Ears Wide Open: Lionel Boy

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Lionel Boy (Photo by Basil Vargas)

Long Beach-via-Oahu singer-songwriter Lionel Boy (né Lionel DeGuzman) specializes in nostalgic chillwave that recalls first crushes and heartbreak while confronting existential questions of happiness.

In “Lately,” the latest of four singles released in rapid succession over the last few months for his debut EP, “Who Is Dovey?,” he takes a synth-tinged, fatalistic turn of ennui.

“Last year (2019), we had a week of rain in Long Beach,” the singer said. “It was then that I wrote ‘Lately.’ … There was gloom, smoke and a feeling of monotony in the air — I think that comes through in the music. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I was feelin’ some type of way.”

The R&B-inspired track was produced and mixed by Jonny Bell at Long Beach’s Jazzcats Studio. The album features DeGuzman on guitar as well as Brett Kramer and Zach Mabry on drums, Fred Garbutt and Emmett Matthias on keys, Nic Gonzales and Bell on bass and Tim Cummins on saxophone, with mastering by Kelly Hibbert and Carl Saff.

The scenic video is by DeGuzman and his longtime partner Casey Liu (Tigers in the Sky).

“Who is Dovey?” is out now via Innovative Leisure.

||| Watch: The videos for “Lately,” “Are You Happy Yet?,” “Summer Fun” and “Lost”

||| Also: Listen to the full EP, “Who Is Dovey?”