A comforting blend of acoustic warmth, melodic pop sensibility, and atmospheric rock threads through Always Inside, the debut full-length from Lazuline Harmonic. Led by songwriter Kevin Pleasant, the album captivates with a personal, relatable sound and a consistent knack for melodic earworms. Its songs drift between self-doubt, longing, and fragile perseverance to explore what it means to confront yourself in moments of fracture and renewal.
“When It All Breaks Down” opens the album with comforting introspection, weaving lush acoustic shimmers amidst a vocal stirring that asks “when it all breaks down, who do you want around?” — representing a personal wading through a theoretical storm, and the importance of a support system in the midst of it all. “If your car breaks down, you can trust me for a ride,” the inviting vocals continue; the track enamors in its approachably serene pop sound and relatable thematic pursuits. The ensuing “Pretty Alice” impresses as well, succeeding with a brisker folk-pop charm. Lyrical perspectives on its titular character, and a sense of self-discovery, drives within an enjoyably melodic guitar-driven sound and culminating hook with spirited, wordless vocal effects.
A rousing production also shows on “Only Voices,” which features a soulful vocal entrancement amidst a stately piano-driven balladry. “All these voices, they pull me down,” the vocals emit. “They take my soul, and rob my crown.” The reflections of self-doubt, and the crushing weight of doubters and their lingering critiques, are wholly resonating. The lyricism acknowledges how those voices can “only speak” — but how they “can creep up into my mind” nonetheless. The album consistently succeeds in its perspectives of internal conflict and self-acceptance — and “Only Voices” certainly succeeds in its artful depictions of such.
Another standout track, “Zombie Mind” succeeds in the anthemic alt-rock realm. “I just keep going, on and on, acting like nothing’s wrong,” charismatic vocals let out amidst peppy guitar strums and peppy percussion. A title-touting chorus invigorates, capturing a “maybe I am dead but I’m feeling fine” state-of-mind and harmonious vocal responses and charged-up guitar distortion take hold alongside. The lyrics compel in feeling like a call to action — to break through from a state of personal numbness, and day-to-day mundanity, into discovering a meaning for living each day like it’s your last. “Just waiting for the weekend, so my life can have some meaning,” the sentiments continue, striving to break free from that “zombie mind” with replay-inducing vigor.
Whether in the hushed promises of “When It All Breaks Down” or the restless drive of “Zombie Mind,” the album captures vulnerability with striking clarity. Always Inside emerges as an unvarnished, heartfelt success.
