St.Arnaud's 'Love and The Front Lawn' Is a Raw and Vulnerable Sophomore Effort
Hailing from Edmonton, Canada, Ian St.Arnaud, more popularly known as the frontman of St.Arnaud, grew up listening to Mumford & Sons while writing hooks on his mandolin. Since then, he has emerged in the Great White North as a talented artist and songwriter. Love and the Front Lawn is the band's second full-length album and first offering without the contributions of late member and friend Luke Jansen, whose character still inspires St.Arnaud to make music that is true to their original vision. St. Arnaud shares, "It was important to honor the dream and the partnership of our late friend and bandmate."
Ian confesses the overall retro vibe that Love and the Front Lawn exudes wasn't set out as the purpose from the beginning but rather a reflection of the band's willingness to allow the record to go where the music was leading them. Believing all the while that putting out music of a personal nature is, as Ian articulates, "self-expression, a way to learn about myself and grow something." Through this album, St.Arnaud continues to showcase the band’s penchant for crafting downtrodden songs with happy melodies. Their true talent is delving into themes of heartache, self-reflection, and grief, all while providing us with catchy hooks and upbeat tracks.
Some of the standout tracks from the album are the self-reflective ballads "Loving" and "Sophie," with the latter containing brilliant use of the trumpet to complement its melodies. And although COVID-19 seems like a distant memory for some, "Catching Flies" is the perfect anthem, giving words to the feelings of boredom and depression that many struggled with throughout the pandemic. The raw and vulnerable nature of Love and the Front Lawn and St.Arnaud is what has the band gaining fans online and everywhere they go.
Listen to Love and the Front Lawn below:
