look Now

Following on from his scuzzy debut Chew The Scenery, his sophomore project Look Now departs from overt psychedelia and dark notes to deliver a record reaching ambitious horizons and offering up personal, introspective tales.

“A Song About Me” opens the album on a melancholic note, with slow-moving guitar lines, barely-there percussion and delicate vocals from Lang. The slow burner builds up to swirling instrumentals as he reflects on his ex-asking him not to write a song about her (“You say don’t you write a song about me”). The track introduces the heartache that envelopes the album and can be found in the nooks and crannies throughout, from the anxieties of “Everything Unspoken” and “Leave Me Alone” to the depression and feelings of being trapped in “Circle Line”.

The third track to be released to tease the album, “Everything Unspoken”, is a dreamy cut brimming with emotive lyricism and heart-wrenching honesty. Easily his most personal number on the album, the narrative divulges Lang’s struggles with social anxiety and the shyness and lack of confidence that accompany it. Inspired by the rock band Here We Go Magic, Lang channels their psych-pop aura and effect-drenched vocals as he delivers “Everything unspoken / The things we could have done / If had the courage before you were gone”.

More upbeat and forceful, “Crawl” sits at the opposite end of the sonic spectrum to “A Song About Me”. Featuring poppy notes found in the likes of Sundara Karma’s or Blossoms’ discography and juxtaposes Lang delivering another song about heartbreak.

Split by “One Foot First”, and “On God” the final track “When You Were A Child” reflects on Lang’s past through poetic, heartfelt lyricism and delicate instrumentals. The primary of which is almost a letter in music form, to his mum who committed suicide when he was seven. Dominated by sombre piano notes, Lang reflects on wanting his mum to be there through every aspect of his life, bringing him cups of tea to soothe through breakups or being there at his concerts.

The penultimate cut, “One Foot First”, harks back to the dark undertones found veined throughout his first album. A break-up song that continues the themes of raw honesty, the track is dominated by sullen guitar lines that delicately complement Lang’s soft vocals.

Look Now is a deeply heartfelt reflection on Lang’s own life, from heartbreak and loss to love, the album, simply, is a beautiful collection of his most personal tracks to date.