Steve Lacy’s new single, “N Side,” begins with a slow percussion loop, emulating the antiquated, but ever-so-familiar sounds of vintage drum machines. The first guitar chord strikes, and you’re immediately taken back to a hazy summer day in high school. The image of those days where time seemed to pass us by, soaked in youthful malaise, experiencing the most teenage/dreamlike love, with the whole entire image obscured by weed smoke is as clear as can be. Steve’s adolescent exuberance shines through in the lyrics, overall feeling, and production on this song. Along with youthfulness, the track retains the dreaminess and DIY ambiance of Steve’s earlier tracks from his demo tapes, which he released at only 18.
“N-Side’s” release was timely, as the weather gets warmer and summer cravings swell. Everyone is yearning for their semester or the dreary, repetitive winter days to come to a close. We’re submerging ourselves in the nostalgia of summer days past as the sun emerges from behind the clouds and envelops us in its warmth. As the pungent smell of spring greenery enters our noses, Steve Lacy teases our ears with this single from his upcoming debut album. You can tell it’s going to be a summer album.
The way this song approximates such poignant feelings is no accident. Steve Lacy’s music often embodies the themes of a hypnagogic teenage romance, lyrically and through its essence. He’s the bassist for The Internet, he’s young, groovy, and seductive, and his pretty boy vibe bleeds into all of his solo music. On this song, lyrics like, “Let’s make out right by my violets / Don’t watch me do it, close your eyelids,” reproduces a teenage daydream with uncanny precision. In the next verse, the line, “I’ma kiss ya neck and grab ya ass / And when I do it, I’ma make it last,” describes the boyish, love-sick thoughts that run through the mind of a youngster with a crush. The skit at the end harps further on this theme, where he pleads to his unassuming lover:
“We been crushing on each other for years /
But I guess I’d just really like to know if /
You feel the same way about me as I feel about you /
You know all your feelings for me inside of your heart /
Let me know, babe”
This playful, surreal, and uniquely youthful perspective on romance is nothing new for Steve Lacy. He always comes to the track with soulfully sexual energy, and even though he’s 20 now, this kid-at-heart, flirtatious vibe still flows through his music. If this is what he plans to bring with the rest of the upcoming album, it’s going to be a summer soundtrack, acting like the cool breeze that enlivens the dog days. Either that, or it’s going to keep us “N Side” the house, reminiscing on past lovers and submerging ourselves in the summer blues.
Steve Lacy
Genre: R&B/Soul
Independent Pop
Release Date: April 7th, 2019
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