Luke Hemmings – boy | Album Of The Year

Submitted as contribution for ERAZER Magazine's Album of The Year 2024. Full post here.

Three years after a stunning debut solo project, Luke Hemmings returns with 'boy' – a masterful exploration of nostalgia, loss, and rediscovery. This seven-track EP delicately balances melancholy and optimism, taking us on a bittersweet journey through the complexities of his late twenties. Grappling with the inevitability of growing older served as a perfect creative catalyst for 'boy', which beautifully captures the struggle to reconcile who we once were and who we’ve become. While my only issue with this project is that it only has seven songs. Hemmings uses the EP’s concise 24 minutes to confront the weight and guilt of lost time with remarkable depth. Tracks like 'Close My Eyes' revisit themes of depression and body dysmorphia from his debut album, 'When Facing The Things We Turn Away From' (2021), while 'I’m Still Your Boy' offers a dreamy ode to past regrets and the relentless pull of nostalgia. 'Shakes' is a shimmering exploration of love and melancholy, while 'Garden Life' highlights the small, fleeting moments that take on profound emotional weight and significance. The standout 'Close Enough To Feel You' delivers a haunting exploration of emotional loss and longing for help, his wife Sierra Deaton adding depth to the track’s aching intimacy with her harmonies.

Sonically, 'boy' draws inspiration from early 2000s post-punk revival bands like The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem, as well as the emotional resonance of Cocteau Twins and The Verve. Hemmings weaves these influences into a deeply personal soundscape, further influenced by cinematic works such as Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas and Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. The result feels timeless, replaying like a 2000s indie coming-of-age film. Closing with the tender instrumental notes of 'Promises,' boy stands as Hemmings’ most refined work to date, showcasing a fresh maturity and artistic evolution from his debut album. What makes 'boy' my standout album of the year is that, with its themes of reconciling past mistakes, yearning for connection, and unwavering loyalty and commitment to love, it arrived at a time when I needed it most. Hemming’s ability to channel the bittersweet complexities of life into music made me feel seen and understood in a way few albums ever have. At its core, it is a stunning narrative of growth and self-discovery stitched together with vulnerability, resilience and hope.