For those not in the know, Modern Love Child (the pseudonym of Jonny Shane) will release his debut "self-titled" album, MLC, on October 25th, 2019, via Believe (UK).

Since 2012, Shane has been engrossed in his own flavor of Venice, CA living: “Surf when you want to, work a sh*tty job when you have to, make music all night.”

His first band, Blue Blazer, became a local favorite up and down the Sunset Strip before disbanding in 2015. As Shane began exploring a more direct, autobiographical way of writing, Modern Love Child was born.

The following year, he headed to London and inked his first record deal with Believe.

Having sereditiously run into fellow musician Ben Kweller a couple of times both sides of the pond, Shane was on a plane to Texas to join Kweller at his ranch outside of Austin.

The two artists worked non-stop for days on demos that would become this quite wondrous new album, MLC. Once the album was written and ready to be recorded, Shane enlisted acclaimed producer/mixer, Charlie Russell (Alt-J, Passenger, OK Go) to record the final product.

Also featuring musical contributions from Cameron Knight (Alt-J), and Jacob M Berry (Two Door Cinema Club), in addition to Kweller, I have now sat and listened to the album three times through and have to say it is, and without a shadow of a doubt, firmly now in my Top 10 of 2019.

1. 'West'
2. 'In A City'
3. 'Just for Kids'
4. 'Golden Brown'
5. 'Greenwich Girl'
6. 'Sweet Like Me'
7. 'Pictures Of The Moon'
8. 'Party For Two'
9. 'Ali'
10. 'Stay Young'

With a vocal stance that, at first, had me second guessing the speed that the CD was playing at, from the off the lyrical brilliance of Shane is front and center.

The aboundingly, pulsating anthemic 'West' is a quite brilliant way to kick things off and that's backed by the Strip ambiance of 'In A City,' the lo-fi electronica wandering of 'Just For Kids,' and then both the more upbeat 'Golden Brown' (no, not the Stranglers version), and the gentle hipsway of 'Greenwich Girl.'

Talking about 'In A City,' an exuberant new anthem for those struggling to fit in, Shane explains: “The song was inspired by a trip I had to NYC to see my family and friends. At that time in my life, I felt really lost."

"Everyone else’s life seemed perfect and I felt left out, hence the line, ‘I don’t fit the mold.’ Essentially, it seemed like everyone had it all figured out and I was still just this ‘dreamer in the streets, in a city that never sleeps'."

"The song also represents some internal struggle, there is the line, ‘Maybe I should move to the suburbs, find a significant other, because a white picket fence is the best defense against the world outside'."

"That’s basically thinking to myself, ‘Maybe I should just settle down and live a normal life. I’m certain most people can relate as we all tend feel a bit left out sometimes.”

The drum-led 'Sweet Like Me' is also one of my own personal favorites here and that's backed seamlessly by both the emotive 'Pictures Of The Moon,' and the ebullition found within 'Party For Two.'

Rounding out with the poignancy of 'Ali' and then the alt-fuzz early '90s CA guitar rocker 'Stay Young,' the recording brings to a close an expansive, and obviously heartfelt album for the ages.

www.modernlovechild.com