ALBUM REVIEW: Nosebleeder – Lil Lotus
Being a notable name in contemporary alt music following the release of his debut full-length ERRØR BØY in 2021, LIL LOTUS has returned with a 14-track follow-up record that looks at the downs and depressions of modern life. From washing up from the party scene to disparaging romantic relationships, he hits the nails right on the head in a deep, dark, but entertaining manner. Grab the tissues for the bleeding of a lifetime.
The title track Nosebleeder is a pop-punk influenced anthem, with lyrics that explain self-hatred due to the addiction to a party lifestyle. Lotus addresses how the subject of the track has a lifestyle and personality similar to his own, “and I hate that about you”. It’s full of fear, exhaustion, and the severe nosedive of coming down the morning after that’s leading to a crash harder than a car into a brick wall. It acts as a wake-up call to a jumping punk beat, the message hammering in with the help of a catchy sound and a fun rhythm. The truth is once the party’s over, the hard times set in and Lotus is beginning to realise that maybe it’s not worth it anymore. The scene is played out, and he’s close to coming to the end because of how it’s treated him. It’s a sobering departure from the glorification of party life which still hounds the alt scene when it comes to music and lyrics, but it’s one that will resonate with a number of his followers and listeners all around the world.
Lotus looks into the supernatural with the single She’s A Vampire, where with the inspiration of the Twilight franchise, he brings his focus to the fear and anxiety of losing someone due to her lack of commitment and respect towards him. Feeling ditched because “your friends are so important”, he compares his love interest’s actions to a vampire. Claiming he only gets her attention at night, it brings on doubt to the truth and the depth of the emotions being shared between the two. He doesn’t just want to be a secret kept under moonlight. An honest theme of feeling unappreciated or being treated as an unnecessary secret by one’s partner, it once again puts a tough theme into an easily digestible tune that will be a relatable story. With the culture within romance for young people being as untrustworthy and unsure in recent times as it is, it speaks truer than ever and with the fusion of a franchise that these same generations know and ironically love, it plays an entertaining twist to make a negative fact of life a bit more positive. That’s the power of music.
One of the best tracks is right at the start of the record, the bittersweet ode to mismatched love Blame Me For Everything. Featuring fellow pop-punk star MOD SUN, the lyrics detail falling head over heels in love and doing anything to make it work, but there are glitches in the system. With a chorus that will spin around the head for days or weeks after a listen, this is the near perfect formula for a pop-punk hit. It sounds fun and danceable, but the words are speaking what the sound is trying to hide. There is a tinge of tragedy in the comedic cover of the instrumental; this is an element that will never leave the sub-genre as it evolves from generation to discouraged generation. This also fits the story of the lyrics more than other tracks on Nosebleeder, as trying to make a bad thing look and feel good is what Lotus and MOD SUN want to do with their respective relationships. Faking it until they hopefully make it. A logic that can work in romance, but incredibly and unfortunately rarely.
Nosebleeder is a storybook full of real-life challenges and hardships that are not isolated incidents, and that is among Lotus himself and with his fanbase. Singing and rapping about being unlucky in life and reaching barriers or walls is nothing new, especially in the genres that are stereotyped as being all about rebellion and youth frustrations, but it never grows old as these issues will remain issues as long as humanity is still alive and moving in this universe. LIL LOTUS just needs to blow his nose, wipe the drops off his face, and throw the bag away. The first step is admitting there are problems; and the next step is to record them and process where to move on from there.
Rating: 8/10
Nosebleeder is set for release on December 1st via Epitaph Records.
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