Lovejoy released their second EP, “Pebble Brain”, on October 14, 2021. It debuted at #2 on Spotify’s Top UK Album Debuts chart and has amassed over 38 million streams on its top four songs. Its members Wilbur Soot, Mark Boardman, Joe Goldsmith, and Ash Kabosu certainly hit it out of the park this time.

There are seven songs for 23 minutes total, and two music videos have been released for this EP. The songs fall into one of two categories: toxic relationships or missing one’s youth, with British political commentary mixed into both.

“Oh Yeah, You Gonna Cry?” is the first song. The narrator mocks the ex of his friend, possibly girlfriend, for being a terrible person. I love the upbeatness of this song. Its smooth guitar riffs only add to its triumphant “no offense, but” tone, which is embodied best by the lyrics “Say my name in her sleep/I thought you knew her better than me”.

After is “Model Buses”, which criticizes England’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson. I couldn’t understand many of the political references, but the lyrics “‘Cause you’re just scared/You’re just scared of the future” made me think of a coming-of-age movie. Plus, the trumpets really demonstrate Lovejoy’s talent of blending rock and brass.

“Model Buses” is one of the songs with a music video. It’s comically unprofessional and shows that Lovejoy doesn’t take themselves too seriously.

The narrator of “Concrete” sings about his girlfriend, who he thinks is irrationally upset over him cheating on her. Every instrument in this song fits together to make a booming, groovy hit. 

“Concrete” also has a music video, which depicts Soot causing trouble in Brighton and emphasizes the narrator’s ego.

The highly anticipated “Perfume” follows. This song wasn’t initially planned to be released and was only showcased through leaks on Soot’s Twitch streams and Kabuosu’s band vlog. But, Wilbur Soot’s friend and popular Minecraft YouTuber TommyInnit convinced him to keep it on the EP—and good thing, too. 

In “Perfume”, Soot sings about struggling to move on after his ex-girlfriend finds a new partner. Despite the blaring brass and slamming drums, the longing, somber tone of this song still persists. It’s certainly the highlight of this EP.

In “You’ll Understand When You’re Older”, Soot sings about still not understanding why politicians do bad things, despite being told he would one day. The lyrics “You look so cute when you’re so angry/If I’m going down, you’re coming with me” are especially foreboding. 

“The Fall” is the most popular song with 10 million streams on Spotify. The narrator criticizes his fellow British upper class’s apathy towards the world and spirals into a depression over it. 

The climax of the song, near the end, is the fan-favorite part. Its echoing commands like “So come on, one and all and see the apathy!” reminded many listeners of a circus ringleader, and I can’t help but agree. The guitar and drums kick up into a deafening height before Soot screams himself to an accepting sigh, ending the song.

“It’s All Futile! It’s All Pointless!” is the final song. It was originally released in 2019 in Wilbur Soot’s “Maybe I Was Boring” album, and Lovejoy polished it to a sparkling shine here. 

The bright instrumentals contrast the narrator’s dark plight of growing up to realize he can no longer keep the magic of his dreams and relationship alive. The repeated lyrics “It’s okay/Anything to make you feel less numb” initially sounded optimistic to me, but now I realized they only emphasize this song’s depressing tone.

Overall, this EP is filled with energetic songs for both dancing and reflecting. I give this album 9/10, with only one point off because I personally preferred the pre-rework, more energetic version of “Perfume” leaked on Soot’s livestreams. Give this EP a listen for a rocking and raucous time.