Take a Waltz With Melancholy With LEAN’s Debut Track, “Reverb Undertow”

According to Copenhagen’s LEAN, the one-mand band makes songs about “restraint… exercised poorly.” That phrase echoes clearly in LEAN’s debut, “Reverb Undertow”: in a way, the track almost feels as if it’s unraveling. Rich, swelling electronic production and impulsive piano peaks combine to make it feel free and furious—until the warm, reverb-soaked vocals kick in to tame the song and keep it from losing momentum. LEAN sums up those contrasts pretty well: he describes this feeling as “listening to the sound of a house party next door”—simultaneously distant, yet allowing you fleeting glimpses of intimacy.

For a brand-new project, LEAN is off to a pretty good start: “Reverb Undertow” aired on DR’s P3 last Sunday. Keep your eyes peeled for more from LEAN in the next little while.