Songs with universal resonance can emerge from anywhere. Case in point – Vancouver Island, Canada. Based out of this relatively obscure locale for music, LNDN’s new single “Life Like That” will strike a familiar chord for virtually anyone over the age of eighteen. He doesn’t “put on airs” with this single, as it was once said, and attempt moralizing or acting like he knows more than he does. There’s no question, however, that LNDN has taken the hard-won lessons of his own life, applied his skills with music and language to those moments, and gives them wonderful expression from, unlikely or not, the far-flung locale of Vancouver Island.
He belongs to the world now. “Life Like That” has the sort of subject matter, basically meeting life on life’s terms, that transcends the possibly autobiographical and reaches across the board truth. Much of the reason why is due to how LNDN’s lyrics keep things recognizable, yet general, never too specific, so that the listener is allowed, if not outright encouraged, to reach their own conclusions and interpretations.
LNDN invites us wholeheartedly into his musical world as well. The beginnings of the track are a little unadorned, but he pursues a process of accumulation during the song rather than showing us all his cards in short order. The song is musically sustained with piano, synthesizer, and pre-programmed percussion, but it doesn’t sound cold and remote. Its pristine clarity is, nonetheless, quite warm and LNDN orchestrates the song’s progression in a way that it gains dramatic power with each passing second.
Watch the video for “Life Like That” below
The build climaxes in a particularly busy second half. Nothing sounds too cluttered, however, despite the more ambitious nature of those passages. It shares the same storytelling attributes we encounter in the song lyrics layered throughout the arrangement. “Life Like That” isn’t consumed with the spirit of the moment like many pop songs are but, instead, has a much wider lens that many different listeners can relate to.
The video for the song emphasizes atmosphere, there’s no doubting that, but it’s never facile. It largely eschews the standard music video trope of jump cuts and visual elements such as props, wardrobe, and camera angles are well-chosen without ever “announcing” themselves. The storytelling powers of the video are never meant to overshadow the song but they are present for viewers to follow. It’s far from an empty experience. Often times videos are merely visual candy without any meaningful connection to the song they are filmed to promote, but that’s far from the case here.
LNDN’s new single is another entry in his diverse and rapidly expanding catalog. He’s a hard worker committed to producing high quality material that doesn’t just revel in a good time but looks to leave a lasting mark on the world. Few things are nobler. “Life Like That” doesn’t look out on the world through rose-colored glasses and will be appreciated by anyone with a healthy respect for truth. Not objective truth, however, but rather personal truths that often apply to many we know, including ourselves.
