Romanticism

Description

Is there anything we love more than youth? We are told it is a breathless flow of novelty and ecstasy, and we are told even more often that it ends quickly. If the ephemeral nature of youth is part of its magic, isn’t it logical that mourning the days that accumulate behind us is an integral part of the experience? This profound duality is at the heart of Romanticism, the new album by Los Angeles singer-songwriter Hana Vu. On Romanticism, her synthesized pop, based on guitars, and her rich contralto complement the experience of coming of age with a smooth and painful precision. Romanticism can evoke the indie rock of the late 80s, with its intense guitars, while also revealing a futuristic quality in its layers of synthesizers. All the songs are written concisely while offering windows into grand emotions. More powerfully, this album somehow captures the luster of impermanence, in all its wisdom of construction, in all its funneling hope.