Let me be frank – I still have a weird relationship with pop music. In the ‘10s, I experienced a deep purging of my old biases against the genre while enjoying the whole poptimism movement. Yet the rockist part of my brain still has trouble appreciating the overall aesthetics of pop. I want all the hooks, grooves, and confessional lyrics, but I often resist the production sheen.
Which isn’t fair. I get it. For all of my love of electronic music and other forms of music created by studio and computer technology, my initial reaction to lots of glossy pop can by negative. I have to spend time with a song and break it apart into its component parts before putting it back together. Only then can I appreciate the tune for what it is.
Yes, my description sounds highly clinical, as if I’m unable to like the music at face value.
Maybe that’s true, but I also think it helps me get inside a pop song on my terms. I want to examine the arrangements, break down the lyrics, parse the instrumentation, and more. That’s how I understand lots of music – but not all of it, which brings me back full circle to my weird relationship with pop music.
But it also means that I’m in prime position to enjoy Distracted, the new EP from Logan Lynn. Created in collaboration with Yellow Trash Can, the hit-making production duo based in Portland, OR, and released on the venerable Kill Rock Stars, the five-song EP offers up a sublime example of contemporary pop. Lynn’s clear tenor flirts openly with crisp musicianship to create catchy music packed with big ‘80s and ‘90s radio vibes. While immediately recognize the impact of Twin Shadow and Postal Service, I’m especially in love with influences such as Human League, Savage Garden, and Depeche Mode.
I found myself enamored with the directness of these tracks, both in terms of Lynn’s romantic and pleading lyrics as well as Yellow Trash Can’s deft production touch. We’re talking five songs in less than 15 minutes, but the project is a complete musical thought. It all starts with sharp drum programming that features clean snare claps and tight hi-hats. From there, it extends to a syrup-thick bass tone that helps the melodies slide and glide with ease. Then, soft synth pads hit the dance floor with jazzy guitar fills and pinging keyboard phrases.
That furious fusion results in a full sound with lots of intricacies without ever feeling obnoxious or sappy.
Instead, the Distracted EP is an exercise in good taste that allows Logan Lynn to wear his heart on his sleeve with confidence. For example, on the standout track, “I Got a Man,” he interrogates a potential lover thusly,
“So are you a man with no secret life?
Are you a man with no one else behind?
Are you a man who never lies?
Are you a man who’ll keep me safe at night?”
He knows exactly who he is and who he wants, so he’s not afraid to ask for it openly. That candor is refreshing in its lack of pretense and overwrought metaphor. That mood continues on the outstanding title track as he bemoans the crumbling of a once-intoxicating relationship:
“I’ve seen it all fall right down.
You’ll see disappointment on our faces.
Oh so what’s the point of it?
From this place, I’d say that
This is torn to shreds
Cannot take it.”
Throughout the Distracted EP, Yellow Trash Can’s keen instincts amplify the vulnerability of Logan Lynn.
It’s an excellent album that seamlessly straddles the line between zippy indie-pop and radio-ready goodness because of its authenticity. Thus, for all of my complaints about the supposed atmosphere of the music, I connect with emotional honesty found in most pop songs. Maybe my personal quibbles with the genre are more about old stereotypes instead of actual problems with the music. Hopefully, I can continue to find wonderful artists like Logan Lynn who encourage me to engage my heart and my brain.