Genre-defying Montreal-based songwriter and producer Lubalin has released his highly anticipated LP, haha, no worries, a project that marks a significant evolution in both his artistic process and sound. A culmination of years of experimentation and collaboration with 6-time JUNO winner Charlotte Cardin and Jason Brando, the album is a bold exploration of songwriting, production, and identity, blending 2000s soft pop influences with cinematic, emotionally resonant soundscapes. Touching on themes of connection, identity, introspection, and self-doubt, the LP finds Lubalin swimming in a backdrop of duality, weaving an auditory tapestry of striking contrast between the digital and the organic, the expected and the unexpected.
Passionate and contemplative, Lubalin’s undiluted honesty and musicality are on full display in the album’s opening track, “dog”. A master at blending the frenetic stylings of 2000s-era electro-pop with laid-back indie alt rock influences, the track teeters on the edge between hopelessness and yearning for peace. In “bullet time”, Lubalin delves into the contradictory nature of having to be resilient in the midst of heartbreak and sudden endings. And his powerful blend of raw emotion, sharp lyricism, and unrestrained vocals are on display in the diary-like “something to prove” and “microcosm”.
The album’s lead track, “pale blue dot,” encapsulated the general feel of the album as a little world all its own. Accompanied by a music video laden with glimmering doppler-esque clips reminiscent of the NASA space probe photo of the same name, the track is a reminder that no matter how big everything feels, there is always a point of view from which none of it matters.
Tapping into the nostalgia of childhood memories for insight, “aerodynamics” explores the tension of being caught between childlike wonder and decidedly adult self-doubt. The chugging “you know me” is scathingly self-reflective, while the digital wonderland that is “just love” opens the window to let in some light amidst a dizzying thought spiral. Floating light as air, the album continues to showcase the inner workings of Lubalin’s mind in “turning blue”, a track that highlights everyday interactions and off-the-cuff communications we toss back and forth with little thoughts – “Don’t know if I love you or if I just love the thought of you / Maybe I just love the way you tie me in a knot.”
As the album continues, Lubalin presents emotionally raw, but meticulously crafted observation alongside a wry sense of humour and a gleeful disregard for convention. Taking another twist into his own mental labyrinth, “trust issues” is a seamless culmination of a chugging hi-hat beat that carries Lubalin’s melancholic, sweet-as-honey voice as Lubalin sings of the constant mental battle of overthinking. “something’s wrong with me (i think)” instantaneously blurs the lines between wonder and uncertainty, and the closing track, “crystal clear” is quietly thunderous as Lubalin circles back to himself, guided by the undeniable clarity that comes from deep within.
Juxtaposing urgent, often frenetic rhythms with deceptively laid-back vocals and instrumental tracks that rely heavily on the duality that informs both his music and his life, Lubalin’s immense gift for crafting intimately vulnerable songs set against irresistibly shimmering production is on full display. With haha, no worries, Lubalin invites listeners into his universe—a space where vulnerability and strength coexist, where contradictions are celebrated, and where every song offers a glimpse into the artist’s ongoing quest for self-discovery.