Tears sparkle on the cheeks of an attendee. Another has his hands raised to the heavens as he jumps in unison with the thump of bass. Bright, pristine white lights illuminate the scene unfolding in front of me. I’m at This Never Happened, Lane 8’s summer gathering in Los Angeles.
“This Never Happened” is at the heart of Lane 8’s artistic identity. It’s an ethos to feel and experience the environment around you unburdened by distractions. It calls into question the obsessive concern of one’s online persona and inability to disconnect and fully-immerse in the experience. Whether it’s a feeling of love from a significant other, the pride from accomplishing the first workout of 2020 or even riding the highs that come from a concert, Lane 8 simply asks us to experience the feelings that blossom from each moment and truly live a positive existence.
It was apparent in his This Never Happened Tour where cell phone cameras are covered and where I saw many fans embrace the emotion of his live experience, some with tears of joy and others embarking on their own journey with the music and environment. It’s with this ethos that Lane 8 built his album, Brightest Lights upon.
The 13-track album is Lane 8’s third LP preceding masterpieces, Rise and Little by Little. The lead-up to Brightest Lights brought forward six singles over approximately five months and concluded with the release of “Just” two weeks prior to the full album drop. It included the stellar title track “Brightest Lights” with vocals from Channy Leaneagh of Poliça and the hauntingly beautiful “Yard Two Stone” featuring Jens Kuross. These two tracks — in particular — set the tone for the album and the profound sonic journey that unholds from Brightest Lights.
The album is a spectrum of joy, hope, even melancholy and sadness bundled together to form a cohesive story. An album that truly radiates a discernible effect, which is often forgotten by data-driven music.
However, it would be unfair to future listeners if I tried to extrapolate the sense of feeling or emotion that I experienced. It would muddy an experience that should be solely left to the listener to embark upon and discover themselves as Lane 8 intended. Be in the moment and Brightest Lights will bring warmth to your soul.
To stream Brightest Lights scroll down. To experience Lane 8 in-person, tickets to his on-going Brightest Lights Tour can be found here or catch him at his recently announced Coachella Appearance.
