Ears Wide Open: Nick Leng

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Nick Leng

South African-born, Los Angeles-based artist Nick Leng shares his classically trained chops sprinkled in with his particular brand of indie on his forthcoming album, “Spirals,” out Friday.

It marks the artist’s sophomore LP, following the release of 2020’s “Lemons” (and its value-added follow-up “Lemons – Live From Drive In OC” the following year.

So far, a few videos featuring a bed-headed Leng wandering through a sparsely decorated vintage home, and tracks from the upcoming album have been teased. The singer-songwriter-producer’s sonic direction — jazz-inflected dream- and psych-pop dressed in cinematic textures — is somewhat familiar, (think Sondre Lerche, Kings of Convenience) but still his own. Piano-forward, soft vocals, mostly sad-guy energy, with some triumphant swell to perk up the listener.

The themes of loss and grief Leng shared with “Lemons” carry over to “Spirals,” but this time love is definitely in the cards for this ballad enthusiast. “There’s a lot of romance in the record,” Leng says. “I had these moments of peak love and joy and life. But also, like, that trailer park in Topanga eventually became rat infested …” In the creation of the album, he seems to have a newfound sense of security and confidence in his art. “I was stressed and had anxiety. But with ‘Spirals, I reconnected with joy,” Leng says.

The album is anchored by songs that examine the human condition, and can be taken literally from their song titles like “My Mind Is a Mess in the Morning,” which features a soaring chorus that’s sing-along ready. With lyrics, “Oh, my mind is a mess in the morning / I tried to find some forgiveness in my bed / And the more I float away, the more your loving fills my day/ I’m amazed that you wanted someone like me …” sounds like someone’s found unconditional love. And the refrain, “I’m done searching for something / And I’m dancing for gold / And we’ll sail this silver lining / Until we fly, oh-oh, oh-oh” is beautifully triumphant.

In contrast to the whimsical video for the dance track “Bobby,” the visual for “Morning/Midnight” brings Leng to the screen rather artistically, as he’s able to replicate himself in any room with the use of monitors, mirrors, and cameras. The song’s beat is pleasant with a droning marimba tone chiming throughout, sharp beats and a theatric Foxygen-like bridge.

Leng this week released the album’s final single, “Easy,” which waxes ’70s nostalgic. “Easy” is definitely breezy, with Kevin Parker-style vocals (without the dum-da dum-da dum-da classic Tame Impala rhythms).

||| Watch: The videos for “Bobby” and “My Mind Is a Mess in the Morning”

||| Also: Check out “Easy,” “Spirals” and “Morning / Midnight”