By Dominique Tassell
All 4 Nothing by Lauv dropped this month, and while it’s a good album it plays it a little safe.
Lauv, or Ari Leff, made a name for himself with hits like I Like Me Better and i’m so tired. Now a few years into his career, he uses this album to examine his journey and his struggles.
The album as a whole is a bit more upbeat than his previous work but has a tendency to brush over a huge range of topics without giving them the time they need.
As Hollie Geraghty at NME put it, the direction of the album feels flimsy, “opening and closing too many doors and not allowing enough time to look around”.
The songs also come across a bit mumbly, which wasn’t the case with Leff’s previous work and is an interesting stylistic choice.
Track one is 26, and does have a similar vibe to his own songs. It’s always fascinating to see the commentary on fame that comes a certain way into a musician’s career, and 26 definitely delivers on this.
Stranger is up next and sets the trend for the more upbeat aspect of this album.
The song is somehow both mellow and upbeat. It doesn’t feel like a dance song but it’s not relaxed either.
Track three’s Kids Are Born Stars takes a trip down memory lane. While catchy, it feels a bit derivative. While Leff has never been a lyrical genius, his songs had an understated vulnerability to them that paired well with creative and catchy beats. This album feels both a little shallow and a little boring when it comes to lyrics and beat respectively.
Following up on that catchy childish song is Molly In Mexico. It admittedly feels a little weird to jump from that to singing about taking drugs but to each their own.
Again this song feels like it lacks the depth of Leff’s previous work.
This album feels upbeat but also somehow monotone. I feel like I could throw individual songs into my playlist but I’m not sure it stands out as a record.
Track five, or All 4 Nothing (I’m So In Love), is definitely a standout on the album.
It has a great chorus that feels distinctive and doesn’t blend into the song, which may be what is causing some of the other songs on the album to feel so monotone.
Next up is Stay Together, which has a good beat and a nice sentiment but feels a little simplistic.
In the era of heartbreak anthems, healthy breakup feelings are refreshing, so we’ll take it.
Summer Nights starts off strong with the piano but then descends into a frankly weird house/r&b combination that honestly just sounded like someone was singing over a video game. And not in a good way.
Time After Time delivers a good song, but not a massive standout.
Hey Ari delivers on that understated vulnerability that Leff is known for.
It peeks through on a few other songs but really is present here.
It gets a little lost in the album overall which feels like a waste. The album overall feels a little shallow when Leff’s music generally has a bit more to say.
Track 10’s Better Than This feels like another attempt at that understated vulnerability, but doesn’t quite hit the mark.
The mumbling is particularly bad in this song, with a whole break in the song dedicated to it.
Bad Trip is a bit hit or miss, but really shows Leff’s lyrical ability with the line “don’t let me die in the dark”.
It’s simple but torturous and that’s where Leff’s strength lies.
Track 12’s I (Don’t) Have A Problem is a definite high point of the album and shows how Leff can convey a certain emotion perfectly using all the tools available to him.
The final track, First Grade, takes a bit of a step back after the album had built up strength.
It feels a little juvenile, but at least it actually stuck with the piano.
Overall, it’s not a terrible album. But it’s not a great one. It feels a little like a step down from Leff’s previous work, bar a few standout songs that show what he’s really capable of.
