Know You Naked by LANY? Zainab says 4/5

LANY is so back—and so is softness. On August 1st, the two-man duo released “Know You Naked,” the very first single from their recently announced, upcoming album, Soft. A return to the intimacy, nostalgia, and whimsical sounds OG LANY fans are deeply familiar with, “Know You Naked” gives us a glimpse into what just might be their most exciting era to date.

Heard in the ~three minute track are the classic features of most LANY songs—a melodic guitar melody that lives in your brain for days, and synth sounds that leave you itching to dance around your room—but it’s clear the guys have leveled up. After a two year hiatus, Paul and Jake are back and better than ever.

To know LANY is to know that with each new album comes a new era—musically and thematically. I fully anticipate that the guys will bring a new meaning to “softness”—a subject that feels increasingly important in a world riddled with apathy and culture of cringe. In the words of the band’s frontman, Paul, “it’s so easy to let the challenges of the world harden you. The hardest thing to do is to fight against it — to stay soft. To protect your softness and the things that you love.” That vulnerability and openness is what first drew me to the band in 2016, and after listening to “Know You Naked,” I am so excited to hear what’s shaping up to be the most sonically mature and unapologetically LANY record since Malibu Nights.

Curious about what else Zainab is into? Get real-time updates at shelf.im/zjaffa