Contributing Writer
Perfect World serves as the second full-length offering from the duo comprised of singer/songwriter Amy and producer/instrumentalist Josh. From start to finish, the album reflects on the tender journey through a breakup, exploring the mental and emotional hurdles that come with heartache and loss. Like its predecessor, Lastlings’ sophomore album is deeply thematic and unconditionally personal, weaving a thorough storyline that transverses feelings of melancholy, insecurity, and vulnerability over the course of its 12 tracks.
Opening with ‘Holding Me Like Water’, a poetic description of the final moments of a long-term relationship, Perfect World encapsulates the dichotomy of emotions swirling in the midst of a broken heart. With Perfect World, Lastlings acknowledge heartbreak as a journey through the five stages of grief, grappling with unacceptance while attempting to process change and the loss of love in one’s life. Told through Amy’s perspective, Perfect World explores her elegant ability to craft empathetic and relatable stories through song, with tracks like ‘Get What You Want’ and ‘Out My Head’ detailing her internal struggles with mental health and desire to overcome self-doubt.
“It’s about seeing and accepting the imperfect things in life,” Amy says. “Everything is perfect when you’re growing up and watching all the princess movies. You have this idea of love, and growing up, you start to realize it can be messy, but it’s still very beautiful. In this album, we want to show everyone that that is okay. Life is going to be messy; all these things happen, and you’re not alone.”
The record progresses like the bittersweet rollercoaster of a breakup, swerving through the mental highs and lows of learning independence and accepting loss. With messages of self-love and growth spread across tracks like ‘Better Off Without You’ and ‘Let You In’, Lastlings unravel the lessons learned throughout this journey, sharing their wisdom through idyllic verses and captivating hooks. From the intrinsic reflections in ‘Learning To Love’ to the nostalgic sentiments of the titular track ‘Perfect World’, Lastlings perfectly capture the stages of a breakup with each and every track.
The project began with a creative vacation to Ocean Shores in New South Wales, where Josh and Amy came together to write for the first time since their debut album First Contact. Nestled in a quiet beach town where they were able to reconnect with themselves and each other, the emotionally supportive and creatively safe environment constructed by the siblings allowed them to be their most vulnerable, both sonically and lyrically.
“We were trying to explore a bit of scientific examination,” Josh says, “like contradicting organic and artificial, natural versus engineered, and random verses planned.”
Across the record, Lastlings teeter at the cross section between indie and electronic music, with cuts like ‘Noise’ and ‘Gravity’ catering to danceable synth melodies and rhythmic drum patterns, while others like ‘Far From Falling’ tap into lighter, euphoric soundscapes. With Perfect World, the powerful balance of Josh’s sophisticated production and Amy’s sympathetic lyricism has come to fruition.
A culmination of their talents as songwriters, musicians, and performers, Perfect World is a stunning display of the reputation Josh and Amy have garnered as a refreshing live electronic act. This fall, Lastlings will bring Perfect World to stages across North America for their 14-date headline tour.
