Lostboycrow Brings Indie Pop to NYC
Lostboycrow - aka Chris Blair - has been releasing music since 2015 with his genre-fluid style blurring the line between alt, pop, and a bit of R&B. Indie Pop, his latest album, sounds just like its title.
Previously, Blair's songwriting felt like folk rock, sprinkled with electro beats and synths, and moments of R&B. However, this collaboration with producer Chris Chu has resulted in an album focusing on a specific genre.
Today, indie pop refers to anything that falls into the pop music vein while using real guitars and drums. It’s a bit tongue in cheek to name the album after a genre that’s so loosely defined, but it works with Blair’s laid-back nature. Acoustic guitar and live drums fit Blair’s soothing vocals well and give the album a cohesive flow.
Indie Pop hosts ten tracks, kicking off with “Chewed Up” which contains a slight melancholic tinge to its catchy chorus “chewed me up, spit me out.” “Angelina” follows with a punchy, energetic chorus before bringing a bit of surf rock in with “Waving Goodbye”. Of course, “Indie Rock” possesses an indie rock feel before the energy slows down.
"Libra Moon" and "Coffee Drugs", two of my favorites, have a soft feel with acoustic guitar floating along with Blair's vocals. “Quiet Nights” follows with its ambient intro before “Strangers in a Place We Used to Dream." The short and sweet “Villains” follows with its lyrics that paint a picture. “Maybe it's the way the light hits both your eyelids when you're smiling.”
“Cracks in Our Hands” ends the album with demo-sounding vocals and acoustic guitar. “Anything can happen and it feels like everything has."
Lostboycrow is currently on his Indie Pop headlining tour. I caught him at the Mercury Lounge in NYC. Taking to the stage in his yellow hi-tops and custom guitar strap on his yellow Telecaster, he looks every bit like an indie pop musician.
Setting the tone for the night, “Indie Rock” opened the set before moving into the iconic 2017 single “Strawberry Sunscreen.” Singles from the years filled the middle of the setlist before crowd favorite “Devil’s in the Backseat.” The volume in the room increased tenfold for the hit. More songs from the Indie Pop album filled the second half of the setlist before ending with “Chewed Up”.
Check out photos from the show here.
Get tickets to Lostboycrow's tour here.
Listen to Lostboycrow here.