When Love x Stereo announced their Patreon to release 37 songs in a year. I was surprised because it’s a big undertaking to release that many songs in a year. If you support the band through their Patreon, you’ve heard these songs already. For people who are hearing 37A in album form, understand that what you’re hearing is a more unrestrained Love X Stereo who are creating music with the direct support of their fans.
What I realized listening to the individual songs as they were released is that Love X Stereo isn’t so caught up on sticking to a specific sound and style. We Love We Leave, Part 2 was an expertly polished EP that showed a different and more mature side of the band. 37A is a continuation of that drive. I’ll be the first to admit that some songs don’t have the hooks of past songs. But what I appreciate is that Annie and Toby are making these tracks and releasing them for people to hear. By the end of the year, Love X Stereo is going to have grown musically at what will feel like light speed. For the songs that I scrobble through, there’s another that I’ll listen to on repeat.
“Lemon Spark” isn’t the most engaging song to me, but “Dark and Light” is goddamn excellent. Love X Stereo are challenging themselves in 2017 and this May release marks five months of their work. Their earlier songs set the stage, but the songs released recently are like the first third of an amazing show. 37A isn’t a customary album in Love X Stereo’s discography. It’s a timeline marker. 37A in album form doesn’t have a tightly cohesive sound, but that’s what I enjoy about it the most. It’s a set of experimentation, exploration, and a journey as musicians.
If you like Love X Stereo, you’ll definitely enjoy 37A. If you’re a new fan, you’re going to hear seasoned musicians challenging themselves. You might be better off with We Love We Leave‘s dual EPs to start and then come back to this. But as the beginning of the 37 series, I’m excited to hear where it goes.
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Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.