With the release of his cinematically inclined debut EP ‘Melancholy’ earlier this year, Chris Lanzon brought us into a world of navigating first loves and heartbreak. The coming of age collection was intimate, vulnerable and intricately engineered with heart and soul. Ready to grow his vision, his new single ‘Everest’ hears him layering a bolder and more defined sound.
Beginning with a simple guitar riff, the singer-songwriter broodily gives you a smooth and emotionally captivating vocal delivery. As the song continues to build, he adds atmospheric synths and harmonies that then explodes with the addition of drums which fulfils a grand aura. It sits in a similar realm to the likes of LANY and Larkins. And even though he adds a stronger “pop” sonical direction, he doesn’t sacrifice the emotional foundations that his debut EP was built around. It still feels very intimate and vulnerable, but there is more of an anthemic undertone driving the production.
The contrast is very much there, with the upbeat and anthemic production being complimented by an emotional storyline. Reflecting on feeling stuck and misunderstood, Lanzon unravels his heart to listeners as he ponders just running away in an urge to get to know who he really is. The song is built around some really strong lyrical moments that play as this commentary on not fully believing in himself.
“I feel misunderstood, half the time I wish I could up and leave this place, leave this place for good” he candidly sings during the first verse. And then he later admits; “cause you don’t know the half of it. I swear that I was fine but I just hit the everest. I don’t know if I can climb”.
The reflective song is a beautiful capturing of a candid moment in time, and continues this coming of age story that we can all relate to whether we are living in it now or are reflecting back on a time where we found ourselves questioning everything.