Lauren Jauregui “In Between” Album Review

In Between

Lauren Jauregui

• Genre: Pop
• Date: 26 May, 2023
• Content: explicit
• Region: NGA
• Track(s): 7
• ℗ 2023 Attunement Records under exclusive license to AWAL Recordings America, Inc.

Album Art

The album cover showcases a blurred black-and-white photograph of Lauren with a stoic expression. The image is open to interpretation, leaving album art enthusiasts pondering its meaning, as it hints at her state of mind with a “Clear-not-clear” portrait.

Tracks And Features

The album “In Between,” featuring the lead single “Trust Issues,” delves into the various gray areas that Lauren has encountered and overcome since her previous release, Prelude. With a conversational tone and contemplative guitar melodies, Lauren sings about the loneliness of love, as her mother once warned her, “Not everyone’s like you, ain’t got the heart that you do.” The song follows a familiar structure until Malay’s strings introduce a bridge that serves as an influential outro. Malay, known for his work with Frank Ocean and ZAYN, also contributed to “Always Love,” late 2022 single with beautiful background harmonies in the bridge. While Malay’s moody tonal touches are only present in these two tracks, the entire album maintains an emotional and sonic consistency.

The first track of the EP, titled “In Between,” begins with a static introduction that transitions into spoken word poetry that is reminiscent of BANKS or Tinashe’s style. The production’s haziness perfectly captures the ambiguous nature of life’s grey areas. “Em(oceans)” is undoubtedly the EP’s most exceptional track, where Lauren skillfully employs rhyming schemes and homophones (emotion/ocean/motion) to delve into the challenges of being an empath. The chorus “Empathy, empathy, empathy / I wanna, I wanna be free / From all this weight I carry” is simple yet powerful.

“All In My Feelings” continues the EP’s upbeat tempo with the addition of tinny background synths and steady percussion. The Spanish guitar adds a touch of brightness to the overall soundscape, highlighting Lauren’s Latin heritage. “The One” is an impressive combination of subtle brass, smoky tones that echo Amy Winehouse’s influence, and a Latin pop foundation that complements Lauren’s voice.

In Em(Oceans), the talented vocalist expresses her emotions about love and how it can become a heavy burden, especially when it goes unreciprocated. She is torn between her intense feelings and their numbing effect on her, which makes her question why she feels so strongly.

The final track of In Between is “Wolves,” which seems tailored for commercial success. Lauren reunites with her ex-boyfriend Ty Dolla $ign, while Russ contributes a guest verse, and Leon Thomas III, a Grammy-nominated Victorious alum, provides writing and production credits. The song veers towards a boom-bap style, like how Amy Winehouse incorporated hip-hop elements in her Frank album.

The lyrics of “Wolves” are about making decisions in life and surviving in a world where only two ways out exist: death or prison. Lauren and Ty’s fiery chemistry is evident in their performance, but the song’s structure puts Lauren in a featured role on her track. The theme of survival mode feels out of place for this particular combination. Despite this, “Wolves” is a strong track with a catchy melody.

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	ARTIST	TIME
1	In Between	Lauren Jauregui	2:39
2	Em(oceans)	Lauren Jauregui	3:17
3	All In My Feelings	Lauren Jauregui	3:42
4	The One	Lauren Jauregui	3:15
5	Trust Issues	Lauren Jauregui	3:18
6	Always Love	Lauren Jauregui	3:20
7	Wolves (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)	Lauren Jauregui & Russ	3:51

 

Album Summary

Lauren has not only diversified her vocal choices to make them more intriguing and distinctive, but she has also developed her mood and tone curator skills. “In Between” EP is a satisfying placeholder until her full-length debut album drops. Still, it showcases how Lauren is devoted to creating a robust and intricate body of work with patience and care.

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