Pebble Brain

Lovejoy was formed in 2021 and debuted with the EP Are You Alright?, released on 9 May 2021. The same month, the band appeared on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart at number 10.[3] All four of the EP's tracks peaked on the UK Independent Singles Chart, with "One Day" at number 5 and positions in four other international charts.[4]

On 14 October 2021, following the release of numerous track demos online, Pebble Brain was released digitally.[5] Frontman William Gold revealed the EP had taken over a year to complete,[6] and that the track "Perfume" originally did not make the final cut.[7] One year after its original release, the EP received its first pressing to vinyl.[8]

Critics found Pebble Brain's lyricism to concern two main themes – relationships and politics.[9][10] Opening track "Oh Yeah, You Gonna Cry?" is written from the "point of view of someone watching the current relationship of a potential romantic interest come to an end", and is thematically similar to "Concrete", written about a failed relationship.[11] Sonically, reviewers found tracks to maintain "familiar horns, exciting percussion, and similar guitar riffs", however such repetitive instrumentation made tracks "truly lack distinction from each other".[11] Political allusions can be found in tracks "Model Buses" and "You'll Understand When You're Older", regarding then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson stating that "he makes model buses in his free time", and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on service workers respectively.[9] "The Fall", written about the "wealthy upper class", stood out to reviewers for its "higher emphasis on the dark bass to the lyrical message to [Gold's] speech at the end, an awe-inspiring mix between spoken word and rap".[12] In terms of production, the EP was criticised by some outlets for issues with mixing, with one explaining "the lead singer's voice is sometimes hard to hear over the high-energy drums and guitar".[11]

The EP received generally positive reviews.[13] Timothy Monger of AllMusic wrote Pebble Brain features "improved production value" compared to their debut, concluding "[Gold's] song subjects are sometimes as frenetic as the band's delivery, but are often quite enjoyable".[14] A reviewer for Teen Ink found flaws in the closing track, writing "the beat was unattractive, and the song as a whole felt rushed and uninteresting", though highly praised "Perfume" as "a much easier track to appreciate the poetical essence Lovejoy crafts".[15]

All tracks written by Ash Kabosu, Joe Goldsmith, Mark Boardman and William Gold.[6]

1. "Oh Yeah, You Gonna Cry?" – 2:49
2. "Model Buses" – 2:50
3. "Concrete" – 3:16
4. "Perfume" – 3:27
5. "You'll Understand When You're Older" – 3:52
6. "The Fall" – 3:04
7. "It's All Futile! It's All Pointless!" – 3:40

Notes

• "It's All Futile! It's All Pointless!" is a re-recording of a track on Gold's 2019 EP, Maybe I Was Boring.[16]

• Ash Kabosu – bass guitar, backing vocals, writing, cover artwork
• Joe Goldsmith – lead guitar, backing vocals, writing
• Mark Boardman – drums, backing vocals, writing
• William Gold – lead vocals, guitar, writing
• Sam Coveney – producer