Lo Noom - PRETTY WOMAN EP

​ Lo Noom

​PRETTY WOMAN EP
self-released; 2016

4.2 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By William Morrow
​

Andrew Newman is an artist and producer from Mississippi who goes by the alias of Lo Noom and has just released an EP titled Pretty Woman EP. He composes some pretty brilliant pop music that fuses a plethora of elements from a multitude of different genres, such as folk, rock, synth-pop, and R&B. His last work, Groovy, was also reviewed by us, and, considering that was rated highly a year ago, he has done nothing but improve and grow as a musician.

​As if writing, recording, and producing his own album is not enough, he is also only 18 years of age, demonstrating to his older listeners that age needn’t be necessary to make emotional and complex music. As a 19-year-old who frequently reviews music written by those twice my age, it’s really refreshing to study someone’s creation that I can more properly internalize. When listening to Pretty Woman EP, I get the gist that making music is something that comes easy to Newman. Throughout the entirety of the album, all of the little details that make great songs are there - nothing seems to be “missing.” Sometimes, with music, it is best to analyze it with an approach similar to that of the ancient Jewish philosopher Maimonides: it is most accurate to study something of substance by ascribing negative qualities and evaluating what is missing as opposed to granting positive attributes, and with this being said, I found all of the necessary elements to be there, and then some, with nothing crucial absent. 

Because all six (I wish there were more) tracks were so solid, I think it would be rather unfair to point out the notable tracks, so I think it would be easier to just point out some specific moments I enjoyed throughout the EP. However, before doing so, it is important to note that the production quality of Pretty Woman EP is pretty stellar. If Newman hadn’t mentioned in his description that he recorded this work at home by himself, I would have assumed it was done professionally.

The falsetto kicks some major ass throughout the EP. Notable times are early on in “Wild” and the choruses in “Once In A Million Years.” I would say that the music is very vocally driven, as they are always mixed pretty highly, but I would follow that up by saying that this is a good thing, as the vocal lines are strong and the pitches are pretty flawless. I also enjoyed the use of harmony in Pretty Woman EP, and there’s a lot of it. Newman has one of those voices that does really well with upbeat music because of its clarity and tonality, and the nature of the EP suits this properly.

​A lot of the time when artists state that their music does not have a definitive genre, their music is all over the place, which is not necessarily a bad thing, however sometimes there isn’t really anything to hold it together. Although Pretty Woman EP certainly doesn’t fall under a genre, the vibes given off by the music are fairly consistent, and all of the songs work pretty well with each other. For example, although “Once In A Million Years” is a bit harder than the rest of the tunes, it was still obviously Lo Noom doing his thing, and although “Pretty Woman” is a bit more tame than the rest of the tracks, the vocal delivery still clearly indicates Newman behind the mic.

Listening to this EP gave me a really nice feeling. Being given the opportunity to review someone’s music that is close to me in age puts a lot of things into perspective and allowed me to appreciate the quality of Lo Noom’s work to the fullest. I can honestly say that I am pretty impressed with this EP, and work of this caliber for someone of just 18 years is pretty outstanding. Some people just have that thing, and Newman has it (whatever the hell it is). As someone who just finished their first year of college and I am aware of the opportunities that university presents, I genuinely hope that Newman continues a career and educational path in music, as I see some long-term success in his future.

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