Lindsey Lomis Drives Unique Approach to Pop Music With ‘Universe’

Written by Camila Sorrentino

Soul-pop with hints of jazz and a slight rock inspiration, artist Lindsey Lomis is bringing novel ideas into the mainstream pop music world with the recent release of her fourth EP Universe on April 14th. Lindsey Lomis is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Nashville who got her start in the business when she released her first single in 2017 “Our Memories,” which is not featured in any of her EPs. Writing about love, heartbreak, and friendship, Lomis explores these common topics in new, refreshing, and relatable ways. After signing with Warner Records, Lomis opened for both of her label-buddy Joshua Bassett’s tours last fall and this spring, where her music was eagerly welcomed and cheered-on.

The Universe EP came after two single drops, “This Time (I Don’t Wanna)” on March 3rd and “Bad News / Good News” on March 24th, which Lomis was ecstatic to play live on release day at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan for Joshua Bassett’s The Complicated Tour audience. Some could argue a large part of this audience had only Lindsey in mind. 

Made up of five songs, the Universe EP covers sounds diverse enough to demonstrate Lomis’ musical ability while similar enough to maintain cohesion throughout the body of work. The upbeat, simple-melody love song “Universe” starts off the album introducing rock-leaning sounds between verses that make a stronger appearance later in the project. Lomis had only briefly played with this sort of sound in the past, deciding to keep the soft but concrete vocals her fans are used to. Almost twangy, raw guitar-picking can be heard as soon as “Universe” is over, marking the start of “Bad News / Good News,” which is arguably the most different and innovative song on the album compared to her previous work. A completely new thing for Lomis, “Bad News / Good News” features a total change in tempo and vibe from verse to chorus, with the verses being slightly quicker and groovier and the chorus turning slow and choppier. Creating an interesting and catchy tune, this song demonstrates the most change and growth creatively for Lomis. It is the highlight of the album, being fun for the listener to analyze every sound and every turn the song takes.

The third track “This Time (I Don’t Wanna),” as mentioned earlier, was the first single off the EP, welcoming fans into a new era of maturity in sound. The background vocals in the chorus depict a 'scratch-the-right-part-of-your-brain’ type of production, providing it with a special kind of addictiveness that makes you want to replay it and hear those harmonies again, thus bringing the soft pop tune together well. Next is track four, named after or in ode to a specific someone, “Kenny,” according to Lomis. This one represents the more vulnerable part of the album, with an aching acoustic guitar and a vocal that transmits its poignant pain from the headphones right through to the listener. It is the first time that heartbreak clearly and unmistakably makes it into the album, with previous songs glazing over the topic but not confidently diving into it like “Kenny” so plaintively does.

In contrast, the closing track “Seven Days” leaves the listener with a hopeful feeling. “Seven days in a week / but there’s two that I keep coming back to” showcases the excitement that comes with a new relationship, where the writer finds themselves anticipating those two days they get to see this person they like every week. “Seven Days” makes perfect sense as the album closer: a danceable and rather open-ended, relatable track. Finishing off with some acapella vocals and a giggling Lindsey saying “Should we end it like that?,” the Universe EP is exactly where pop music is headed.

This project demonstrates growth in Lindsey Lomis’s music, with a maturity of sound being a recognizable attribute. It was also well-received by the public, having reached almost 400,000 streams on Spotify in less than two months. The Universe EP gained enough traction for Lomis to announce her first headline tour, the Universe Tour, just 14 days after its release. Lindsey Lomis will be heading to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville, New York, and Toronto throughout June.

Listen to Universe on all streaming platforms. See Lindsey Lomis on tour: lindseylomis.com